Abstract
Colossoma macropomum is the second largest scaled fish of the Amazon. It is economically important for commercial fisheries and for aquaculture, but few studies have examined the diversity and genetic structure of natural populations of this species. The aim of this study was to investigate the levels of genetic variability and connectivity that exist between three natural populations of C. macropomum from the Amazon basin. In total, 247 samples were collected from the municipalities of Tefé, Manaus, and Santarém. The populations were genotyped using a panel of 12 multiplex microsatellite markers. The genetic diversity found in these populations was high and similar to other populations described in the literature. These populations showed a pattern of high gene flow associated with the lack of a genetic structure pattern, indicating that the number of migrants per generation and recent migration rates are high. The values of the FST, RST, and exact test of differentiation were not significant for pairwise comparisons between populations. The Bayesian population clustering analysis indicated a single population. Thus, the data provide evidence for high genetic diversity and high gene flow among C. macropomum populations in the investigated region of the Amazon basin. This information is important for programs aiming at the conservation of natural populations.
Highlights
Colossoma macropomum (Cuvier, 1818), commonly known as tambaqui in Brazil and as gamitana in Peru, is the largest characid fish of the Amazon basin, belonging to the family Characidae, subfamily Serrasalminae
Due to its economic importance in the Amazon, it is essential to understand the levels of genetic variability and genetic structure patterns present in natural populations to develop management strategies that can keep in check the loss of genetic diversity among natural populations (Aguiar et al, 2013)
The values for genetic diversity found in the populations analyzed with these microsatellite markers were high (HO mean > 0.70) and similar to data reported in the literature for these same markers used for different populations in the Amazon region (Hamoy et al, 2011, Hamoy and Santos, 2012; Aldea-Guevara et al, 2013)
Summary
Colossoma macropomum (Cuvier, 1818), commonly known as tambaqui in Brazil and as gamitana in Peru, is the largest characid fish of the Amazon basin, belonging to the family Characidae, subfamily Serrasalminae. The only previous study using microsatellite markers to evaluate the genetic variability and population structure of natural populations of C. macropomum in the Amazon basin is that of
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