Abstract
A phylogeographic study of an economically important freshwater fish, the striped snakehead, Channa striata in Sundaland was carried out using data from mtDNA ND5 gene target to elucidate genetic patterning. Templates obtained from a total of 280 individuals representing 24 sampling sites revealed 27 putative haplotypes. Three distinct genetic lineages were apparent; 1)northwest Peninsular Malaysia, 2)southern Peninsular, east Peninsular, Sumatra and SW (western Sarawak) and 3) central west Peninsular and Malaysian Borneo (except SW). Genetic structuring between lineages showed a significant signature of natural geographical barriers that have been acting as effective dividers between these populations. However, genetic propinquity between the SW and southern Peninsular and east Peninsular Malaysia populations was taken as evidence of ancient river connectivity between these regions during the Pleistocene epoch. Alternatively, close genetic relationship between central west Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo populations implied anthropogenic activities. Further, haplotype sharing between the east Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra populations revealed extraordinary migration ability of C. striata (>500 km) through ancient connectivity. These results provide interesting insights into the historical and contemporary landscape arrangement in shaping genetic patterns of freshwater species in Sundaland.
Highlights
Genetic patterning of ichthyofauna is greatly influenced by ecological processes, anthropogenic factors [1] and geological history [2]
During the last glacial maximum, Sumatra Island, Malay Peninsula and Malaysian Borneo, Figure 1a, were bridged by the exposed lowland known as the Sunda shelf
Hap01, Hap05, Hap19, Hap21 and Hap23 were specific to the six northwest Peninsular populations (TT, JN, KN, SP, TK and KR) (Table S1 & S2)
Summary
Genetic patterning of ichthyofauna is greatly influenced by ecological processes, anthropogenic factors [1] and geological history [2]. During the last glacial maximum, Sumatra Island, Malay Peninsula and Malaysian Borneo (comprising of Sarawak and Sabah), Figure 1a, were bridged by the exposed lowland known as the Sunda shelf. Postglacial invasion of sea water formed the Malay Peninsula isolating it from the Sumatra on the west by the Straits of Malacca and from Borneo on the east by the South China Sea. As a consequence, the subsequent distribution and colonization of the freshwater ichthyofauna was greatly affected as the obligate freshwater taxa found the sea water an insurmountable barrier to dispersion due to the disjunction of the geographic areas [4]. Investigations of contemporary spatial genetic structuring among these isolated groups could provide insights into the ecological processes and demographic causes of the phylogeographic structuring
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