Wolter, C., 1999. Comparison of Intraspecific Genetic Variability in Four Common Cyprinids, Abramis brama, Abramis bjoerkna, Rutilus rutilus and Scardinius erythrophthalmus, within and between Lowland River Systems, Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries.

Reprinted from Hydrobiologia (1999) 394: 163-177with kind permission from Springer Science and Business Media

Comparison of Intraspecific Genetic Variability in Four Common Cyprinids, Abramis brama, Abramis bjoerkna, Rutilus rutilus and Scardinius erythrophthalmus, within and between Lowland River Systems

Thirteen enzyme systems coded by 25 loci, were analysed using gel electrophoresis to characterise the intraspecific genetic variability of four common cyprinids, common bream Abramis brama, silver bream Abramis Bjoerkna, roach Rutilus rutilus and rudd Scardinius erythrophthalmus, within and between lowland rivers.  All tested fish species exhibited a high genetic variability: in common bream 11 polymorphic loci were detected, a mean percentage of polymorphic loci P-95=19.75%, P-99=24% and a mean heterozygosity H-dc=0.092, in silver bream 9 polymorphic loci, P-95=17.33%, p-99=20% and H-dc=0.083, in roach 10 polymorphic loci P-95=18%, P-99=20.88% and H-dc=0.072, and in rudd 8 polymorphic loci, P-95=16%, P-99=18.46% and H-dc=0.082.  Mean genetic distances between the surveyed subpopulations were in common bream 0.011, in silver bream 0.013,  in roach 0.014 and in rudd 0.019.  The difference between common bream, roach and rudd were highly significant (p<0.001, Kruskal-Wallis test).  The differences between silver bream and roach, or silver bream and rudd were not significant (p>0.05).  The determined genetic distance between subpopulations of examined cyprinids was low.  Only 15.8% (common bream)-22.2% (rudd) of genetic variability were attributed to differences between subpopulations, and more than 77% to individual variability within subpopulations.  The high genetic variability of the analysed fish species resulted mainly from their populations size.  All four examined cyprinid species ere common, eurytopic and widely distributed.  However, arguments were found supporting the positive correlation of habitat diversity and genetic variability in common bream and rudd.

Contact: Christian Wolter, Dept. of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Mueggelseedamm 310, 12561 Berlin, GERMANY
Key Words: European_rudd, Basic_biology, Population_dynamics
Product Type: Research, Basic_biology
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