European grayling phylogeographic lineages of Russian European North from barcoding DNA fragment

Ekaterina V. Ponomareva, Aleksandr A. Volkov, Maria V. Ponomareva, Galina A. Makeenko and Elena A. Shubina

Abstract: MtDNA CO1 barcoding fragment was analyzed in 302 European graylings (Thymallus thymallus L.) from 38 localities of the Russian European North. Four T. arcticus Pallas haplotypes were found in 62 fishes from the rivers of the Kola Peninsula and 3 fishes from the Northern Dvina basin; that indicates an ancient introgressive hybridization of European and Arctic graylings. Two T. thymallus haplotypes differing by two substitutions dominated in most of studied fishes and formed two haplogroups, one of which dominates in most water bodies of the Kola Peninsula, Pechora and some tributaries of the Northern Dvina. In the northeast, another haplogroup dominated and might be diagnostic for the identification of Russian European North European grayling. The observed distribution of haplotypes reflects post-glacial colonization and is associated with paleoclimatic changes that fragmented the grayling range. Thus, CO1 barcoding fragment can be used to identify origin of grayling and is suitable for describing phylogeographic lineages and indicating evolutionary significant units (ESU).

Keywords: arctic grayling; CO1; European grayling; introgressive hybridization; Russian European North; T. arcticus Pallas; T. thymallus L.

Date published: 2022-11-02