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Aquatic Living Resources

Table of Contents - January 2005 - Volume 18 - Issue01

Research Article

Population genetic studies on the Australian freshwater crayfish, Cherax destructor (Crustacea: Parastacidae) using allozyme and RAPD markers

Étude de la diversité génétique des populations de l’écrevisse australienne, Cherax destructor (Crustacés : Parastacidés) par les allozymes et les marqueurs RAPD

Thuy T. T. Nguyena1a2, Burridge, Christopher P.a1 and Austin, Christopher M.a1

a1 School of Ecology and Environment, Deakin University, Warrnambool, VIC 3280, Australia

a2 Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific, PO Box 1040, Kasetsart Post Office, Bangkok 10903, Thailand

Abstract

Allozyme and Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) variation was surveyed in the freshwater crayfish Cherax destructor Clark, an ecologically and commercially important species that is widespread throughout the freshwater systems of central Australia. At the intra-population level, allozymes revealed a similar level of variation to that found in other freshwater crayfish; RAPDs showed less diversity than allozymes, which was unexpected. At the inter-population level, both techniques revealed significant population structure, both within and between drainages. RAPD results were consistent with phylogeographic patterns previously identified using mtDNA. Although allozyme data showed little geographic pattern in relation to genetic variation based on multidimensional-scaling (MDS) plots on matrices of genetic distance, results of AMOVA and Mantel tests indicated significant population structuring. Each of the mtDNA lineages proposed in a previous study also showed significant genetic structure at similar levels as revealed by RAPDs but different levels by allozymes. These results reject hypotheses previously put forward on genetic homogenisation within the species due to wide-scale translocation. The implications of the findings for conservation and aquaculture of C. destructor are also discussed.

Résumé

Le polymorphisme des allozymes et des marqueurs RAPD est étudié chez l'écrevisse Cherax destructor Clark, espèce d'importance écologique et commerciale et qui est largement répandue dans tous les bassins hydrographiques de l'Australie centrale. A l'intérieur des populations, les allozymes révèlent un niveau similaire de variation à celui trouvé chez d'autres écrevisses; les marqueurs RAPD montrent moins de diversité que les allozymes, ce qui est inattendu. Entre les populations, les deux techniques révèlent une structure génétique significative, à la fois au sein d'un même bassin hydrographique et entre bassins hydrographiques. Les résultats obtenus avec les marqueurs RAPD révèlent les mêmes relations phylogéographiques identifiées antérieurement par étude de l'ADNmt. Bien que les données allozymiques révèlent peu de structure géographique en relation avec la variation génétique, basée sur l'analyse en composantes principales et le positionnement multidimensionnel (MDS) des matrices des distances génétiques, les résultats des tests AMOVA et de Mantel indiquent une structure significative des populations. Chacune des lignées d'ADNmt proposées dans une précédente étude montre également une structure génétique significative à des niveaux similaires pour les marqueurs RAPD mais différents pour les allozymes. Ces résultats rejettent les hypothèses posées antérieurement sur l'homogénéisation génétique chez cette espèce suite à des translocations réalisées à grande échelle. Les implications de ces résultats pour la protection et l'aquaculture de C. destructor sont aussi discutées.

(Received January 10 2005)

(Accepted February 17 2005)

(Online publication March 15 2005)

Key Words:

  • Population genetics ;
  • Allozymes ;
  • RAPDs ;
  • Cherax destructor

Correspondence:

c1 thuy.nguyen@enaca.org

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