Restricted gene flow at the micro- and macro-geographical scale in marble trout based on mtDNA and microsatellite polymorphism

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The genetic structure of the marble trout <it>Salmo trutta marmoratus</it>, an endemic salmonid of northern Italy and the Balkan peninsula, was explored at the macro- and micro-scale level using a combination of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and microsatellite data.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Sequence variation in the mitochondrial control region showed the presence of nonindigenous haplotypes indicative of introgression from brown trout into marble trout. This was confirmed using microsatellite markers, which showed a higher introgression at nuclear level. Microsatellite loci revealed a strong genetic differentiation across the geographical range of marble trout, which suggests restricted gene flow both at the micro-geographic (within rivers) and macro-geographic (among river systems) scale. A pattern of Isolation-by-Distance was found, in which genetic samples were correlated with hydrographic distances. A general West-to-East partition of the microsatellite polymorphism was observed, which was supported by the geographic distribution of mitochondrial haplotypes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>While introgression at both mitochondrial and nuclear level is unlikely to result from natural migration and might be the consequence of current restocking practices, the pattern of genetic substructuring found at microsatellites has been likely shaped by historical colonization patterns determined by the geological evolution of the hydrographic networks.</p

Wild trout responses to a stress experience following confinement conditions during the spawning season

Salmo (trutta) marmoratus is an endemic specie in the North of Italy, subjected to hybridization with domesticated strains of trout. Native populations are managed by supportive release in the rivers. Wild breeders are captured, confined in facility for short periods and then released in the river after artificial fertilization. Premature mortality during confinement and post release mortality in river have been observed in breeders supporting the view that confinement stress could be the cause. Twenty-six adult individuals of trout were captured from a river by electrofishing and stocked in two tanks, the first one (RF) provided with artificial refuges to simulate the natural environment and covered by dark panels; the second tank (TR) was only partially covered by dark panels and without artificial refuges. All the other conditions were identical and animals were fed ad libitum with natural food collected in the same river. After 50 days, from a third group of 8 trout (WD) captured in the same river by a 5 minute electrofishing session, blood samples were sequentially collected for the assessment of serum cortisol response to serial repeated handlings. With the same sequential method, individuals of the RF and TR experimental groups were sampled. Cortisol levels were compared between groups by ANOVA. Biomass densities decreased during the experiment due to premature mortality of the largest individuals in both the RF (7.69%) and TR (30.77%) groups. At the end of the experiment, data clearly demonstrated that after a stressing confinement, the TR group shown a reduced poststress response to the successive serial handlings. Vice versa the group RF, that experienced a more careful confinement, responded to the second serial acute stressing manipulation in conformity as the group WD that was not confined. Cortisol data support the hypothesis of impaired cortisol response as a consequence of oversecretion due to uneasiness during the short-term confinement in artificial environment without refuges or due to &ldquo;chronic&rdquo; stress. Furthermore our data demonstrate that cortisolemia is not adequate as a marker for chronic stress but cortisol response to serial acute stress, in relation to time, can be used for the monitoring of stress level and welfare in trout breeders during confinement. The use of refuges and shadow in the artificial environment shown to play a relevant role in the survival of wild breeders of trout during confinement in the spawning season