Safdar Taqwa, Abbas Khalid, Gondro Cedric, Abdullah Sajid, Zia Muhammad Anjum
Department of Zoology, Wildlife and Fisheries, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan.
Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Biochem Genet. 2025 Jun 12. doi: 10.1007/s10528-025-11156-6.
Exploited fish species are experiencing population decline and environmental changes due to human activities. As populations decline, genetic diversity may decrease, potentially resulting in a reduced ability to adapt to current and future ecological shifts. The prominent freshwater fish species, Wallago attu, faces extinction threats and has recently been classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Little is known about the species' genetic and population dynamics, despite the economic importance in the region. The study aimed to use microsatellites to gather baseline genetic and population data and assess the effect of water management practices on population structure. The study revealed low-to-moderate genetic diversity within sample localities but significantly high differentiation among populations. Findings indicated significant inbreeding within populations and strong evidence of recent bottlenecks. Genetic relatedness analysis, a UPGMA dendrogram and Bayesian clustering, clearly divided the populations into two clusters, which suggests a significant genetic divergence. Anthropogenic activities and water management strategies significantly influenced the genetic population structure in the studied regions. To ensure the long-term survival of this vulnerable species, conservation-oriented management should prioritize preserving current genetic diversity, given its distinct genetic patterns.
由于人类活动，被捕捞的鱼类物种正面临种群数量下降和环境变化。随着种群数量的减少，遗传多样性可能会降低，这可能导致适应当前和未来生态变化的能力下降。著名的淡水鱼物种——巨魾，面临灭绝威胁，最近被列入国际自然保护联盟红色名录中的易危物种。尽管该物种在该地区具有经济重要性，但对其遗传和种群动态知之甚少。这项研究旨在利用微卫星收集基线遗传和种群数据，并评估水资源管理措施对种群结构的影响。研究发现，样本地点内的遗传多样性处于低到中等水平，但种群之间的分化程度显著较高。研究结果表明种群内部存在显著的近亲繁殖，并且有近期瓶颈效应的有力证据。遗传相关性分析、UPGMA 树形图和贝叶斯聚类分析清楚地将种群分为两个聚类，这表明存在显著的遗传差异。人为活动和水资源管理策略对研究区域内的遗传种群结构产生了重大影响。鉴于其独特的遗传模式，为确保这一濒危物种的长期生存，以保护为导向的管理应优先保护当前的遗传多样性。
