Studies of genetic diversity and phylogeography of Pseudoplatystoma Bleeker, 1862 ...
| Grant number: | 12/03553-8 |
| Support type: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |
| Effective date (Start): | July 01, 2012 |
| Effective date (End): | August 31, 2016 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Genetics - Animal Genetics |
| Principal Investigator: | Eduardo Leonardecz Neto |
| Grantee: | Josi Margarete Ponzetto Do Nascimento |
| Home Institution: | Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil |
| Associated scholarship(s): | 14/20567-8 - Landscape genetics of two large sized migratory freshwater fish within Neotropics, BE.EP.DR |
Abstract The biodiversity in continental aquatic environments has been threatened by the constant environmental impacts. The fish fauna, which corresponds to approximately 25% of the existing species of vertebrates, has been suffering the effects of environmental changes such as pollution, deforestation, sedimentation, overfishing and dam building, among others. Since fishes have a great importance as food source and generating wealth, especially with the development of expressive activities of pisciculture and, more recently, with the intensive production and marketing of hybrid fish, conservation and management of biodiversity, including genetic variability, should be prioritized. However, the genetic structure of populations of native fish, both natural and cultivated, is still unknown, and there are few studies in this area. Considering that the catfish of the Pseudoplatystoma genus are among the main species of native fish used in the aquaculture and one of the most appreciated by sport fishing and sub-existence, defining how the genetic variability of populations is distributed and the composition of stocks is of fundamental importance for the implementation of breeding programs and conservation of these species, which are increasingly threatened by the production and escape of interspecific hybrids in nature. In this sense, this project aims to characterize the genetic variability and to establish the comparative phylogeographic relationships of populations of P. corruscans, popularly known as pintado, and P. reticulatum, known as cachara, in the Parana and Paraguay rivers basin, seeking to establish conservation measures for the natural stocks. Eight localities along of the Paraguay and Parana basins will be sampled, where the species occur in sympatry, even by introduction. About 10 animals per point/species will be sampled. The analyses of sequences and haplotypes of gene ATPase 6/8 mitochondrial DNA (840pb, complete) and nuclear DNA gene RAG2 (950pb, partial) will be used to identify the geographic distribution of these strains along the ecosystem studied, in order to propose phylogeographic hypotheses for populations of these species through the development of the route map for migration of populations, as well as subsidize programs related to aquaculture, management and conservation of natural populations of these species. | |