The Genetic Diversity of Native, Stocked, and Hybrid Populations of Brook Trout in the Southern Appalachians

• Published in: Conservation biology Vol. 10; no. 5; pp. 1403 - 1412
• Main Authors: Hayes, John P., Guffey, Stanley Z., Kriegler, Frank J., McCracken, Gary F., Parker, Charles R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 238 Main Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142 Blackwell Science Inc 01-10-1996; Blackwell Scientific Publications; Blackwell
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; DNA; Ecological genetics; Evolutionary genetics; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic diversity; Genetic variation; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; Haplotypes; Hybridity; Mitochondrial DNA; Population genetics; Population genetics, reproduction patterns; Salvelinus fontinalis; Trout; Vertebrata; Appalachians; North America; America; USA, Tennessee; USA, North Carolina; Salmonidae; Farming animal; Hybrid; Population structure; Mitochondrial DNA; Genetic diversity; Wild animal; Introgression; Population genetics; Freshwater environment; Vertebrata; Salvelinus fontinalis; Pisces
• ISSN: 0888-8892; 1523-1739
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1523-1739.1996.10051403.x

Using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) restriction analysis and starch-gel electrophoresis of the CK-A2 locus product, we examined genetic variation in 311 brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) from 11 native, 5 hatchery-derived, and 8 hybrid populations in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Native southern Appalachian fish were genetically distinct from hatchery-derived fish. Southern and hatchery-derived fish were reliably distinguished based on three mtDNA restriction sites. Native southern haplotypes differed from hatchery derived haplotypes by an average of 0.84%. Northern hatchery-derived haplotypes varied little in mtDNA compared to native southern haplotypes. Introgression of mtDNA haplotypes and the CK-A2 locus varied among populations, and introgression of allozyme and mtDNA markers was positively correlated. Continued introductions of nonnative strains of brook trout in the southern Appalachians could simplify the genetic structure of native brook trout populations and eliminate unique genotypes.