High genetic diversity in population of Lepturichthys fimbriata from the Yangtze River revealed by microsatellite DNA analysis

Lepturichthys fimbriata (Gunther) is one of the benthic and rock-attached fish species that is typically found in torrential flows of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in China. Several dams in the Yangtze River (the Ertan Dam, the Three Gorges Dam, the Gezhouba Dam, the Xiluodu Dam and the Xiangjiaba Dam (the latter two dams are under construction)) may have significant effects on the habitat and spawning behaviors of L. fimbriata, and could ultimately threaten the survival of this fish. We studied the population genetic diversity of L. fimbriata samples collected at three sites within the Yangtze River and one of its tributaries, the Yalong River. Genetic diversity patterns were determined by analyzing genetic data from 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci isolated in Jinshaia sinensis (Sauvage et Dabry). A high genetic diversity among these L. fimbriata local populations was indicated by the number of microsatellite alleles (A) and the expected heterozygosity. No reductions of genetic diversity in any L. fimbriata population were observed. However, significant population differentiations were observed among three local populations by pairwise comparisons (P<0.001). We deduced that L. fimbriata local populations were not small ones. In addition, the habitat behaviors of rock-attachment and possible residence of L. fimbriata could account for the genetic differences found in local populations.