Genetic differentiation in pikeperch ( Sander lucioperca): the relative importance of gene flow, drift and common history

• Published in: Journal of Fish Biology
• Main Authors: Björklund, M., Aho, T., Larsson, L. C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2007
• Subjects: Fennoscandian
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.2007.01609.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1095-8649.2007.01609.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1095-8649.2007.01609.x

To investigate the relative importance of homogenizing factors, such as gene flow, and diversifying factors, such as drift, genetic variation in pikeperch ( Sander lucioperca ) in two Fennoscandian regions (North and South) was analysed with microsatellites. Allelic richness and the degree of differentiation were significantly higher in the North ( F ST = 0·20) than in the South ( F ST = 0·064). In northern areas, assignments of genotypes were almost exclusively to the population of origin, but in southern areas, the proportion of correct assignments was significantly lower. Most samples exhibited significant heterozygote deficits, and the level of relatedness was higher than expected from randomness. These combined results suggest that there has been more gene flow between populations in southern areas than in northern areas, where the importance of genetic drift has been greater. Effective population sizes were small ( c. 100) and did not differ between areas. The effect of a common history appears minor, and thus processes such as genetic drift and gene flow have been more influential in shaping the patterns of genetic diversity in this species.