Author(s): Noriyuki Koizumi; Keiji Watabe; Masakazu Mizutani; Takeshi Takemura; Atsushi Mori
Linked Author(s): Takeshi Takemura
Keywords: Rural environment; Agricultural canal; Fish habitat; Genetic diversity; Phylogenetic tree; Cluster analysis; Tochigi Prefecture
Abstract: The genetic structure of the populations of the Japanese eight-barbel loach in 6 rivers in the southeast area of Tochigi Prefecture was analyzed using 11 microsatellite loci. Genetic diversities of the populations seemed to be relatively high and at similar levels owing to 4.45 to 5.91 alleles per locus and 0.51 to 0.58 of the expected heterozygosities. The structure of the phylogenetic tree tended to imply that the geographical location of the rivers influenced the genetic structure among the populations. It was considered that there were 4 populations with individual genetic properties and 2 populations with composite genetic properties from the 4 populations. It could be confirmed that the populations maintained genetic soundness. Development of conservation measures and technologies, which could ensure continuation of the existing populations, would be required for their habitats.
Year: 2009