Evaluating the genetic status of a Great Basin endemic minnow: the relict dace (Relictus solitarius)

The relict dace ( Relictus solitarius ) is an endemic minnow restricted to isolated spring systems within Butte, Goshute, Ruby and Steptoe valleys in the eastern Nevada portion of the Great Basin. It is the only native fish in these basins, but speckled dace ( Rhinichthys osculus ) have been introdu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Conservation genetics 2012-06, Vol.13 (3), p.727-742
Main Authors: Houston, Derek D., Evans, R. Paul, Shiozawa, Dennis K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal Genetics and Genomics
Biodiversity
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Conservation Biology/Ecology
Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Fish
Freshwater
Genetic diversity
Genetics
Haplotypes
Hybridization
Life Sciences
Plant Genetics and Genomics
Relictus solitarius
Research Article
Rhinichthys osculus
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Summary:The relict dace ( Relictus solitarius ) is an endemic minnow restricted to isolated spring systems within Butte, Goshute, Ruby and Steptoe valleys in the eastern Nevada portion of the Great Basin. It is the only native fish in these basins, but speckled dace ( Rhinichthys osculus ) have been introduced into some localities in Ruby Valley and, based on morphology, the two species are believed to have hybridized in those areas. We used DNA sequence data from one mitochondrial gene (cytochrome b ) and one nuclear intron (S7) to determine if putative relict dace populations in Ruby Valley share mtDNA haplotypes with speckled dace, or show signs of hybridization. Results of our analyses show that 11 of 16 Ruby Valley populations sampled contain only speckled dace, and one speckled dace population exhibited signs of limited introgressive hybridization. The remaining five Ruby Valley populations that were sampled contain relict dace that remain genetically distinct from speckled dace. The integrity of the Ruby Valley relict dace populations should be actively protected, particularly in the area surrounding Ruby Lake where speckled dace have been widely introduced.
ISSN:1566-0621
1572-9737
DOI:10.1007/s10592-012-0321-6