The enigmatic Caspian Sea Russian sturgeon: how many cryptic forms does it contain?

The Russian sturgeon, Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, is closely related to three other sturgeon species (A. persicus, A. naccarii and A. baerii), with populations in the Caspian Sea containing a cryptic lineage with an A. baerii-like mtDNA profile. Using morphological evidence (morphometrics, meristics)...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Systematics and biodiversity 2005-06, Vol.3 (2), p.203-218
Main Authors: Birstein, Vadim J., Ruban, Georgii, Ludwig, Arne, Doukakis, Phaedra, DeSalle, Rob
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acipenser gueldenstaedtii
Black Sea
Caspian Sea
caviar
Freshwater
Marine
mtDNA
Rivers
speciation
sturgeon
Translocation
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Summary:The Russian sturgeon, Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, is closely related to three other sturgeon species (A. persicus, A. naccarii and A. baerii), with populations in the Caspian Sea containing a cryptic lineage with an A. baerii-like mtDNA profile. Using morphological evidence (morphometrics, meristics) and additional genetic analysis (cytochrome b gene and control region sequencing), cryptic lineages within the Russian sturgeon and their relation to other closely related species of sturgeons are further examined. These data indicate that three genetic forms exist within what is presently known as A. gueldenstaedtii. These forms include the pure A. gueldenstaedtii and A. baerii-like individuals plus a third rare genetic form whose mtDNA is similar to the mtDNA of the Adriatic sturgeon, A. naccarii. Morphological comparison of the three forms and the Yenisei River A. baerii indicates that although the three forms of A. gueldenstaedtii are not different from one another, all three significantly differ from the Yenisei River A. baerii. Competing explanations, including translocation and centre of origin hypotheses are considered. The three genetic forms of A. gueldenstaedtii likely colonized different geographic areas during different geological periods, and subsequently evolved in these regions independently into the species currently recognized as A. gueldenstaedtii, A. naccarii and A. baerii.
ISSN:1477-2000
1478-0933
DOI:10.1017/S1477200005001647