Recently, tilapia have become increasingly important in aquaculture and fisheries worldwide. They are one of the major protein sources in many African countries and are helping to combat malnutrition. Therefore, maintenance and conservation genetics of wild populations of tilapia are of great significance. In this study, we report the population genetic structure and genetic diversity of the redbelly tilapia (Coptodon zillii) in three different Egyptian aquatic environments: brackish (Lake Idku), marine (Al‐Max Bay), and freshwater (Lake Nasser). The habitat differences, environmental factors, and harvesting pressures are the main characteristics of the sampling sites. Three mitochondrial DNA markers (COI: cytochrome oxidase subunit I; the D‐loop; CYTB: cytochrome b) were used to assess population structure differences among the three populations. The population at Lake Nasser presented the highest genetic diversity (H d = 0.8116, H = 6), and the marine population of Al‐Max Bay the lowest (H d = 0.2391, H = 4) of the combined sequences. In addition, the phylogenetic haplotype network showed private haplotypes in each environmental habitat. Results presented here will be useful in aquaculture to introduce the appropriate broodstock for future aquaculture strategies of C. zillii. In addition, evidence of population structure may contribute to the management of tilapia fisheries in Egyptian waters.
We examined genetic diversity and connectivity of two indigenous Mediterranean goatfish species (Mullus barbatus and M. surmuletus), and a Lessepsian migrant species (Upeneus moluccensis), across the Nile Delta outflow using two mitochondrial DNA markers (COI and cyt b). Genetic diversity was high for the two Mediterranean species but relatively lower for the migrant species, suggesting founder effects after invasion from the Red Sea. Confirmation of this hypothesis, however, would require comparison with populations of origin in the Red Sea and the Indo-West Pacific. AMOVA and network analyses revealed no genetic partitioning for all species, indicating the Nile outflow does not currently, and may not have historically, posed a significant barrier to larval dispersal in these goatfish despite a present-day temperature and salinity gradient along the Mediterranean coastline of Egypt.
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is one of the most powerful techniques in molecular biology. In DNA isolation, substances co-extracted from biological samples, such as lipids, polysaccharides, and humic acids, influence amplification of the target gene and act as PCR inhibitors. Here, two instruments were used to measure concentrations and purities of DNA extracted from three species of the family Mullidae (Mullus barbatus, Linnaeus, 1758; Mullus surmuletus, Linnaeus, 1758; Upeneus moluccensis, Bleeker, 1855). In order to investigate PCR amplification differences between these species of goatfishes and to optimize protocols for PCR amplification, two PCR enzymes with different annealing temperatures were tested by amplifying the mitochondrial COI gene. The high lipid level of M. surmuletus species acted as a polymerase chain reaction inhibitor. The findings presented herein will enable other researchers to choose enzymes and primers appropriate for their studies instead of merely adjusting PCR annealing temperatures.
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