Molecular and morphological analysis of endangered species Gymnodiptychus integrigymnatus (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)

Abstract

Gymnodiptychus integrigymnatus is a critically endangered species endemic to the Gaoligongshan Mountains. It was thought to be only distributed in several headwater-streams of the Longchuanjiang River (west slope of the Gaoligongshan Mountains, belonging to the Irrawaddy River drainage). In recent years, dozens of G. integrigymnatus specimens have been collected in some streams on the east slope of the Gaoligongshan Mountains (the Salween drainage). We performed a morphological and genetic analyses (based on cytochrome b and D-loop) of the newly discovered populations of G. integrigymnatus to determine whether the degree of separation of these populations warrants species status. Our analysis from the cytochrome b gene revealed that nine individuals from the Irrawaddy drainage area and seven individuals from the Salween drainage area each have only one unique haplotype. The genetic distance between the two haplotypes is 1.97%. Our phylogenetic analysis revealed that G. integrigymnatus is closely related to highly specialized schizothoracine fishes. Analysis from the mitochondrial control region revealed that G. integrigymnatus has relatively high genetic diversity (π was 0.00891 and h was 0.8714), and individuals from different river drainages do not share the same haplotypes. The AMOVA results indicated 87.27% genetic variability between the Salween and Irrawaddy populations. Phylogenetic trees show two major geographic groups corresponding to the river systems.

Biodiversity Research Trends and Gaps from the Confluence of Three Global Biodiversity Hotspots in the Far-Eastern Himalaya

“…These publications were on nitrogen-fixing filamentous bacteria [103], evolutionary microbiology [104], frog species [105], encephalitis virus [106], elephant [107], cobra (Naja mandalayensis) [108], balsams (Impatiens casseabriae and Impatiens putaoensis) [109], leaf muntjac (Muntiacus putaoensis) [110], flowering plant (Remusatia sp.) [111], conifer (Pinus yunnanensis) [112], Cyprinidae fish (Gymnodiptychus integrigymnatus) [113], and golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) [114]. There was no genetic research on agro-ecosystem within this landscape.…”