Mezhzherin S.V., Fedorenko L.V.

Genetic variation of danube population of Alosa pontica pontica (Eihwald, 1838), (clupeiformes, alosinae): the analysis of biochemical gene markers

Cytology and Genetics 2005, v 39, number 2, 42-48

Genetic variation and structure of Danube stock of Aloca pontica pontica were investigated during the spawning moving by means of biochemical genetic marking. The level of heterozygosity was Hobs = 0,009. It is essentially lower than the average level for populations of other Teleostei and Clupeidae representatives. Polymorphism was defined only for Es-D of 20 analyzed loci expressed in muscle tissues. The allele frequencies for this locus were reliably different in the early spawning and later spawning parts of the stock, as well as proportion of heterozygotes and genotype diversity which was higher at the beginning of spawning moving. These results are discussed from two points of view: genetic differences between subpopulations in the course of spawning moving and presence of two close species of herring which come for the spawning together and hybridize to each other.