Genet. Sel. Evol. 38 (2006) 411-430
DOI: 10.1051/gse:2006012

Phylogeographic study of brown trout from Serbia, based on mitochondrial DNA control region analysis

Sasa Maric^a, Simona Susnik^b, Predrag Simonovic^a and Ales Snoj<sup>c

a</sup>  University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology, Studentski trg 16, 11001 Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro
^b  Karl-Franzens Universität Graz, Institut für Zoologie, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010 Graz, Austria
^c  University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Animal Science, Groblje 3, 1230 Domzale, Slovenia

(Received 8 September 2005; accepted 19 December 2005; published online 23 June 2006)

Abstract - In order to illuminate the phylogeography of brown trout (Salmo trutta) populations in the Balkan state of Serbia, the 561 bp 5'-end of mtDNA control region of 101 individuals originating from upland tributaries of the Danubian, Aegean and Adriatic drainages were sequenced and compared to corresponding brown trout sequences obtained in previous studies. Among 15 haplotypes found, 14 were considered native, representing the Danubian and Adriatic lineages of the brown trout, while one haplotype (ATcs1), found only in two individuals originating from two stocked rivers, corresponded to the Atlantic lineage and was considered introduced. Native haplotypes exhibited a strong geographic pattern of distribution: the Danubian haplotypes were strictly confined to the Danubian drainage, while the Adriatic haplotypes dominated in the Aegean and Adriatic drainages; most of the total molecular variance (69%) was attributed to differences among the drainages. Phylogenetic reconstruction, supplemented with seven haplotypes newly described in this study, suggested a sister position of the Atlantic-Danubian and Adriatic-Mediterranean-marmoratus ("southern") phylogenetic group, and pointed to the existence of a distinct clade, detected within the "southern" group. The data obtained confirmed our expectation of the existence of high genetic diversity in Balkan trout populations, and we recommend more widespread surveys covering trout stocks from the region.

Key words: phylogeography / Salmo trutta / mitochondrial DNA / control region / Balkan Peninsula

Correspondence and reprints: ales.snoj@bfro.uni-lj.si

© INRA, EDP Sciences 2006