Mitochondrial DNA and allozymes reveal high dispersal abilities and historical movement across drainage boundaries in two species of freshwater fishes from inland rivers in Queensland, Australia

Abstract

This study used allozymes and mtDNA variation to test that: 1) populations of two fish species, Nematolosa erebi and Retropinna semoni, in lowland rivers in central Australia were highly connected within drainages, 2) populations in different drainages were highly differentiated and 3) there was evidence of historical connections between two major lowland drainages in inland Australia. Levels of genetic differentiation among populations within drainages were low, but still statistically significant, indicating that populations were not as highly connected as had been predicted. Populations from the Murray-Darling and the Lake Eyre drainages were highly differentiated, indicating no contemporary dispersal across drainage boundaries. Both species showed evidence of historical connections between the two drainage basins, although estimates of the time that these last occurred differed between the two species. Nematolosa erebi populations from the two drainages were estimated to have been separated c. 150 000 years ago, whereas populations of R. semoni, were estimated to have been separated c. 1.5 million years ago.

Ecological roles and threats to aquatic refugia in arid landscapes: dryland river waterholes

“…Networker Hughes and Hillyer (2006) Retropinna semoni (Retropinnidae) Dispersal through the river network on flooding. Low levels of genetic subdivision among populations in the same catchment, suggesting high levels of connectivity.…”

“…Networker Hughes and Hillyer (2006) Ambassis sp. (Ambassidae) Dispersal through the river network on flooding.…”

“…In comparison, many of the larger fish displayed very little within-catchment population structure, on the basis of genetic diversity, suggesting extensive dispersal throughout the stream network (Huey et al 2006;Hughes and Hillyer 2006; Table 1). A third group, the 'permanent refugials', is entirely restricted to refugial waterholes, showing very limited dispersal even under flow conditions (Fig.…”

Molecular differentiation of species of the genus Zungaro (Siluriformes, Pimelodidae) from the Amazon and Paraná-Paraguay River basins in Brazil

“…The second fragment of approximately 1000 bp comprises gene codings for ATPase 6 and ATPase 8 subunits. This fragment was amplified by the primers H8331 (5ꞌ-AAAGCRTYRGCCTTTTAAGC-3ꞌ) and L9236 (5ꞌ-GTTAGTGGTCAKGGGCTTGGRTC-3ꞌ) (Hughes and Hillyer, 2006).…”

Significant genetic structure despite high vagility revealed through mitochondrial phylogeography of an Australian freshwater turtle (Chelodina longicollis)

“…We propose that throughout the LGM, both the MDB and the Eastern Province independently harboured Haplogroup B haplotypes that originated from earlier diversification. Pleistocene refugia in the MDB have been suggested on the basis of localised divergent haplotypes and significant genetic structure in freshwater fish and crustaceans (Austin et al 2003;Nguyen et al 2004;Hughes and Hillyer 2006;Hammer et al 2007;Faulks et al 2008). The upland regions of the Border Rivers, Gwydir, and Namoi drainages, in particular, are strong candidates for Pleistocene refugia in C. longicollis.…”