Population genetic structure of crucian carp (Carassius carassius) in man-made ponds and wild populations in Sweden

Abstract

Although once popular prior to the last century, the aquaculture of crucian carp Carassius carassius (L. 1758) in Sweden gradually fell from favour. This is the first genetic comparison of crucian carp from historic man-made ponds in the Scandinavian Peninsula. The aim was to identify old populations without admixture and to compare the relationship of pond populations from different provinces in Sweden. In total, nine microsatellite loci from 234 individuals from 20 locations in varied parts of Sweden were analysed. The genetic distances of crucian carp populations indicated that the populations in the southernmost province of Sweden, Scania, shared a common history. A pond population in the province Småland also showed a common inheritance with this group. In the province Uppland, further north in Sweden, the population genetic distances suggested a much more complex history of crucian carp distributions in the ponds. The data showed that there are some ponds with potentially old populations without admixture, but also that several ponds might have been stocked with fish from many sources.

Comparing RADseq and microsatellites to infer complex phylogeographic patterns, an empirical perspective in the Crucian carp, Carassius carassius, L.

“…The colonization of the Baltic Sea basin also seems to have been complex, with three independent routes inferred by DIYABC Scenario 14d: one recent route through Denmark into southern Sweden, one to the east of the Baltic Sea, through Finland, and one across the Baltic Sea, from populations related to those in Poland (Pool 4). The first of these agrees well with the findings of Janson et al (2014), whereby populations, including SWE8 from our study (SK3P in Janson et al 2014), in this region were found to be distinct from those in central Sweden. The eastern route shows similarities to the colonization patterns of P. fluvilatilis, which is hypothesized to have had a refugium east of Finland (Nesbø et al 1999) during the most recent glacial period.…”

“…The first of these agrees well with the findings of Janson et al . (), whereby populations, including SWE8 from our study (SK3P in Janson et al . ), in this region were found to be distinct from those in central Sweden.…”

“…(), whereby populations, including SWE8 from our study (SK3P in Janson et al . ), in this region were found to be distinct from those in central Sweden. The eastern route shows similarities to the colonization patterns of P. fluvilatilis , which is hypothesized to have had a refugium east of Finland (Nesbø et al .…”

“…Carassius carassius were often used as a food source in monasteries in many parts of Sweden (Janson et al . ), and the Baltic island of Gotland (Rasmussen ; Svanberg et al . ) was an important trading port of the Hanseatic League – a commercial confederation that dominated trade in northern Europe from the 13th to 17th centuries.…”

“…It is also likely that the contemporary distribution of C. carassius in the Baltic has been influenced by human translocations. Carassius carassius were often used as a food source in monasteries in many parts of Sweden (Janson et al 2014), and the Baltic island of Gotland (Rasmussen 1959;Svanberg et al 2013) was an important trading port of the Hanseatic Leaguea commercial confederation that dominated trade in northern Europe from the 13th to 17th centuries. Previous data suggest that C. carassius was transported from the Scania Province, southern Sweden, where C. carassius aquaculture was common at least during the 17th century, Fig.…”