The roles of marginal lagoons in the maintenance of genetic diversity in the Brazilian migratory fishes Prochilodus argenteus and P. costatus

The rio São Francisco basin contains many endemic species, such as Prochilodus argenteus and P. costatus, which have great commercial importance. However, information about the main recruitment sites and genetic studies containing extensive sampling of these species are scarce. To investigate the roles of the marginal lagoons in the maintenance of genetic variability and in the population structure, we analyzed six microsatellite loci in nine sampling groups of P. argenteus and five sampling groups of P. costatus. Our results showed high levels of genetic variability and low values of genetic differentiation for P. argenteus (F_ST = 0.008, P < 0.05) and for P. costatus (F_ST = 0.031, P < 0.05). In addition, high values of gene flow combined with a small genetic distance suggest the presence of a single population for each species in the middle rio São Francisco basin. Moreover, putative migration routes involving marginal lagoons during the reproductive season could be detected, confirming the importance of these nurseries in the lifecycle of these species. Our results also indicate the necessity of adequate management of the fish resources and the conservation of the floodplains in the rio São Francisco basin.

Conservation genetics; Fish migration; Microsatellite; Nursery area; Rio São Francisco basin