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Widespread colonisation of Tanzanian catchments by introduced Oreochromis tilapia fishes: the legacy from decades of deliberate introduction.

ABSTRACT: From the 1950s onwards, programmes to promote aquaculture and improve capture fisheries in East Africa have relied heavily on the promise held by introduced species. In Tanzania these introductions have been poorly documented. Here we report the findings of surveys of inland water bodies across Tanzania between 2011 and 2017 that clarify distributions of tilapiine cichlids of the genus Oreochromis. We identified Oreochromis from 123 sampling locations, including 14 taxa restricted to their native range and three species that have established populations beyond their native range. Of these three species, the only exotic species found was blue-spotted tilapia (Oreochromis leucostictus), while Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and Singida tilapia (Oreochromis esculentus), which are both naturally found within the country of Tanzania, have been translocated beyond their native range. Using our records, we developed models of suitable habitat for the introduced species based on recent (1960-1990) and projected (2050, 2070) East African climate. These models indicated that presence of suitable habitat for these introduced species will persist and potentially expand across the region. The clarification of distributions provided here can help inform the monitoring and management of biodiversity, and inform policy related to the future role of introduced species in fisheries and aquaculture.

SUBMITTER: Shechonge A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6394791 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Fish species often exhibit significant sexual dimorphism for commercially important traits. Accordingly, the control of phenotypic sex, and in particular the production of monosex cultures, is of particular interest to the aquaculture industry. Sex determination in the widely farmed Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is complex, involving genomic regions on at least three chromosomes (chromosomes 1, 3 and 23) and interacting in certain cases with elevated early rearing temperature as well. Thus, sex ratios may vary substantially from 50%. RESULTS:This study focused on mapping sex-determining quantitative trait loci (QTL) in families with skewed sex ratios. These included four families that showed an excess of males (male ratio varied between 64% and 93%) when reared at standard temperature (28°C) and a fifth family in which an excess of males (96%) was observed when fry were reared at 36°C for ten days from first feeding. All the samples used in the current study were genotyped for two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs397507167 and rs397507165) located in the expected major sex-determining region in linkage group 1 (LG 1). The only misassigned individuals were phenotypic males with the expected female genotype, suggesting that those offspring had undergone sex-reversal with respect to the major sex-determining locus. We mapped SNPs identified from double digest Restriction-site Associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing in these five families. Three genetic maps were constructed consisting of 641, 175 and 1,155 SNPs from the three largest families. QTL analyses provided evidence for a novel genome-wide significant QTL in LG 20. Evidence was also found for another sex-determining QTL in the fifth family, in the proximal region of LG 1. CONCLUSIONS:Overall, the results from this study suggest that these previously undetected QTLs are involved in sex determination in the Nile tilapia, causing sex reversal (masculinisation) with respect to the XX genotype at the major sex-determining locus in LG 1.

Project description:Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is a globally significant aquaculture species rapidly gaining status as a farmed commodity. In West Africa, wild Nile tilapia genetic resources are abundant yet knowledge of fine-scale population structure and patterns of natural genetic variation are limited. Coinciding with this is a burgeoning growth in tilapia aquaculture in Ghana and other countries within the region underpinned by locally available genetic resources. Using 192 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers this study conducted a genetic survey of Nile tilapia throughout West Africa, sampling 23 wild populations across eight countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Mali, Gambia and Senegal), representing the major catchments of the Volta, Niger, Senegal and Gambia River basins. A pattern of isolation-by-distance and significant spatial genetic structure was identified throughout West Africa (Global FST = 0.144), which largely corresponds to major river basins and, to a lesser extent, sub-basins. Two populations from the Gambia River (Kudang and Walekounda), one from the western Niger River (Lake Sélingué) and one from the upper Red Volta River (Kongoussi) showed markedly lower levels of diversity and high genetic differentiation compared to all other populations, suggesting genetically isolated populations occurring across the region. Genetic structure within the Volta Basin did not always follow the pattern expected for sub-river basins. This study identifies clear genetic structuring and differentiation amongst West African Nile tilapia populations, which concur with broad patterns found in previous studies. In addition, we provide new evidence for fine-scale genetic structuring within the Volta Basin and previously unidentified genetic differences of populations in Gambia. The 192 SNP marker suite used in this study is a useful tool for differentiating tilapia populations and we recommend incorporating this marker suite into future population screening of O. niloticus. Our results form the basis of a solid platform for future research on wild tilapia genetic resources in West Africa, and the identification of potentially valuable germplasm for use in ongoing breeding programs for aquaculture.

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Widespread colonisation of Tanzanian catchments by introduced Oreochromis tilapia fishes: the legacy from decades of deliberate introduction.

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