BIOLOGICAL INVASION SUCCESS OF PONTOGAMMARUS ROBUSTOIDES G. O. SARS, 1894 IN THE DAUGAVA RIVER AND ITS WATER RESERVOIRS (LATVIA)

Current issue: Volume 24, No. 2 (2024) BIOLOGICAL INVASION SUCCESS OF PONTOGAMMARUS ROBUSTOIDES G. O. SARS, 1894 IN THE DAUGAVA RIVER AND ITS WATER RESERVOIRS (LATVIA) Aija Brakovska*, Jana Paidere DOI: https://doi.org/10.59893/abud.24(2).017 Brakovska A., Paidere J. 2024. Biological invasion success of Pontogammarus robustoides G. O. Sars, 1894 in the Daugava River and its water reservoirs (Latvia). Acta Biol. Univ. Daugavp., 2024(2): 339-348. Abstract We have used Pontogammarus robustoides for the first time in the Daugava River and its water reservoirs (Latvia) in order to find the genetic diversity of these populations using iPBS markers. During the research, we detected the most appropriate iPBS markers for future genetic studies of Pontogammarus robustoides populations of Daugava River and its water reservoirs. Based on these iPBS markers, we determined the genetic diversity of these populations. Research on the genetic structure of Pontogammarus robustoides populations in the lower waters of the Daugava River and its water reservoirs shows that the populations have grown up and are genetically stable and adaptable to changing envi­ronmental conditions, as evidenced by the relatively high population polymorphism level or plasticity, ranging from 65% in Riga to 82% in the Pļaviņas population. This means the higher level of polymorphism, the more viable the population is, the easier it is to adapt to changing environmental conditions. The biggest number of the amplified band was in Pļaviņas population – 78 amplified band and Ogresgals population – 75 amplified band, but the lowest number were in Riga and Tome population – 62 amplified band. The biggest number of polymorphic loci also were in Pļaviņas population (82 %) and in Ogresgals population (80 %), but the lowest number of polymorphic loci were in Riga (65 %) and Tome population (66 %). The estimated number of alleles in the loci ranges from 62 alleles (in the Riga and Tome populations) to 78 alleles (in the Pļaviņas population), the highest number of private alleles in the locus was found in the Pļaviņas population (5 private al­leles), indicating a greater genetic difference in this population, while private alleles in the loci were not found in Veczeļķi, Riga, Ogresgals and Tome populations. The average level of heterozygosity ranged from 0.16 (Ogresgals and Tome populations) to 0.21 (Pļaviņas and Veczeļķi populations). Investigated populations are genetically similar or very related, genetic distance (D) or differentiation is very small from 0.04 to 0.11. Keywords: Alien Ponto-Caspian amphipod, Pontogammarus robustoides, iPBS markers, Daugava River. *Corresponding author: Aija Brakovska. Laboratory of Hydroecology, Department of Ecology, Institute of Life Sciences and Technologies, Daugavpils University, Parādes Str. 1A, LV-5401, Daugavpils, Latvia. E-mail: [email protected] Jana Paidere. Laboratory of Hydroecology, Department of Ecology, Institute of Life Sciences and Technologies, Daugavpils University, Parādes Str. 1A, LV-5401, Daugavpils, Latvia Brakovska A., Paidere J. Biological invasion success of Pontogammarus robustoides G. O. Sars, 1894 in the Daugava River and its water reservoirs (Latvia)Download