Genetics of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) stocks above and below impassable falls in the Conwy river system, North Wales

Abstract

Samples of trout (Salmo trutta L.) were taken from four rivers in the Conwy system, North Wales: the Roe and the Nant-y-goron, which support sea trout stocks, and the Iwrch and Machno which are situated above impassable waterfalls and contain resident trout. Tissue samples from the fish were used in electrophoretic analysis of enzymes. Fourteen loci were scored of which six were polymorphic (Pgi-2, Gpd-2, Ldh-5, Mdh-2, Mdh-4 and Ck-2). Allele frequency data from these loci were used to test interpopulation heterogeneity, which indicated that the two upstream samples were probably reproductively isolated from each other and also from the downstream samples. Mean heterozygosity was generally lower in the upstream stocks compared with the sea trout populations. UPGMA cluster analysis based on Nei's genetic distance (D) revealed a clear dichotomy between those stocks above, and those below waterfalls. This was best explained by the presence of two strains of trout in the system. One strain, the resident trout occurring above impassable waterfalls, was characterized by high frequencies of the Ldh-5(100) allele, the other strain, principally consisting of sea trout, exhibited high frequencies of the Lhd-5(90) allele.