The population structure and genetic divergence of Labeo gonius (Hamilton, 1822) analyzed through mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b gene for conservation in Indian waters.

The present study explains the population structure and genetic diversity of medium carp Labeo gonius by analyzing partial sequence of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b gene. Labeo gonius is a lower risk Near Threatened species, distributed throughout the North Indian major rivers, reservoirs and lakes. This species has a larger scope as an alternative candidate species in carp aquaculture system. In the present investigation, 223 individuals of Labeo gonius were collected from five locations of phylo-geographically isolated riverine ecosystems of India resulted in 12 haplotypes. These haplotypes showed 14 variables, out of which 9 were singletons and 5 were parsimony informative sites of nucleotide positions. The haplotypes H1 was considered as ancestral haplotype. All the haplotypes were connected to each other by 1-4 nucleotide mutations. The Narmada haplotypes (H10; H11 and H12) were isolated from H1 by four nucleotide mutations. The analyses resulted maximum expansion events (τ = 4.13672) in Narmada, with Fst scores more than other population pairs. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed significant genetic differentiation among populations (ØST = 0.69470, p < .000). The genetic differentiation patterns were significantly consistence with geographical distributions. This study rejected the null hypothesis of single panmictic population of medium carp, Labeo gonius in Indian water.