Population differentiation, bottleneck and selection of Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) at the Asian edge of its natural range

The Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) is widely distributed in the European continent and restrictedly ranges at the Irtse River drainage in China. To understand the population structure of this species in China, the Asian edge of its natural range, samples of eight natural populations and one colonized population were analyzed using microsatellite markers. The Eurasian perch in China was found to possess high allelic richness (7.097–8.662) and heterozygosities (HO = 0.734–0.856, HE = 0.798–0.876). Significant bottleneck signatures for six populations were found. Significant genetic differentiation among populations was revealed from pairwise FST values, as well as analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), Bayesian clustering in STRUCTURE, and Principal coordinate analysis (PCA). The hierarchical analysis for selection sweep suggested local adaptation to habitat conditions. The current results imply the occurrence of habitat fragmentation in the Eurasian perch in China. Management and conservation implications are also presented in this study.