DNA barcoding of minor fish fauna in South Tyrol

The fish fauna of South Tyrol nowadays numbers at least 35 species mostly defined on morphological basis. The majority of originally occurring fish were presumably native to the northern Adriatic catchment, as the alpine divide is considered an absolute migratory barrier for fish. However, in the past fish from north of the Alps have been repeatedly introduced in South Tyrol. In recent years, several genetic studies have been conducted on fish species of angling interest, such as marble trout, barbel, grayling, and pike. On the other hand, among the so called “minor fish fauna” only a few native species of conservation relevance have been analyzed. The aim of the project is to clarify, through genetic analysis, which species of the minor fish fauna are occurring in South Tyrol. In fact, proper taxonomic identification is essential to distinguish native from allochthonous species and to recognize any threatened populations deserving protection. In the case of allochthonous species it is important to know and understand the history of their introduction and spread. All this information is essential for the appropriate protection and management of fish fauna. A total of about 500 genetic samples representative of different populations from 10 fish genera: Alburnus, Carassius, Cobitis, Gambusia, Gasterosteus, Padogobius, Rutilus, Sabanejewia, Scardinius, and Squalius were planned to be analyzed with the molecular marker COI. Fish sampled by electrofishing were weighed, measured, photographed, and before their release into the wild, a fragment of anal fin was taken for genetic analysis. The project is funded by the Research Fund of the Betrieb Landesmuseen.