Mixed stock assessment of lake-run Caspian Sea trout Salmo caspius in the Lar National Park, Iran

• Published in: Fisheries research Vol. 230; p. 105644
• Main Authors: Tabatabaei, Seyedeh Narjes, Abdoli, Asghar, Ahmadzadeh, Faraham, Primmer, Craig R., Swatdipong, Akarapong, Hashemzadeh Segherloo, Iraj
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.10.2020
• Subjects: basins; Caspian Sea; Conservation; drainage; fish production; genetic structure; habitats; Iran; lakes; microsatellite repeats; migratory behavior; Mixed-stock analysis; national parks; population genetics; population structure; Recreational fishery management; rivers; Salmo caspius; Salmo trutta; Southern Caspian Sea basin; sport fishing; streams; trout; Iran; Caspian Sea; Salmo caspius; Mixed-stock analysis; Southern Caspian Sea basin; Recreational fishery management; Conservation
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fishres.2020.105644
• ISSN: 0165-7836

•Population genetic structure was observed in which one of the populations was highly diverged from others at a fine-scale.•Only the western undifferentiated populations were contributing to the mixed fisheries stock.•Sustainability of the lake-based recreational fisheries needs fuller protection of populations and habitats contributing to the lake-run trout stock.•Removal of artificial barriers to fish movement probably can promote the lake-run trout stock. A total of 120 Caspian Sea trout specimens from five streams and Lar Lake of the Lar National Park plus 27 Caspian Sea trout specimens (out-group) from the Babolrud River drainage in the Caspian Sea Basin (Iran) were analyzed using 12 microsatellite loci to assess population genetic structure and to estimate the contribution of each population to the lake-run stock. In addition to the Babolrud River population that was significantly differentiated (P < 0.001) from that in Lar National Park, the Dalichay population was significantly differentiated from other populations (P < 0.001). The Dalichay and Absefid populations showed no contribution to the lake-run trout stock, while the others that did not show population genetic structure showed a 100% contribution to the lake-run trout stock. The different contributions to the lake-run trout stock estimated here may be related to the habitat qualities that make the habitats suitable for natural Caspian Sea trout production or to different migratory behaviors between resident and lake-run trout. The results show that more stringent protection of the stream habitats for the contributing populations should be considered in order to sustain recreational fishing in the lake.