Genetic diversity in a Baikal species complex Eulimnogammarus verrucosus (Amphipoda: Gammaroidea) in the Angara River, the only outflow of Lake Baikal

Abstract

Baikal amphipods are one of the most unique freshwater species flocks of over 350 morphological species and subspecies playing multiple ecological roles in this ancient lake. However, molecular phylogeny studies accumulate evidence that this number is underestimated. Previously, we showed that an abundant littoral species Eulimnogammarus verrucosus comprised at least three genetic lineages: southern (S), western (W), and eastern (E), inhabiting corresponding parts of Baikal shore. The Angara River is the only outflow of the lake and is inhabited by amphipods originating from Baikal, which were previously analysed only morphologically. The river has parts with strong current or closed bays as opposed to sea‐like conditions of Lake Baikal, which raises the question of which species were able to adapt here. Here we studied the phylogeny of E. verrucosus from the Angara River, which could be reached by two lineages, S and W. We analysed 17 sites from 0.6 to 650 km from the outflow. Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 18S rRNA analysis showed that the sites closest to Baikal were inhabited by the S and W lineages sympatrically. The other sites were inhabited by the S lineage at both banks and also by the novel A (Angara) lineage. The A lineage was the first to split up from the last common ancestor of all E. verrucosus . Our data confirm the importance of considering cryptic diversity in ecological monitoring, and in order to simplify the identification of the genetic lineage, we developed a web‐app speCOIdent.

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