Conservation genetics and population status of the Flame Chub, Hemitremia Flammea

The southeastern United States has a rich geologic history that contributed to the evolution of an extremely diverse aquatic fauna throughout the region. The Flame Chub, Hemitremia flammea, is a brightly colored, spring endemic minnow species native to the Cumberland, Tennessee, and Coosa river drainages. In this study, the cytochrome-b gene region was analyzed for 230 individuals from 29 populations across the three drainages. Results from maximum parsimony and Bayesian analyses recovered shallow divergence between the 31 haplotypes. AMOVA analyses indicated that most gene tic variation distributed within and between populations, not between drainages. Based on these results, this species may not be restricted to spring habitats as was originally presumed and can move within river systems and likely even between drainages. Further analyses using microsatellites and geospatial modeling would refine these results. Species like H. flammea are indicators of the health of groundwater resources that are under increasing anthropogenic pressure.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Author dc:creator

• Alford, Kathlina Frances

Contributors dc:contributor

• George, Anna L.; Shaw, Joey
• Schorr, Mark S.
• College of Arts and Sciences

• Minnows -- Tennessee

Licence

• https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en

Language dc:language

English, eng

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/189

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-1329