Unravelling origin and diversity of a non-native fish in Iran;
Hemiculter leucisculus (Basilewsky, 1855) and its response to climate
change
Abstract
Non-native and invasive species are the second leading cause of species
extinction and one of the major threats to freshwater ecosystems.
Hemiculter leucisculus is one of the introduced species of Iran’s
aquatic ecosystems for many years (1967) that has been reported from
Iran in the Anzali wetland for the first time. The aim of the current
study is to assess the diversity and origin of H. leucisculus a
non-native species and also its response to current and future climate
change in Iran’s freshwater. To this, we collected the specimen from the
species distribution range in the country and performed the
mitochondrial gene, cytochrome b (cytb) combining them with the 84
GenBank(NCBI) sequences. In addition, an ensemble model approach was
used for future Species Distribution Modelings (SDMs) and it was
estimated according to two Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs): 126
and 585 of the MRI-ESM2 based on CMIP6. According to our results, all
the samples examined in the current study originated from the same
locatlity, the river basins of china. The results also show a high
genetic and haplotype diversity that can have a positive effect on the
success of its non-native in different catchments of inland waters of
Iran. Afterward, the result of SDM maps, clearly illustrated that
climate change would significantly affect the distribution of H.
leucisculus and it showed a sharp tendency to expand over time in its
distribution areas.