Secondary contact between two divergent lineages of charrs of the genus Salvelinus in the Northwest Pacific

Abstract

The present-day contact zone between the Beringian and Arctic phylogenetic lineages of charrs of the genus Salvelinus in the Northwest Pacific is documented. A comparative analysis of the genetic differentiation and divergence indices for allopatric and sympatric populations of charrs and phylogenetic and genealogical analyses of the mtDNA haplotypes indicate that Lake Achchen and the Lake Pekulineiskoe are the zones of secondary contact between S. m. malma and S. taranetzi; Lake Nachikinskoe, between S. m. malma and Salvelinus sp. 4; and Lake Dal’nee, between S. m. malma and S. krogiusae. The level of divergence between phylogenetic groups of haplotypes considerably exceeds the range of intraspecific variability of S. m. malma and could not have been achieved after colonization of the lakes in conditions of sympathy. The obtained data suggest that the territory of Kamchatka was colonized by the common ancestor of the Arctic phylogroup of Taranetz charr.