Multiple population structure of the giant eel Anguilla marmorata in Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam base on COI sequences

Abstract The giant mottled eel Anguilla marmorata is a species of great economic, ecological, and conservative values in the Southeast Asian region. The research aims to conservation and evaluation of the genetic diversity of A. marmorata populations living in Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam. The sequencing of the barcode region of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene was carried out for 48 individuals of A. marmorata , which were collected from five different ecosystem regions. The sequences were analyzed using various genetic, phylogenetic, and population analyses to assess their variability. A total of 20 polymorphic sites and 17 haplotypes were identified. Very low fixation (Fst = -0.073 – 0.003; < 0.05) was found for A. marmorata populations in the region. The populations showed signs of recent populations’ expansion, besides negative Tajima’s D test, Fu’s Fs, Fu and Li’s D* and F* test values. The genetic evolution of eel occurs in a randomized pattern over a large population, with the likelihood of rare alleles appearing in the population. In Thua Thien Hue (Viet Nam) territories, we indicated the five areas for conservation units with moderate eels’ populations’ diversity.