Exploring Mitochondrial Evolutionary Pathways: Insights into the Origin of the Endemic Ohrid Trout

Exploring Mitochondrial Evolutionary Pathways: Insights into the Origin of the Endemic Ohrid Trout

The Ohrid trout, <i>Salmo letnica</i>, is an endemic species of Lake Ohrid, one of Europe’s oldest lakes, located on the Albania-North Macedonia border. This species exhibits distinct morphotypes—<i>Salmo letnica typicus</i>, <i>Salmo letnica aestivalis</i>, <i...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Anila Hoda, Chiara Locci, Ilenia Azzena, Noemi Pascale, Ilaria Deplano, Roland Kristo, Arian Demiri, Fabio Scarpa, Marco Casu, Daria Sanna
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Life
Subjects:
Lake Ohrid
Korani trout
mitochondrial DNA
Control region
<i>Salmo l. typicus</i>
<i>Salmo l. aestivalis</i>
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/1/52
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Summary:The Ohrid trout, <i>Salmo letnica</i>, is an endemic species of Lake Ohrid, one of Europe’s oldest lakes, located on the Albania-North Macedonia border. This species exhibits distinct morphotypes—<i>Salmo letnica typicus</i>, <i>Salmo letnica aestivalis</i>, <i>Salmo letnica balcanicus</i>, and <i>Salmo letnica lumi</i>—that differ in morphology and spawning behaviour. However, the extent of their genetic differentiation remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the genetic variability and population structure of <i>Salmo letnica</i> morphotypes using the mitochondrial Control Region as molecular marker. We obtained 127 sequences from <i>Salmo letnica</i> morphotypes and compared them with sequences from other species within the genus <i>Salmo</i>. Phylogenetic and clustering analyses revealed no significant genetic structuring among the four morphotypes, suggesting an ecological differentiation not (yet) fixed at mitochondrial level. Additionally, our findings suggest that the modern <i>Salmo letnica</i> population likely originated in Lake Ohrid from <i>Salmo farioides</i> founders through evolutionary differentiation, potentially driven by environmental changes. Future studies incorporating a larger number of samples from both <i>Salmo letnica</i> and <i>Salmo farioides</i> are essential to fully understand the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of <i>Salmo letnica</i> morphotypes.
ISSN:2075-1729

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