Genetic comparison of Three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) by using sequencing of Cytochrome Oxidase 1 (COI) gene in the Southern Caspian Sea and the Northern Mediterranean Sea

Three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) is one the main model species which can be easily cultured in laboratory condition. Since it is invasive species in the Caspian Sea and the origin of its entrance is not clear. Furthermore, the three-spined population in South of France in Delta of Rhone River (Camargue wetland) is distinctive from other European populations especially Mediterranean population, therefore, Genetic comparison of three-spined stickleback between Gorgan bay (Iranian Coasts) and Camargue Wetland (South France Coasts) was studied by COI sequencing in this study. For this reason, 10 individual fish were sampled from each studied region and kept in Ethanol 96% until the time of experimental performance. After DNA extraction and PCR Reaction by one pair of Cytochrome Oxidase 1 (COI), Results of sequencing showed that the amplified sequence has 680 bp. The low number of haplotype and low haplotype diversity in both studied region dedicated the low genetic diversity of those populations. Level of FST as a Genetic distinction was 0.333 which is indicated high Genetic distinction of both population. Inspite of low Genetic distance (0.002) between two groups based on Kimura 2 Parameters method (K2P), phylogeny tree showed that the fish population of Gorgan bay and Camargue wetland formed a distinctive sub-clade. Even it is hypothesized that these two population have mutual origin but due to low supportive degree (bootstrap) the relationship between clades was not solved and the origin of three-spined sticklebacks of Gorgan bay was not properly evaluated.