Endangered Species Research
ESR is a gold Open Access research journal on all endangered forms of life on Earth, the threats faced by species and their habitats, and the necessary steps that must be undertaken to ensure their conservation.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01320
copiedEnvironmental DNA mitochondrial markers to assess potential occupancy of Endangered Yaqui catfish in the Yaqui River basin, Mexico
- David R. Stewart
- Thomas Hafen
- Dean A. Hendrickson
- Andrew T. Taylor
- Alejandro Varela-Romero
- Daniel H. Mason
- Joseph C. Dysthe
- Thomas W. Franklin
- Michael K. Young
- Kevin S. McKelvey
- Michael K. Schwartz
- James M. Long
ABSTRACT: Acquiring data on rare and threatened species can be challenging, particularly in remote areas. Environmental DNA (eDNA) offers a less effort-intensive method for detecting species compared to physical fish sampling methods. In our study, we focused on the Endangered Yaqui catfish Ictalurus pricei, a freshwater fish endemic to the Sonoran desert in Arizona, USA, and Sonora, Mexico, and the non-native channel catfish I. punctatus. We developed and employed mitochondrial eDNA markers to sample 35 locations in the Yaqui River basin in Mexico and employed a hierarchical Bayesian formulation of a co-occurrence model to investigate the interactions between the species while accounting for the effects of covariates on species occupancy and detection. Our best model included the influence of channel catfish mitochondrial eDNA on detecting Yaqui catfish mitochondrial eDNA, and we found that channel catfish mitochondrial eDNA detection was negatively related with water temperature and elevation but positively related to substrate size. Yaqui catfish occupancy, as determined with mitochondrial eDNA detection, was best explained by stream permanence and the presence of forested areas, while channel catfish mitochondrial eDNA occurrences were also associated with stream permanence, as well as conifer and shrub-dominated landscapes. Non-native channel catfish mitochondrial eDNA was found in all but 5 locations where Yaqui catfish mitochondrial eDNA was detected, indicating a high likelihood of interaction and hybridization. This potential for hybridization poses a significant threat to the already Endangered Yaqui catfish, emphasizing the need to protect and secure remaining populations for their long-term survival.
KEYWORDS
David R. Stewart (Co-author)
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, PO Box 1306, 500 Gold Avenue SW, Albuquerque, NM 87103, USA
Thomas Hafen (Co-author)
- Department of Natural Resources and Ecology Management, Oklahoma State University, 007 Agriculture Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
Dean A. Hendrickson (Co-author)
- Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Collections, University of Texas, 10100 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78758, USA
Andrew T. Taylor (Co-author)
- University of North Georgia, Department of Biology, 151E Health and Natural Sciences, Dahlonega, GA 30597, USA
Alejandro Varela-Romero (Co-author)
- Departamento de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas de la Universidad de Sonora, Luis Donaldo Colosio s/n Edificio 7G, entre Sahuaripa y Reforma Colonia Centro, Hermosillo, Sonora 83000, México
Daniel H. Mason (Co-author)
- US Forest Service, National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 800 E. Beckwith Avenue, Missoula, MT 59801, USA
Joseph C. Dysthe (Co-author)
- US Forest Service, National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 800 E. Beckwith Avenue, Missoula, MT 59801, USA
Thomas W. Franklin (Co-author)
- US Forest Service, National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 800 E. Beckwith Avenue, Missoula, MT 59801, USA
Michael K. Young (Co-author)
- US Forest Service, National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 800 E. Beckwith Avenue, Missoula, MT 59801, USA
Kevin S. McKelvey (Co-author)
- US Forest Service, National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 800 E. Beckwith Avenue, Missoula, MT 59801, USA
Michael K. Schwartz (Co-author)
- US Forest Service, National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 800 E. Beckwith Avenue, Missoula, MT 59801, USA
James M. Long (Corresponding Author)
- US Geological Survey, Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources and Ecology Management, 007 Agriculture Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA