Is the Dutch domesticated strain of <i>Clarias gariepinus</i> (Burchell, 1822) a hybrid?

Abstract

In a study of genetic characteristics of exotic Clarias gariepinus we obtained the animals from five hatcheries in Nigeria and sequenced 399 base pair of the cyt b gene. The results show that the exotic C.
gariepinus clustered in two lineages: Clarias anguillaris (West Africa) and C. gariepinus (East Africa). First, this strain could be a hybrid between the two species since the original populations used for selection were from different sources including West Africa where both occur sympatrically.
Alternatively, it has been contaminated via unwholesome practices.