Phenotypic, genetic and phylogenetic studies of normal pigmented, albino, <i>Clarias gariepinus</i> (Burcheli. 1822) and their reciprocals

Abstract

Phenotypic, genetic and phylogenetic studies of normal pigmented and albino Clarias gariepinus fingerlings, and their reciprocal crosses were carried out to estimate the phenotypic ratio, genetic variation and phylogenetic relationship among the parents as well as the reciprocal crosses of albino and normal pigmented Clarias gariepinus. As well as evaluation of the genetic diversity and the parental contribution of normal pigmented and albino C. gariepinus in the production of offspring. Four parental fishes (two males and two females) and the total of 8 samples were evaluated by microsatellite marker. The parents and offspring had thirty-one alleles and heterozygosity of 0.1406 and 0.1406, respectively. These results indicated no loss in the genetic variability in the offspring, and the parents had multiple paternity and reasonable contribution to the offspring production. From the phylogenetic tree, the parental and reciprocal offspring have a common ancestor though in different clusters.