Detailed kinship estimation for detecting bias among breeding families
in a reintroduced population of the endangered bagrid catfish Tachysurus
ichikawai
Abstract
In the context of initiatives focused on captive breeding and
reintroduction of endangered animal species, it is crucial to minimize
any bias in reproductive success during the reintroduction phase in
order to preserve genetic diversity. One population of Tachysurus
ichikawai, a critically endangered bagrid catfish endemic to Japan,
faces a threat from the construction of a dam. To address this, a
captive breeding program followed by translocation is being implemented.
Multiple breeding families are involved in this process; however, if
there is a bias in reproductive success among them after release, it
will result in a decline in genetic diversity. To identify potential
biases in breeding lineages, we conducted kinship analysis between
individuals born at the release site and breeding individuals. Because
there were no samples available from the released individuals
themselves, we examined distant kinship relationships, such as
grandparent–grandchild and uncle–aunt–nephew–niece relationships,
using a substantial number of single-nucleotide polymorphisms obtained
from the whole genome re-sequence. Our findings indicate no bias between
lineages in the first year after reintroduction, but a significant bias
in the second year, emphasizing the need for continuous management and
monitoring of reintroduced populations. This study demonstrates that
monitoring kinship after reintroduction can correct lineage bias, which
is critical for the prompt restoration of genetic diversity.