Population Genetics Of An Invasive Species, The Common Carp (Cyprinus Carpio), In The Murray-Darling River System
Introduced to Australia in the late nineteenth century, common carp have become a major freshwater pest. Thriving in disturbed habitats, they degrade waterways and compete with native fish for resources. Their mobile nature and fecundity has allowed them to colonise nearly all of the Murray-Darling river system, as well as many coastal rivers. Their broad tolerance to salinity and temperature gives them the potential to occupy possibly all permanent freshwater habitats in Australia. Effective control of carp will require understanding their population biology, which can be revealed through population genetic studies.
This study aims to gain a detailed picture of the population genetics of carp in the Murray-Darling Basin. Carp have been sampled from every major river in the basin, four costal rivers and five overseas locations. These carp have been genotyped for sixteen microsatellite markers and for their mitochondrial control region. Analysis of these genetic data has revealed new insights into the population dynamics of carp populations in Australia. This information, when combined with demographic data and population modelling, will help form a valuable management tool for controlling this exotic pest.