Toward a preliminary assessment of the diversity and origin of Cyprinid fish genus Carassius in Iran

Introduction of non-native fish species has been criticized as one of the major threats to freshwater ecosystems. During recent years, the cyprinid fish genus Carassius has been the subject of various studies in terms of introduction biology and ecology. The taxonomy and identification of described species in the genus Carassius is still ambiguous. In order to increase the knowledge of introduced species of the genus in Iran, molecular approaches were employed to identify species based on the mitochondrial gene, cytochrome b (Cyt b). In total, 417 specimens across Eurasia and some other parts of the world have been analyzed. Afterwards, investigation of the possible origin and pathways of introduction was done using analysis of haplotype networks based on the Cyt b gene. The results revealed that there are three introduced species i.e., Carassius auratus, Carassius gibelio and Carassius langsdorfii, in inland waters of Iran. Carassius langsdorfii was recorded from Iran and western Asia for the first time. Analysis of haplotype network showed various potential sources of introduction for each species in Iran and regions beyond their native distribution ranges.