The Nile Soft-shell Turtle,Trionyx triunguis, of Israel and Turkey: Two genetically indistinguishable populations?

What is it about?

The Nile soft-shell turtle (Trionyx triunguis) population in the Mediterranean appears to be in decline over the last few decades. Whereas T. triunguis used to be found in most of the east Mediterranean rivers, today only three major subpopulations remain: two in Turkey and one in Israel. The management of small subpopulations should rely on their genetic relatedness. Therefore, this study examined the AFLP and cytochrome b genetic diversity of 58 T. triunguis specimens from the Alexander River in Israel and from Dalaman’s Lake Kükürtlü in southwestern Turkey. The four selective primer pairs for AFLPs yielded 339 distinct loci. We found the populations to be highly polymorphic (>88%) and the level of gene diversity (He) relatively low (0.11). Indeed, using our methods, the two populations were found to be genetically identical (I=1.0). Our study further demonstrates a high identity of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b DNA sequence with a Liberian (West Africa) specimen of T. triunguis. These results support previous preliminary genetic studies and observations that showed this species traveling in the Mediterranean Sea. However, we suggest that the results are an indication of previous large populations and past connections with the African populations and that the dams on the Nile are probably preventing this gene flow today.

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