SGER: Biodiversity of Native Mexican Trout (Genus Oncorhynchus spp.) and The Impending Treat of Their Demise by The Exotic Rainbow Trout O. mykiss gairdneri (Teleostei: Salmonidae)

一笔赠款已授予理查德·L博士。Mayden在圣刘易斯大学与其他美国科学家和来自墨西哥的几位科学家合作，对墨西哥本地鳟鱼种群的环境状况、分布、保护和遗传学进行实地和实验室研究。虽然生物学家已经意识到墨西哥本地鳟鱼的存在超过一个世纪，但他们很少受到研究。从20世纪90年代中期开始，一群来自墨西哥和美国的鱼类学家和保护生物学家共同组成了一个国际联盟，Truchas Mexicanas，以更好地了解西马德雷山脉西方的原生鳟鱼。 通过这些努力，科学家们发现了以前未知的鳟鱼物种，仅限于墨西哥和引进（非本地）虹鳟鱼种群。 这些来自美国和加拿大独特的墨西哥鳟鱼物种范围内的非本地虹鳟鱼的存在对本地物种的未来存在构成了重大威胁。 虹鳟鱼被称为取代本地鳟鱼物种通过竞争或遗传“沼泽”他们的基因库通过侵略性杂交。 其他本地种群的鳟鱼也预计会出现在上里约孔乔;这些人口预计也处于危险之中，从栖息地破坏和引进虹鳟鱼。 在这项研究中，我们将清点许多河流系统的本地和引进鳟鱼物种的山脉，包括上康乔斯河系统。 将对所有这些种群的遗传样本进行检查，以评估本地物种的遗传变异性，并确定是否有任何本地种群通过与引进的虹鳟鱼杂交而受到遗传损害。 这项研究支持一个国际联盟的发展，调查墨西哥和美国西南部的本地鳟鱼种群。 鳟鱼是人类重要的狩猎和饲料物种，在某些地区构成饮食的主要元素。 鳟鱼渔业也是一些地区非常重要的经济要素，因为鳟鱼是非常珍贵的运动鱼类。 了解墨西哥本地鳟鱼物种多样性及其在这些溪流中的保护和维护对渔业和经济领域都有重大影响。 墨西哥鳟鱼品种是最南端的鳟鱼，并适应这些独特的生态系统。 引进非本地虹鳟鱼将严重危及这些适应人口，并导致他们从该地区灭绝。 这将对该地区的土著人民产生严重的社会和经济影响。

A grant has been awarded to Dr. Richard L. Mayden at Saint Louis University to conduct field and laboratory research in collaboration with other USA scientists and several scientists from Mexico on the environmental status, distribution, conservation and genetics of native trout populations of Mexico. While biologists have been aware of the existence of native trout in Mexico for over a century, they have received little study. Beginning in the mid-1990's a group of ichthyologists and conservation biologists from both Mexico and USA jointly formed an international alliance, Truchas Mexicanas, to better understand the native trout of the Sierra Madre Occidental. Through these efforts, scientists have discovered previously unknown trout species restricted to Mexico and introduced (non-native) populations of rainbow trout. The existence of these non-native rainbow trout originating from streams in the US and Canada in the ranges of the unique Mexican trout species is a significant threat to the future existence of native species. Rainbow trout are known to displace native trout species through competition or genetically "swamp out" their gene pools through aggressive hybridization. Other native populations of trout are also predicted to occur in the upper Rio Conchos; these populations are predicted to also be in danger from habitat destruction and introductions of rainbow trout. In this study we will inventory many river systems of the sierras for native and introduced trout species, including the upper Conchos River system. Genetic samples will be examined from all of these populations to evaluate genetic variability of native species and determine if any native populations are compromised genetically through hybridization with introduced rainbow trout. This research supports the development of an international alliance investigating native trout populations of Mexico and southwestern United States. Trout species are important game and forage species for human populations, constituting a major element of diets in some regions. Trout fisheries are also very important economic elements to some regions as trout are highly prized sport fish species. Understanding native trout species diversity in Mexico and its conservation and maintenance in these streams has a major impact on both fisheries and economic areas. Mexican trout species are the southern-most trout and are adapted to theses unique ecosystems. Introductions of non-native rainbow trouts will seriously jeopardize these adapted populations and lead to their extirpation from the region. This will have serious sociological and economic impacts for the native people of the region.