Using genetic differentiation to determine conservation priority areas for three native fishes in the Groot Marico catchment, North West Province

The Groot Marico catchment in the North West Province has been identified as a National freshwater Ecosystem Priority Area (NFEPA) and represents unique landscape features with unique biodiversity and has been identified as biodiversity special features of special ecological significance. However, there is little information with regards to the distribution of the species inhabiting the catchment.Three native freshwater species which have high local conservation importance, namely Amphilius uranoscopus, Chiloglanis pretoriae and Barbus motebensis have been selected for this study. Barbus motebensis is endemic to the catchment and is IUCN-listed as vulnerable (VUL). All three species within the catchment are thought to be impacted by natural discontinuities which can impact an organism's preferred habitat and result in population fragmentation. Furthermore, these three species may be impacted by non-native largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides which through predation pressure may further fragment tributary populations of these species.Therefore, the main problem is to distinguish between recent and historical fragmentation caused by either natural or human mediated processes, or a combination of both. This project aims to (1) determine whether tributary populations of the three species comprise of one genetic population or whether they are divided up into genetically distinct subpopulations; (2) assess population histories of the three native freshwater species in order to compare hypothetical past distribution to present distribution patterns and (3) lastly by making recommendations for prioritising conservation action. From these aims, the central null hypothesis is that there is no genetic differentiation between tributary populations of B. motebensis, A. Uranoscopus and C. pretoriae in the Groot Marico catchment, North West Province