Assessing hybridization between Yaqui catfish, Ictalurus pricei, channel catfish, I. punctatus, and blue catfish, I. furcatus using microsatellite markers

Authors: Sherri Baker, Connie Keeler-Foster, William Radke

Year: 2008 (xl)

Abstract

The Yaqui catfish, Ictalurus pricei, has been reported in the Rio Yaqui drainage in Sonora, Mexico including San Bernardino Creek (Blackwater Draw) in Cochise County, Arizona. Currently the only existing wild populations can be found in the Rio Yaqui Drainage of Sonora, Mexico. Populations have been extirpated from the United States but have been reintroduced to the San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge and West Turkey Creek in Cochise County, Arizona. Only three populations are known to exist in the U.S. portion of their range: Twin Pond (San Bernardino NWR), House Pond (Slaughter Ranch), and Big Tank (El Coronado Ranch). It is fairly certain that the Twin Pond and Big Tank populations are pure I. pricei but there is some concern as to whether the House Pond population has been contaminated by either blue catfish, I. furcatus or channel catfish, I. punctatus. The objective of this project was to genetically determine if the refuge population of I. pricei had hybridized with other Ictalurus species that may have been released into the pond.