GENETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF Brycon orbignyanus STOCKS USED IN RESTOCKING PROGRAMS

Objective. To genetically characterize two Brycon orbignyanus stocks and one progeny intended for restocking programs using the molecular technique RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA). Materials and methods. Fifty eight broodstocks native to two fish farms in the cities of Castilho (A:30 individuals) and Porto Ferreira (C:28 individuals) were analyzed. The fish had been maintained for six years in captivity in the aquaculture and hydrology station of Duke Energy International (Geração Paranapanema. São Paulo - Brazil); thirty larvae of progeny from the stock A (B) were also analyzed. Results. The fourteen primers used produced 87 fragments of which 70.11% were polymorphic. Differences were observed (p?0.05) in the frequency of 31 fragments, with three exclusive from stock A. The values for divergence, distance and genetic identity showed that genetic diversity of stock A was maintained in progeny and that a low differentiation exists among reproductive stocks. Analysis of Molecular variance showed that most of the variation is inside each stock (87.45%) and not between them (12.55%). This result was corroborated with FST (0.125) values and with the dendrogram indicating a moderate genetic differentiation, without cluster formation. Conclusions. Genetic variability was maintained in progeny, possibly because both were native to the Paraná river.