Electrophoretic Analysis of Genetic Variability in a Landlocked Striped Bass Population

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Abstract
Isozyme electrophoresis was used to assess biochemical genetic variation in spawning striped bass Morone saxatilis captured from two tributaries of Kerr Reservoir, Virginia‐North Carolina in 1979 and 1980. Only 3 of 56 scorable loci were polymorphic. Average heterozygosity was estimated at 1.6%, similar to measurements made on anadromous Atlantic coast striped bass stocks, but well below typical values for either freshwater or marine fish species. Allele frequencies of polymorphic loci were independent of sex and age, with the exception of Itp, which demonstrated variation among age groups. Allele frequencies for each of the polymorphic loci differed significantly between rivers for collections made in 1979 but not in 1980. It is hypothesized that striped bass exhibit spatial as well as temporal heterogeneity in the distribution of genotypes within spawning rivers, which can influence interpretation of genetic distinctness of spawning groups. The low degree of genetic variability which is resolvable by isozyme electrophoresis appears to limit its usefulness for discriminating among landlocked striped bass of different genetic origins. Received July 30, 1983 Accepted November 12, 1984