GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION OF RAINBOW TROUT <i>(PARASALMO MYKISS)</i> STRAINS BRED IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
The genetic diversity of all rainbow trout (Parasalmo (Oncorhynchus) mykiss) strains included in the State Registry of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation, namely, Donaldson trout, Kamloops trout, steel-head salmon, "Rofor", "Rostal", "Adler", and "Adler Amber", has been studied for six microsatellite loci (Ssa197, Ssa408, Omy1001, Omy1300, Omy1212, and One111). The allele frequency heterogeneity for all these loci among the strains studied is highly significant (p<0.001). Although most microsatellite alleles are common for all the rainbow trout strains, the gene pool of practically each of them contains alleles that are specific for this strain or a group of strains. The results of the study can be used for solving practical tasks, such as identifying the strain of a specimen, monitoring genetic diversity, and detecting triploids. In addition, genetic differentiation of rainbow trout breeds reflects the characteristics of the initial stages of the evolutionary process involved in the formation of a new population; therefore, these data may be useful for constructing evolutionary models.