Differentiation of Asian North Chum Salmon ( Oncorhynchus keta W.) Based on Microsatellite Markers

The study includes 41 sample sets of chum salmon from the northern part of its geographic range analyzed at ten microsatellite loci. In the northern part of the range of Asian chum salmon, the following groups of samples are clearly distinguished: “Magadan oblast,” “Northern Kamchatka,” “Penzhina River,” and “Anadyr River basin.” Populations of chum salmon from the Apuka River and the “Koryak Upland” group show low genetic differentiation from other groups. There is a positive relationship between the latitude and the average expected heterozygosity in this part of the range. Chum salmon of the Penzhina River shows close genetic relationship to chum salmon from the Anadyr River basin, probably because of gene flow.