DNA barcoding reference dataset revealed overlooked diversity and clarified biogeography of fishes in the largest European river system - Volga River

Aug 25, 2026

A comprehensive genetic assessment of freshwater fishes from the Volga River Basin uses COI DNA barcoding to quantify biodiversity, evaluate a barcoding gap, and reconstruct fish biogeography. Sequences were generated for 84 species (≈85% of total diversity), producing 1,327 barcodes across 57 genera and 25 families. Barcodes reliably identify over 95% of taxa, while four species show overlap between intra- and interspecific distances, and seven new species and new lineages are detected, including alien and indigenous colonizers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages27

Reading Time1 h 8 min

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Abstract

Introduction

Metabarcoding and Metagenomics 10: 163–189 (2026) DOI: 10.3897/mbmg.10.174947 Research Article DNA barcoding reference dataset revealed overlooked diversity and clarified biogeography of fishes in the largest European river system – Volga River Boris A. Levin1, Marina A. Levina1, Oleg N. Artaev2, Aleksey A. Bolotovskiy2, Alexander A. Gandlin1, Ilya S. Turbanov1,2,3, Aleksandra S. Komarova1,2, Nikolai S. Mugue4, Ivan V. Pozdeev5, Alexander B. Ruchin6, Kirill V. Litvinov7, Stepan A. Podolyako8, Evgeniy Simonov1 1 A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia 2 Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters, Russian Academy of Sciences, Borok, Russia 3 T.I. Vyazemsky Karadag Scientific Station, Nature Reserve ofthe RAS, Branch of A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS, Theodosia, Crimea 4 Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, Moscow, Russia 5 Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography,(Perm Branch), Perm, Russia & Saint-Petersburg Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint-Petersburg, Russia 6 Mordovia State Nature Reserve and National Park «Smolny», Republic of Mordovia, Saransk, Russia 7 Astrakhan State Reserve, Astrakhan, Russia 8 Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia Corresponding author: Boris A. Levin ([borislyovin@gmail.com](borislyovin@gmail.com)) Academic editor: Florian Leese Received: 15 October 2025 Accepted: 12 February 2026 Published: 23 February 2026 Citation: Levin BA, Levina MA, Artaev ON, Bolotovskiy AA, Gandlin AA, Turbanov IS, Komarova AS, Mugue NS, Pozdeev IV, Ruchin AB, Litvinov KV, Podolyako SA, Simonov E (2026) DNA barcoding reference dataset revealed overlooked diversity and clarified biogeography of fishes in the largest European river system – Volga River. Metabarcoding and Metagenomics 10: e174947 . [https://doi.org/10.3897/](https://doi.org/10.3897/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.3897/)[mbmg.10.174947](mbmg.10.174947) Copyright: © Boris A. Levin et al. This is an open access article distributed under terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (Attribution 4.0 International – CC BY 4.0) . Abstract This study represents the first thorough genetic assessment of freshwater fishes from the Volga River Basin – the longest (3,690 km) river in Europe. DNA barcode sequences (COI) were studied in 84 species (approx. 85% of all diversity) belonging to 57 genera and 25 families. In total, 1,327 DNA barcodes were used to: (i) build a DNA barcode reference library and check for the presence of a barcoding gap; ii) assess the genetic and taxonomic diversity of Volga fishes and iii) clarify the biogeography of Volga fishes. DNA barcodes are reliable means for the identification of over 95% of analysed species showing barcode gaps. An overlap between intra- and interspecific genetic distances was present in four species of genera Leuciscus and Rutilus. DNA barcoding identified seven new species for the Volga. Amongst these, two are aggressive alien species (Hemiculter leucisculus and Pseudorasbora parva), while five are indigenous to the region and belong to the genera Salmo, Leuciscus, Gobio and Cobitis from neighbouring basins, which naturally or human-aided colonised the Volga Basin. Moreover, three new phylogenetic lineages were discovered in the genera Leucaspius, Phoxinus and Proterorhinus. While the fishes from sub-basins of the Volga usually do not demonstrate sorting of the haplotypes, the more ancient Kama displays regional endemism for rheophilic species (e.g. Barbatula, Cottus) . Our results suggest the Kama might serve as refuge during Pleistocene climate oscillations. In summary, the generated COI dataset fills the existing gap in COI database of fishes inhabiting freshwaters of Eastern Europe. Key words: Cryptic diversity, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, Eastern Europe, mitochond

FAQs

What genetic marker and dataset size were used for the Volga fish assessment?

The study analyzed COI (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) DNA barcodes using 1,327 barcodes across 84 fish species in the Volga River Basin.

How accurate is DNA barcoding for identifying Volga fish species in this study?

DNA barcodes provide reliable identification for over 95% of the analyzed species, though four species show overlap between intra- and interspecific genetic distances.

What key biological discoveries were made beyond species identification?

The work identified seven new species for the Volga and uncovered three new phylogenetic lineages, clarifying biogeography and suggesting that the Kama may have acted as a refuge during Pleistocene climate oscillations.

Aug 25, 2026

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