Genetic variation of mitochondrial DNA in Phalacrocorax carbo in Japan

A Japanese resident bird, Phalacrocorax carbo hanedae (Japanese name: Kawa-u), was threatened with extinction due to deterioration of its habitat in the 1970s, but the population has since recovered thanks to environmental protection measures. This study analyzed the genetic diversity of 18 Kawa-u individuals living in the basins of the Abe and Warashina rivers in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. We obtained seven haplotypes of mitochondrial D-loop sequences and compared them with 49 European P. carbo D-loop haplotypes. We identified four new haplotypes but no clear genetic evidence distinguishing the Kawa-u as a distinct subspecies of P. carbo. Our results suggest the need for further surveillance of the P. carbo genetic lineage, regardless of the geographical distribution.