The Chinese sturgeon is classified as a first-class protected wild species in China. Since the 1980s, concerted efforts have been undertaken to conserve its genetic resources through artificial breeding programs. The current population includes the first filial generation, the second filial generation, and the wild population. However, due to suboptimal initial breeding conditions and incomplete breeding records, the genetic background of the existing Chinese sturgeon population remains ambiguous, and its genetic structure is not well understood. Consequently, breeding pairings might involve individuals with closely related genetic backgrounds, leading to progeny with suboptimal developmental performance. This situation has adversely affected the sustainable population management and conservation of the Chinese sturgeon. This study employs whole-genome SNP markers to conduct the inaugural population genetic analysis of a large-scale Chinese sturgeon population, comparing the genetic structures and diversity across different populations, thereby elucidating the current status of the genetic resources within the extant population. The findings indicated that, based on the Chinese sturgeon population samples analyzed, the genetic diversity of both the wild and first-generation populations was relatively high. In contrast, the second-generation population exhibited the lowest genetic diversity and effective population size. These results underscore the necessity of prioritizing the maintenance of genetic diversity during the artificial breeding of Chinese sturgeon. Furthermore, multiple genetic markers, including whole-genome SNPs, mitochondrial DNA, and microsatellites, were employed to conduct family analyses of populations with ambiguous genetic backgrounds. This approach corrected and supplemented existing population family information, thereby providing crucial data to inform breeding pair strategies in future artificial breeding endeavors for the Chinese sturgeon.

Chinese sturgeon,SNPs,population management