Pond Smelt Hypomesus olidus (Osmeridae): A New Species for the Fauna of the Barents Sea

Abstract

Data on the record of a large population of pond smelt Hypomesus olidus in the southeastern Barents Sea, outside the generally accepted boundaries of the natural range (westward of the Ural Mountains), are presented. Based on the molecular genetic analysis of the Cyt b gene, it is confirmed that the specimens from the European population are identical or close to those of the Pacific populations of Kamchatka. This indicates a significant ability of the species for widespread dispersal and its recent (postglacial) expansion to Europe along the coast of the Arctic Ocean.