Artificial selection experiments with the Ponto-Caspian amphipod Pontogammarus maeoticus

On the contrary, selection to higher salinity was unsuccessful. Taking into account the results from this and previous studies and the geological history of the Ponto-Caspian region, we suggest that majority of the Ponto-Caspian relict fauna might be of freshwater origin and lack necessary genetic background for adaptation to fully marine conditions. Further selection studies using more species and populations, as well as molecular techniques, should be conducted to confirm this hypothesis on a broader scale.

Consequently, if Ponto-Caspian relict species are of freshwater origin, the perception that they are better colonizers than species from other regions might be inclined by the fact that areas with biggest introduction frequency of nonindigenous species (i.e., shipping ports) are environmentally variable habitats which often include freshwater conditions.