Asymmetric Hybridization of Pink (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and Chinook (O. tshawytscha) Salmon in the St. Marys River, Michigan

Transatlantic secondary contact in Atlantic Salmon, comparing microsatellites, a single nucleotide polymorphism array and restriction‐site associated DNA sequencing for the resolution of complex spatial structure

“…; Kirkpatrick et al . ; Álvarez & Garcia‐Vazquez ) and is consistent with significant divergence and hypotheses of subspecies status of North American and European Atlantic Salmon (King et al . ).…”

“…Asymmetrical or unidirectional hybridization and introgression has been reported among several other species of closely related salmonids (e.g. Garcia-Vazquez et al 2004;Kirkpatrick et al 2007; Alvarez & Garcia-Vazquez 2011) and is consistent with significant divergence and hypotheses of subspecies status of North American and European Atlantic Salmon (King et al 2007). In fact, previous work has reported significant differences in chromosome number between North American and European Atlantic Salmon, and significant divergence at almost all marker types examined (King et al 2007), again supporting hypotheses of significant divergence.…”

A tool to identify pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha)×Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) hybrids in the St. Marys River, Michigan–Ontario

“…Since that time, many St. Marys River anglers have reported catching these hybrid 'pinooks' and genetic analyses have confirmed the presence of hybridization between pink and Chinook salmon in this system (Rosenfield et al, 2000;Kirkpatrick et al, 2007). Kirkpatrick et al (2007) found that all 50 suspected hybrids tested contained Chinook mitochondrial DNA, which suggests that all hybridizations are likely between male pink salmon and female Chinook salmon. Further, reciprocal crosses (i.e., Chinook male × pink female) were attempted at Lake Superior State University's Aquatic Research Laboratory on multiple occasions and each of these efforts resulted in 100% egg mortality.…”

“…Subsequent identification verification reported that this fish was a hybrid between a pink salmon and Chinook salmon (Rosenfield, 1998). Since that time, many St. Marys River anglers have reported catching these hybrid 'pinooks' and genetic analyses have confirmed the presence of hybridization between pink and Chinook salmon in this system (Rosenfield et al, 2000;Kirkpatrick et al, 2007). Kirkpatrick et al (2007) found that all 50 suspected hybrids tested contained Chinook mitochondrial DNA, which suggests that all hybridizations are likely between male pink salmon and female Chinook salmon.…”

“…Although all genetic analyses to date have shown hybrids to have Chinook mitochondrial DNA (e.g., Kirkpatrick et al, 2007), the phenotype of hybrid salmon is generally more similar to a pink salmon. Though difficult to describe, the appearance of hybrid salmon was intermediate enough to the parent species that they were immediately apparent upon removal from the gill net.…”