Developmental stability in perch (Perca fluviatilis) in acidic aluminium-rich lakes

Abstract

Fluctuating asymmetry is defined as random deviation from perfect bilateral symmetry resulting from environmental or genetic disturbances (termed developmental noise) during early embryonic development. Developmental instability is defined as the inability of an organism to follow the a priori defined growth trajectory that results in perfect bilateral symmetry, owing to insufficient buffering of the disruptive effects of developmental noise during development. Fluctuating asymmetry has been proposed for use as a measure of developmental instability. In this study we tested whether fluctuating asymmetry can be an early indication of acidification stress. Samples were taken from 10 perch (Perca fluviatilis) populations exposed to varying pH levels and aluminium concentrations. We scored 13 bilateral meristic and morphometric characters to assess fluctuating asymmetry. The level of fluctuating asymmetry in the mandibular pores and one index summarizing three of the meristic characters were significantly correlated with the acidification level. when the lakes were split into two groups, "acidified" and "control," each consisting of five lakes, the same pattern emerged. The variance of fluctuating asymmetry estimates was larger in the acidified lakes than in the control lakes. These findings imply that perch in acidic environments experience developmental perturbations during early embryogenesis, resulting in deviating bilateral morphology. The variation in fluctuating asymmetry among lakes was at the same level as previously found among age groups within one acidified lake. Based on these findings, the use of fluctuating asymmetry as a management tool to evaluate the viability of fish populations in acidified waters is of limited value unless a more comprehensive approach is used.RCsumC : L'asymCtrie fluctuante se dCfinit comme I'Ccart alCatoire de la symCtrie bilatCrale parfaite et elle rCsulte de perturbations environnementales ou gCnCtiques (appelCes bruits) au dCbut du dCveloppement embryonnaire. L'instabilitC du dCveloppement se dCfinit comme I'incapacitC pour un organisme de suivre la trajectoire de croissance Ctablie a priori, celle qui rCsulte en une symktrie bilatCrale parfaite, a cause de I'insuffisance des processus tampons qui peuvent neutraliser les effets perturbants des bruits au cours du dCveloppement. L'asymCtrie fluctuante a Ct C proposCe comme mesure de I'instabilitC du dkveloppement. Dans cette Ctude, nous avons cherchC a dCterminer si I'asymCtrie fluctuante pouvait servir d'indicateur de stress au dCbut d'une acidification. Des Cchantillons ont Ct C prClevCs chez 10 populations de Perchaudes (Perca flavescens) exposCes a des pH divers et a diverses concentrations d'aluminium. Nous avons mesurC 13 caractkres mCristiques et morphomCtriques bilatCraux et en avons CvaluC I'asymCtrie fluctuante. L'importance de I'asymCtrie fluctuante des pores mandibulaires et d'un indice resumant trois caractkres mkristiques Ctait en corrClation significative avec le degrC d'acidification. Lorsque les lacs ont Ct C ...

Fluctuating asymmetry in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) juveniles: also a maternal matter?

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Geographical and Temporal FA Variation in Threespine Stickleback Populations from Galicia (NW Spain)

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