Domestication of captive-bred masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou masou (Salmonidae) leads to a significant decrease in numbers of lateral line organs

Abstract

Because captive-bred animals gradually adapt to artificial rearing environments due to evolving life history traits, such individuals sometimes show lessened performance in natural environments. The lateral line system, one of the principal sensory organs of fishes, varies according to habitat environments, sometimes differing even within the same species. A reduction in lateral line elements may also occur in successive generations of captive-bred fish. Such a reduction, involving neuromasts over the entire body, was examined for the first time in captive-bred masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou masou. The total number of neuromasts in captive-bred fish was ca. 10% lower than in wild-caught and F1 fishes, suggesting that the system in captive-bred fish had reduced in number due to domestication. Furthermore, differences in total neuromast numbers between captive-bred and wild fish were greater than between anadromous and fluvial populations of the species. The lower number of neuromasts could be one of the reasons behind the lower survival of captive-bred fish in natural environments.

Effects of domestication and captive breeding on reaction to moving objects: implications for avoidance behaviours of masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou

“…The higher degree of avoidance failure among captive-bred fish under dark conditions may reflect degradation of the lateral line system through captive breeding, in addition to the lack of learning opportunities by domestication. In contrast with the results reported by Nakae et al [28], our results do not show a clear reduction in the number of lateral line organs on captivebred fish as compared with F1 and wild fish. However, our results do show that captive-bred fish reacted more slowly to falling objects than did F1 and wild fish.…”

“…In contrast with the results reported by Nakae et al . [ 28 ], our results do not show a clear reduction in the number of lateral line organs on captive-bred fish as compared with F1 and wild fish. However, our results do show that captive-bred fish reacted more slowly to falling objects than did F1 and wild fish.…”