Phenotypic plasticity of a transplanted population of dwarf cisco,Coregonus artedii

Abstract

SynopsisA population of dwarf cisco in Minnesota was studied in native and transplant environments. Life history characters were recorded and the stability of meristics and morphometrics of the population over a two year period in three different environments was assessed with univariate and multivariate statistics. Transplanted cisco lived longer and grew larger than they did in their native lake, yet retained distinctive pigmentation patterns and an unusually early spawning season. Meristic characters of dwarf fish remained within ranges reported for Coregonus artedii during the lifetimes of individuals in their new environments, but morphometric measures underwent significant size-and shape-related changes. Incubation and rearing studies show egg incubation time and behavior of larvae were identical of those of non-dwarf cisco. Comparisons with non-dwarf cisco populations illustrate the ecophenotypic plasticity of adult fish of this population of North American cisco .

Morphological and ecological responses to a conservation translocation of powan (Coregonus lavaretus) in Scotland

“…It has been shown to be correlated strongly with diet (Gardner et al, 1988;Adams and Huntingford, 2002 (Thompson et al, 2008), but this study used non-selected microsatellite markers and cannot be used as evidence of selection. Lastly, plastic effects following translocation of fish species have often been described (Loch, 1974;Shields and Underhill, 1993;Lema and Nevitt, 2006), and cannot be ruled out as a major mechanism causing the differences between the populations in this study. Some traits shown to vary are known to be highly plastic (growth, maximum size, maturation size).…”

“…Whatever the main drivers may be, the potential for changes in a translocated species at both an individual and a population level may have significant implications for conservation of the species concerned. Significant phenotypic and genetic changes in fish populations following translocation have been reported in the literature (Loch, 1974;Vuorinen et al, 1991;Shields and Underhill, 1993;Hauser et al, 1995;Quinn et al, 2001;Weeder et al, 2005;Lema and Nevitt, 2006) (but see DeMarais and Minckley, 1993).…”

Morphological and genetic variation in Cisco (Coregonus artedi) and Shortjaw Cisco (C. zenithicus): multiple origins of Shortjaw Cisco in inland lakes require a lake-specific conservation approach

“…In the other lakes, genotypes typically associated with one morphotype displayed the alternate morphotype (i.e., those 14 % of fish reclassified to the alternate MT based on genetics). Phenotypic plasticity is notorious in coregonines (Lindsey 1981, Shields andUnderhill 1993) and niche-based ontogenetic shifts occur in key traits such as gill raker number (Muir et al 2013a). These properties can facilitate the invasion of alternative niches in lakes offering diversified habitats, especially deeper zones with distinct food resources.…”

Phenotypic plasticity: its role in trophic radiation and explosive speciation in cichlids (Teleostei: Cichlidae)

“…Moreover, one could argue that the changes reported herein could be a result of changes in scale, which result in allometric growth (Strauss, 1984). Certainly other fishes, such as dwarf Coregonus species, exhibit changes in body shape which may be related to differences in size (Shields and Underhill, 1993), as well as changes in spawning times and life span (Swardson, 1949(Swardson, , 1950Fenderson, 1964;Lindsey et al, 1970;Smith and Todd, 1984). Although we observed differences in size between Table 7.…”