Morphometric and genetic analyses of two sympatric morphs of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) in the Canadian High Arctic

2011 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. Arbour ◽  
D. C. Hardie ◽  
J. A. Hutchings
Keyword(s):  
High Efficiency ◽  
Salvelinus Alpinus ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Arctic Char ◽  
Resource Polymorphism ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Low Efficiency ◽  
Morphological Differences ◽  
Head Morphology

Multivariate morphometric analyses were used to examine variation in head, body, and fin shape between two sympatric morphotypes of Arctic char ( Salvelinus alpinus (L., 1758)) from Lake Hazen, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada. Population structure of the Lake Hazen Arctic char was examined using five microsatellite loci. The “small” morph was found to have a larger (primarily deeper) head, larger and more elongate fins, and a deeper lateral profile than the “large” morph. The morphs also differed in allometric growth patterns. The large and small morphs do not appear to represent genetically distinct populations. The head morphology of the Lake Hazen small and large morphs exhibited similarities to benthic and pelagic morphs (respectively) from other lakes. We hypothesize that the large morph may be adapted to high-efficiency swimming and that the small morph may be adapted to low-efficiency, high-acceleration swimming. Such functional trade-offs are not uncommon among fish specializing in dispersed or mobile prey (fish and plankton) and benthic prey, respectively. The lack of apparent genetic differentiation between the morphs may suggest that the morphological differences result, to some extent, from phenotypic plasticity. Based on these results and previous analyses, it seems reasonable to conclude that Lake Hazen Arctic char represent a resource polymorphism.

Metazoan parasites of arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus L.) in a high arctic, landlocked lake in Canada

1978 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 365-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Beverley-Burton
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Fresh Water ◽  
Salvelinus Alpinus ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Arctic Char ◽  
Metazoan Parasites ◽  
Cornwallis Island

Seven species of parasitic metazoans were found in 71 arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus L.) taken in Char Lake, Cornwallis Island, N.W.T., Canada (74°42′ N, 94°50′ W): Tetraonchus alaskensis (Monogenea); Diphyllobothrium sp. (plerocercoids), Eubothrium salvelini, Eubothrium sp., and Proteocephalus longicollis (Cestoidea); Cystidicola cristivomeri (Nematoda) and Salmincola edwardsii (Crustacea: Copepoda). Except for S. edwardsii these reports, from a population of S. alpinus which is confined to fresh water, constitute new northerly distribution records for North America. Reports of P. longicollis and C. cristivomeri from S. alpinus in Canada have not been published previously.

scholarly journals Multivariate analysis of morphology, behaviour, growth and developmental timing in hybrids brings new insights into the divergence of sympatric Arctic charr morphs

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Quentin J.-B. Horta-Lacueva ◽  
Sigurður S. Snorrason ◽  
Michael B. Morrissey ◽  
Camille A.-L. Leblanc ◽  
Kalina H. Kapralova
Keyword(s):  
Arctic Charr ◽  
Phenotypic Variability ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Developmental Timing ◽  
Adaptive Divergence ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Phenotypic Variance ◽  
Resource Polymorphism ◽  
Head Morphology ◽  
Trait Covariance

Abstract Background Studying the development of fitness related traits in hybrids from populations diverging in sympatry is a fundamental approach to understand the processes of speciation. However, such traits are often affected by covariance structures that complicate the comprehension of these processes, especially because the interactive relationships between traits of different nature (e.g. morphology, behaviour, life-history) remain largely unknown in this context. In a common garden setup, we conducted an extensive examination of a large suit of traits putatively involved in the divergence of two morphs of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus), and investigated the consequences of potential patterns of trait covariance on the phenotype of their hybrids. These traits were measured along ontogeny and involved growth, yolk sac resorption, developmental timing (hatching and the onset of exogeneous feeding), head morphology and feeding behaviour. Results Growth trajectories provided the strongest signal of phenotypic divergence between the two charr. Strikingly, the first-generation hybrids did not show intermediate nor delayed growth but were similar to the smallest morph, suggesting parental biases in the inheritance of growth patterns. However, we did not observe extensive multivariate trait differences between the two morphs and their hybrids. Growth was linked to head morphology (suggesting that morphological variations in early juveniles relate to simple allometric effects) but this was the only strong signal of covariance observed between all the measured traits. Furthermore, we did not report evidence for differences in overall phenotypic variance between morphs, nor for enhanced phenotypic variability in their hybrids. Conclusion Our study shed light on the multivariate aspect of development in a context of adaptive divergence. The lack of evidence for the integration of most traits into a single covariance structure suggested that phenotypic constraints may not always favour nor impede divergence toward ecological niches differing in numerous physical and ecological variables, as observed in the respective habitats of the two charr. Likewise, the role of hybridization as a disruptive agent of trait covariance may not necessarily be significant in the evolution of populations undergoing resource polymorphism.

Cannibalism and trophic structure in a high Arctic lake: insights from stable-isotope analysis

1995 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 1195-1201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith A. Hobson ◽  
Harold E. Welch
Keyword(s):  
Primary Production ◽  
Food Web ◽  
Salvelinus Alpinus ◽  
Trophic Position ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Fork Length ◽  
Isotope Ratios ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Arctic Char ◽  
Small Fish

Stable-nitrogen (15N/14N) isotope ratios (from 2.1‰ in moss to 14.5‰ in Arctic char, Salvelinus alpinus), showed enrichment with trophic level in the food web of Char Lake, Northwest Territories, and may be used to infer trophic position. The average 15N enrichment of 1.5‰ between moss or algae and invertebrates suggests input to the food web of isotopically lighter nitrogen than that measured for these sources of primary production. Stable-carbon (13C/12C) isotope ratios differed between moss and algae by almost 10‰ and indicate that carbon in the Char Lake food web is derived from a blend of these sources of primary production. Arctic char δ15N values for muscle tissue were positively correlated with fork length and clustered into three distinct groups: small fish (1–3 cm, mean δ15N = 5.7‰), which possibly consumed more benthic particles than previously assumed; intermediate-size fish (10–35 cm, mean δ15N = 10‰), which likely depended on larval char as well as their primary zooplankton and chironomid prey; and larger Arctic char, which showed a mean stepwise increase in δ15N of 3.7‰. This suggests that complete cannibalism in this population generally occurs abruptly and is exercised by a relatively small number of large individuals.

Rapid and coupled phenotypic and genetic divergence in Icelandic Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus)

1999 ◽  
Vol 56 (12) ◽  
pp. 2229-2234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davíð Gíslason ◽  
Moira M Ferguson ◽  
Skúli Skúlason ◽  
Sigurður S Snorrason
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Divergence ◽  
Driving Force ◽  
Salvelinus Alpinus ◽  
Arctic Char ◽  
Variable Degree ◽  
Morphological Divergence ◽  
Resource Polymorphism ◽  
Trophic Diversification ◽  
Early Phases ◽  
Different Levels

Resource polymorphism has been proposed as an important phase of diversification and speciation in vertebrates. Studies of fish in young lakes of the Northern Hemisphere indicate variably advanced cases of adaptive trophic diversification. We have previously proposed a scheme describing this variation in terms of a gradient of resource-based polymorphic traits, emphasizing flexible behaviour in early phases and morphological divergence in more advanced phases. Here, we present data on Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) in Icelandic lakes exhibiting a variable degree of phenotypic and genotypic segregation. We show that (i) the morphs are at different levels of phenotypic segregation and reproductive isolation and in one case completely reproductively isolated, (ii) morphs within lakes appear to be of intralacustrine origin, and (iii) the morphological and genetic divergence of morphs is correlated, suggesting a role for trophic adaptation as a driving force in morph segregation.

Preference for nearshore and estuarine habitats in anadromous Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) from the Canadian high Arctic (Victoria Island, Nunavut) revealed by acoustic telemetry

2016 ◽  
Vol 73 (9) ◽  
pp. 1434-1445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Sébastien Moore ◽  
Les N. Harris ◽  
Steven T. Kessel ◽  
Louis Bernatchez ◽  
Ross F. Tallman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fresh Water ◽  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Acoustic Telemetry ◽  
Salvelinus Alpinus ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Arctic Char ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
Subsistence Fisheries ◽  
Victoria Island ◽  
Stock Mixing

We used an array of fixed acoustic receivers (N = 42) to track the summer marine movements of 121 anadromous Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) equipped with acoustic transmitters at three locations in the Cambridge Bay region, where commercial and subsistence fisheries target the species. The timing of transitions between salt and fresh water was influenced by the putative river of origin of tagged individuals, but not by their size or sex. Females, however, were more likely to remain proximate to rivers where they were tagged throughout the summer. A majority of fish migrated west from their rivers of origin, primarily moving between estuarine environments. Individuals occupied estuaries for several days between bouts of marine movement, and these periods of residency coincided with spring tides in some estuaries. We also recorded increased numbers of detections on receivers located less than 1.5 km from the coast, indicating a preference for nearshore habitats. Finally, we report evidence of extensive stock mixing throughout the summer, including at known fishing locations and periods, a finding with implications for fisheries management.

Respiration of Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus) From a High Arctic Lake

1973 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 717-723 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. F. Holeton
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Consumption ◽  
Oxygen Uptake ◽  
Cold Adaptation ◽  
Metabolic Response ◽  
Salvelinus Alpinus ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Arctic Char ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Arctic Lake ◽  
Wet Weight

The routine of resting oxygen consumption of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) from a high arctic lake (74°42′N) was measured at 2 (acclimated) and 6 C (unacclimated). The oxygen uptake versus wet weight relation at 2 C was: Log O2 uptake = 0.7316 Log weight – 1.0944. Oxygen uptake was low, not showing any evidence of "cold adaptation," and was comparable to projections of oxygen uptake versus temperature relations of other salmonid fish from lower latitudes.The short term metabolic response to a rise in temperature of 4 C was independent of body size except with fish with yolk sacs and weighing less than 0.125 g.

Bimodal size distributions in Arctic char, Salvelinus alpinus: artefacts of biased sampling

2003 ◽  
Vol 60 (9) ◽  
pp. 1104-1110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anders Gravbrøt Finstad ◽  
Peder Andreas Jansen ◽  
Heikki Hirvonen
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Salvelinus Alpinus ◽  
Sampling Procedure ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Arctic Char ◽  
Biased Sampling ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Gill Net

Bimodal population size and age distributions in Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus (L.)) and hypotheses on growth patterns generating bimodality have drawn considerable attention during the last decade. However, such bimodality has also been suggested to be an artefact of biased sampling. We examined published data sets reporting bimodal size distributions in gill-net samples of Arctic char in order to confront hypotheses on growth patterns generating bimodal population size distributions. Growth patterns were derived from published length-at-age data. Simulations revealed that the observed growth patterns evidently could not generate a bimodal population size distribution. The basic reason for this was that growth did not stagnate strongly enough in the largest size classes of Arctic char. The reliability of growth approximations from length-at-age data was supported by empirical data on back-calculated growth trajectories. Furthermore, differences in year-class strength cannot explain all of the observed bimodal size and age distributions in gill-net samples, as they have been reported to persist over time. Thus, bias in the sampling procedure, which overestimates the frequency of old and large fish, is retained as the only plausible explanation for stable bimodal size distributions often observed in Arctic char gill-net samples.

First confirmation of salmonid alphavirus infection in Arctic char Salvelinus alpinus and in Austria

2018 ◽  
Vol 130 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-76
Author(s):  
E Lewisch ◽  
T Frank ◽  
H Soliman ◽  
O Schachner ◽  
A Friedl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Salvelinus Alpinus ◽  
Arctic Char ◽  
Alphavirus Infection
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