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Andrew J Dewoody - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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BioMed Central
2016Co-Authors: Purdue E-pubs, Matthew C Hale, Andrew J Dewoody, Cory R Mccormick, James R Jackson, Andrew DewoodyAbstract:(page number not for citation purposes) BMC Genomics Open AccessResearch article Next-generation pyrosequencing of gonad transcriptomes in the polyploid lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens): the relative merits of normalization and rarefaction in gene discover
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microsatellite analyses across three diverse vertebrate transcriptomes Acipenser fulvescens ambystoma tigrinum and dipodomys spectabilis
Genome, 2013Co-Authors: Jacqueline M Doyle, Gregor Siegmund, Joseph D Ruhl, Soo Hyung Eo, Matthew C Hale, Nicholas J Marra, Peter M Waser, Andrew J DewoodyAbstract:Historically, many population genetics studies have utilized microsatellite markers sampled at random from the genome and presumed to be selectively neutral. Recent studies, however, have shown that microsatellites can occur in transcribed regions, where they are more likely to be under selection. In this study, we mined microsatellites from transcriptomes generated by 454-pyrosequencing for three vertebrate species: lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum), and kangaroo rat (Dipodomys spectabilis). We evaluated (i) the occurrence of microsatellites across species; (ii) whether particular gene ontology terms were over-represented in genes that contained microsatellites; (iii) whether repeat motifs were located in untranslated regions or coding sequences of genes; and (iv) in silico polymorphism. Microsatellites were less common in tiger salamanders than in either lake sturgeon or kangaroo rats. Across libraries, trinucleotides were found more frequently than any other mo...
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next generation pyrosequencing of gonad transcriptomes in the polyploid lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens the relative merits of normalization and rarefaction in gene discovery
BMC Genomics, 2009Co-Authors: Matthew C Hale, Cory R Mccormick, James R Jackson, Andrew J DewoodyAbstract:Next-generation sequencing technologies have been applied most often to model organisms or species closely related to a model. However, these methods have the potential to be valuable in many wild organisms, including those of conservation concern. We used Roche 454 pyrosequencing to characterize gene expression in polyploid lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) gonads. Titration runs on a Roche 454 GS-FLX produced more than 47,000 sequencing reads. These reads represented 20,741 unique sequences that passed quality control (mean length = 186 bp). These were assembled into 1,831 contigs (mean contig depth = 4.1 sequences). Over 4,000 sequencing reads (~19%) were assigned gene ontologies, mostly to protein, RNA, and ion binding. A total of 877 candidate SNPs were identified from > 50 different genes. We employed an analytical approach from theoretical ecology (rarefaction) to evaluate depth of sequencing coverage relative to gene discovery. We also considered the relative merits of normalized versus native cDNA libraries when using next-generation sequencing platforms. Not surprisingly, fewer genes from the normalized libraries were rRNA subunits. Rarefaction suggests that normalization has little influence on the efficiency of gene discovery, at least when working with thousands of reads from a single tissue type. Our data indicate that titration runs on 454 sequencers can characterize thousands of expressed sequence tags which can be used to identify SNPs, gene ontologies, and levels of gene expression in species of conservation concern. We anticipate that rarefaction will be useful in evaluations of gene discovery and that next-generation sequencing technologies hold great potential for the study of other non-model organisms.
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next generation pyrosequencing of gonad transcriptomes in the polyploid lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens the relative merits of normalization and rarefaction in gene discovery
BMC Genomics, 2009Co-Authors: Matthew C Hale, Cory R Mccormick, James R Jackson, Andrew J DewoodyAbstract:Background Next-generation sequencing technologies have been applied most often to model organisms or species closely related to a model. However, these methods have the potential to be valuable in many wild organisms, including those of conservation concern. We used Roche 454 pyrosequencing to characterize gene expression in polyploid lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) gonads.
Gary W Anderson - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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influence of a dynamic rearing environment on development of metabolic phenotypes in age 0 lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens
Conservation Physiology, 2019Co-Authors: Gwangseok R Yoon, David Deslauriers, Gary W AndersonAbstract:Environment-phenotype interactions are the most pronounced during early life stages and can strongly influence metabolism and ultimately ecological fitness. In the present study, we examined the effect of temperature [ambient river temperature (ART) vs ART+2°C], dissolved oxygen (DO; 100% vs 80%) and substrate (presence vs absence) on standard metabolic rate, forced maximum metabolic rate and metabolic scope with Fulton's condition factor (K), energy density (ED) and critical thermal maximum (CTmax) in age-0 Lake Sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens, before and after a simulated overwintering event. We found that all the environmental variables strongly influenced survival, K, ED and CTmax. Fish reared in elevated temperature showed higher mortality and reduced K pre-winter at 127 days post-hatch (dph). Interestingly, we did not find any significant difference in terms of metabolic rate between treatments at both sampling points of pre- and post-winter. Long-term exposure to 80% DO reduced ED in Lake Sturgeon post-winter at 272 dph. Our data suggest that substrate should be removed at the onset of exogenous feeding to enhance the survival rate of age-0 Lake Sturgeon in the first year of life. Effects of early rearing environment during larval development on survival over winter are discussed with respect to successful recruitment of stock enhanced Lake Sturgeon, a species that is at risk throughout its natural range.
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Rethinking the influence of hydroelectric development on gene flow in a long-lived fish, the Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens
2017Co-Authors: Craig A. Mcdougall, Gary W Anderson, Amy B Welsh, Thierry Gosselin, Patrick A. NelsonAbstract:Many hydroelectric dams have been in place for 50 - >100 years, which for most fish species means that enough generations have passed for fragmentation induced divergence to have accumulated. However, for long-lived species such as Lake Sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens, it should be possible to discriminate between historical population structuring and contemporary gene flow and improve the broader understanding of anthropogenic influence. On the Winnipeg River, Manitoba, two hypotheses were tested: 1) Measureable quantities of former reservoir dwelling Lake Sturgeon now reside downstream of the Slave Falls Generating Station, and 2) genetically differentiated populations of Lake Sturgeon occur upstream and downstream, a result of historical structuring. Genetic methods based on ten microsatellite markers were employed, and simulations were conducted to provide context. With regards to contemporary upstream to downstream contributions, the inclusion of length-at-age data proved informative. Both pairwise relatedness and Bayesian clustering analysis substantiated that fast-growing outliers, apparently entrained after residing in the upstream reservoir for several years, accounted for ~15% of the Lake Sturgeon 525–750 mm fork length captured downstream. With regards to historical structuring, upstream and downstream populations were found to be differentiated (FST = 0.011, and 0.013–0.014 when fast-growing outliers were excluded), and heterozygosity metrics were higher for downstream versus upstream juveniles. Historical asymmetric (downstream) gene flow in the vicinity of the generating station was the most logical explanation for the observed genetic structuring. In this section of the Winnipeg River, construction of a major dam does not appear to have fragmented a previously panmictic Lake Sturgeon population, but alterations to habitat may be influencing upstream to downstream contributions in unexpected ways.
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evidence of circadian rhythm oxygen regulation capacity metabolic repeatability and positive correlations between forced and spontaneous maximal metabolic rates in lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens
PLOS ONE, 2014Co-Authors: Gary W Anderson, Jon Christian Svendsen, Janet Genz, Jennifer A Stol, Douglas A Watkinson, Eva C EndersAbstract:Animal metabolic rate is variable and may be affected by endogenous and exogenous factors, but such relationships remain poorly understood in many primitive fishes, including members of the family Acipenseridae (sturgeons). Using juvenile lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), the objective of this study was to test four hypotheses: 1) A. fulvescens exhibits a circadian rhythm influencing metabolic rate and behaviour; 2) A. fulvescens has the capacity to regulate metabolic rate when exposed to environmental hypoxia; 3) measurements of forced maximum metabolic rate (MMRF) are repeatable in individual fish; and 4) MMRF correlates positively with spontaneous maximum metabolic rate (MMRS). Metabolic rates were measured using intermittent flow respirometry, and a standard chase protocol was employed to elicit MMRF. Trials lasting 24 h were used to measure standard metabolic rate (SMR) and MMRS. Repeatability and correlations between MMRF and MMRS were analyzed using residual body mass corrected values. Results revealed that A. fulvescens exhibit a circadian rhythm in metabolic rate, with metabolism peaking at dawn. SMR was unaffected by hypoxia (30% air saturation (O2sat)), demonstrating oxygen regulation. In contrast, MMRF was affected by hypoxia and decreased across the range from 100% O2sat to 70% O2sat. MMRF was repeatable in individual fish, and MMRF correlated positively with MMRS, but the relationships between MMRF and MMRS were only revealed in fish exposed to hypoxia or 24 h constant light (i.e. environmental stressor). Our study provides evidence that the physiology of A. fulvescens is influenced by a circadian rhythm and suggests that A. fulvescens is an oxygen regulator, like most teleost fish. Finally, metabolic repeatability and positive correlations between MMRF and MMRS support the conjecture that MMRF represents a measure of organism performance that could be a target of natural selection.
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home range size and seasonal movement of juvenile lake sturgeon in a large river in the hudson bay drainage basin
Transactions of The American Fisheries Society, 2011Co-Authors: Cameron C Barth, Gary W Anderson, L M Henderson, Stephan J PeakeAbstract:Abstract Development of rehabilitation strategies and accurate assessment of anthropogenic impacts relies on a thorough understanding of a species’ life history. In the case of the lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens, a better understanding of the juvenile life history stages is needed to improve conservation efforts for this imperiled species. Home range size and seasonal movement of juvenile lake sturgeon in the Winnipeg River, Manitoba, were examined using mark–recapture and acoustic telemetry. Over a 30-month period (May 2006–October 2008), 5,671 juvenile lake sturgeon (213–879 mm fork length [FL]) were marked with Floy tags and the movements of 23 juvenile lake sturgeon (364–505 mm FL) were monitored by means of acoustic transmitters. Despite the potential for movement over 49 km of naturally connected riverine habitat, the results indicated that juvenile lake sturgeon exhibited strong site fidelity. As determined from the mark–recapture data set, 90.8% of recaptured fish were recaptured less than 2.0...
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calcium regulation in wild populations of a freshwater cartilaginous fish the lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A-molecular & Integrative Physiology, 2009Co-Authors: Ronald M Bruch, Cameron C Barth, Stephan J Peake, Peter J Allen, Molly A H Webb, Eli S Cureton, Gary W AndersonAbstract:Abstract Lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens , are one of a few species of cartilaginous fishes that complete their life cycle entirely in freshwater. Sturgeons maintain very low concentrations of circulating calcium (Ca 2+ ) compared with other vertebrates, and therefore, face unique challenges in regard to Ca 2+ regulation, which are likely to be magnified during vitellogenic stages of the reproductive cycle. In the present study, Ca 2+ concentrations and associated hormones of female and male lake sturgeon were examined in two wild populations, and were related to reproductive stage. In both populations, free, bound and total Ca 2+ were low, peaking in mid-late vitellogenic females. Internal Ca 2+ and phosphate (PO 4 3− ) concentrations were inversely related to environmental concentrations, suggesting that these ions are preferentially retained and that mechanisms for mobilization are up-regulated under diminished environmental concentrations. Plasma 17β-estradiol, 11-ketotestosterone and testosterone, peaked in mid-late vitellogenic females, while the androgens peaked in spawning males. Urine Ca 2+ was more tightly regulated than other divalent ions and decreased in spawning fish. Therefore, the increases in free plasma Ca 2+ , the very low circulating concentrations of free and total Ca 2+ , and the increase in PO 4 3− and bound Ca 2+ in low Ca 2+ environments indicate unique adaptations to Ca 2+ regulation in the lake sturgeon.
P. Dumont - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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ARTICLE Biology of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) spawning below a dam on the Richelieu River, Quebec: behaviour, egg deposition, and endocrinology
2016Co-Authors: J. D. Thiem, D. Hatin, P. Dumont, G. Van, Der Kraak, S. J. CookeAbstract:Abstract: Knowledge of the reproductive biology of wild sturgeon populations is critical to ensure the survival of this unique group of animals. We combined gill-netting surveys, nonlethal blood sampling, radiotelemetry, and egg collection to examine the reproductive biology of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens Rafinesque, 1817) at a suspected spawning ground below a dam on the Richelieu River, Quebec. Lake sturgeon were present at the beginning of sampling in early May, and spawning took place from 26 May to 5 June when water temperature averaged 13.4 ± 0.1 °C (range 11.5–15.5 °C). Daily spawning population estimates ranged from 285 to 1282 individuals and the sex ratio of spawners was estimated at 2.1 males per female. The presence of radio-tagged individuals on the spawning grounds peaked from 20 to 28 May, corresponding with known spawning bouts. Residence time of spawners on the spawning ground ranged from 1 to 27 days (median = 5 days) and there were no differences in residence time between sexes. Nonlethal blood sampling enabled the quantification of steroid levels to determine the spawning population sex ratio, and steroid levels were highest before spawning was known to occur and decreased concurrently with, and after, known spawning events. Key words: lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens, reproductive biology, spawning, telemetry, reproductive steroids. Résumé: La connaissance de la biologie de la reproduction des populations sauvages d’esturgeons est essentielle pour assurer la survie de ce groupe d’animaux unique. Nous avons combiné des levés au filetmaillant, le prélèvement non létal d’échantillons de sang, la radiotélémétrie et la collecte d’œufs afin d’étudier la biologie de la reproduction de l’esturgeon jaune (Acipense
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biology of lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens spawning below a dam on the richelieu river quebec behaviour egg deposition and endocrinology
Canadian Journal of Zoology, 2013Co-Authors: Jason D Thiem, D. Hatin, P. Dumont, G Van Der Kraak, Steven J CookeAbstract:Knowledge of the reproductive biology of wild sturgeon populations is critical to ensure the survival of this unique group of animals. We combined gill-netting surveys, nonlethal blood sampling, radiotelemetry, and egg collection to examine the reproductive biology of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens Rafinesque, 1817) at a suspected spawning ground below a dam on the Richelieu River, Quebec. Lake sturgeon were present at the beginning of sampling in early May, and spawning took place from 26 May to 5 June when water temperature averaged 13.4 ± 0.1 °C (range 11.5–15.5 °C). Daily spawning population estimates ranged from 285 to 1282 individuals and the sex ratio of spawners was estimated at 2.1 males per female. The presence of radio-tagged individuals on the spawning grounds peaked from 20 to 28 May, corresponding with known spawning bouts. Residence time of spawners on the spawning ground ranged from 1 to 27 days (median = 5 days) and there were no differences in residence time between sexes. Nonlethal...
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la periodicite de la croissance chez la femelle de l esturgeon jaune Acipenser fulvescens du fleuve saint laurent est elle reliee a la periodicite de la reproduction
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 1992Co-Authors: Sylvie Guenette, Rejean Fortin, Daniel Goyette, Jean Leclerc, Nelson Fournier, Gilles Roy, P. DumontAbstract:Measurements of annual increments on cross-sections of the first ray of the pectoral fin of 125 St. Lawrence River female lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) aged 24 yr and older were used to test the correspondance between growth patterns at the margin of the sections and the state of maturity of the fish. For each of the 21 females aged 34 yr and older, and for the upper Ottawa River specimens presented by Roussow (1957. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 14: 553–572), annual increments were treated as a temporal series and analysed with the contingency periodogram. The mean age at first spawning was determined using the age at the end of the first belt of crowded annuli, following Roussow. Only 3 of the 21 females aged 34 yr and older showed a typical succession of belts of large and narrow annuli. The most frequent periods were 5–11 yr, using the periodogram, as compared with 6–9 yr for Roussow' specimens. No significant correspondance was found between the pattern of the last five annual increments and the st...
Matthew C Hale - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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BioMed Central
2016Co-Authors: Purdue E-pubs, Matthew C Hale, Andrew J Dewoody, Cory R Mccormick, James R Jackson, Andrew DewoodyAbstract:(page number not for citation purposes) BMC Genomics Open AccessResearch article Next-generation pyrosequencing of gonad transcriptomes in the polyploid lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens): the relative merits of normalization and rarefaction in gene discover
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microsatellite analyses across three diverse vertebrate transcriptomes Acipenser fulvescens ambystoma tigrinum and dipodomys spectabilis
Genome, 2013Co-Authors: Jacqueline M Doyle, Gregor Siegmund, Joseph D Ruhl, Soo Hyung Eo, Matthew C Hale, Nicholas J Marra, Peter M Waser, Andrew J DewoodyAbstract:Historically, many population genetics studies have utilized microsatellite markers sampled at random from the genome and presumed to be selectively neutral. Recent studies, however, have shown that microsatellites can occur in transcribed regions, where they are more likely to be under selection. In this study, we mined microsatellites from transcriptomes generated by 454-pyrosequencing for three vertebrate species: lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum), and kangaroo rat (Dipodomys spectabilis). We evaluated (i) the occurrence of microsatellites across species; (ii) whether particular gene ontology terms were over-represented in genes that contained microsatellites; (iii) whether repeat motifs were located in untranslated regions or coding sequences of genes; and (iv) in silico polymorphism. Microsatellites were less common in tiger salamanders than in either lake sturgeon or kangaroo rats. Across libraries, trinucleotides were found more frequently than any other mo...
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Discovery and evaluation of candidate sex-determining genes and xenobiotics in the gonads of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)
Genetica, 2010Co-Authors: Matthew C Hale, James R Jackson, J. Andrew DewoodyAbstract:Modern pyrosequencing has the potential to uncover many interesting aspects of genome evolution, even in lineages where genomic resources are scarce. In particular, 454 pyrosequencing of nonmodel species has been used to characterize expressed sequence tags, xenobiotics, gene ontologies, and relative levels of gene expression. Herein, we use pyrosequencing to study the evolution of genes expressed in the gonads of a polyploid fish, the lake sturgeon ( Acipenser fulvescens ). Using 454 pyrosequencing of transcribed genes, we produced more than 125 MB of sequence data from 473,577 high-quality sequencing reads. Sequences that passed stringent quality control thresholds were assembled into 12,791 male contigs and 32,629 female contigs. Average depth of coverage was 4.2 × for the male assembly and 5.5× for the female assembly. Analytical rarefaction indicates that our assemblies include most of the genes expressed in lake sturgeon gonads. Over 86,700 sequencing reads were assigned gene ontologies, many to general housekeeping genes like protein, RNA, and ion binding genes. We searched specifically for sex determining genes and documented significant sex differences in the expression of two genes involved in animal sex determination, DMRT1 and TRA - 1 . DMRT1 is the master sex determining gene in birds and in medaka ( Oryzias latipes ) whereas TRA - 1 helps direct sexual differentiation in nematodes. We also searched the lake sturgeon assembly for evidence of xenobiotic organisms that may exist as endosymbionts. Our results suggest that exogenous parasites (trematodes) and pathogens (protozoans) apparently have infected lake sturgeon gonads, and the trematodes have horizontally transferred some genes to the lake sturgeon genome.
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next generation pyrosequencing of gonad transcriptomes in the polyploid lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens the relative merits of normalization and rarefaction in gene discovery
BMC Genomics, 2009Co-Authors: Matthew C Hale, Cory R Mccormick, James R Jackson, Andrew J DewoodyAbstract:Next-generation sequencing technologies have been applied most often to model organisms or species closely related to a model. However, these methods have the potential to be valuable in many wild organisms, including those of conservation concern. We used Roche 454 pyrosequencing to characterize gene expression in polyploid lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) gonads. Titration runs on a Roche 454 GS-FLX produced more than 47,000 sequencing reads. These reads represented 20,741 unique sequences that passed quality control (mean length = 186 bp). These were assembled into 1,831 contigs (mean contig depth = 4.1 sequences). Over 4,000 sequencing reads (~19%) were assigned gene ontologies, mostly to protein, RNA, and ion binding. A total of 877 candidate SNPs were identified from > 50 different genes. We employed an analytical approach from theoretical ecology (rarefaction) to evaluate depth of sequencing coverage relative to gene discovery. We also considered the relative merits of normalized versus native cDNA libraries when using next-generation sequencing platforms. Not surprisingly, fewer genes from the normalized libraries were rRNA subunits. Rarefaction suggests that normalization has little influence on the efficiency of gene discovery, at least when working with thousands of reads from a single tissue type. Our data indicate that titration runs on 454 sequencers can characterize thousands of expressed sequence tags which can be used to identify SNPs, gene ontologies, and levels of gene expression in species of conservation concern. We anticipate that rarefaction will be useful in evaluations of gene discovery and that next-generation sequencing technologies hold great potential for the study of other non-model organisms.
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next generation pyrosequencing of gonad transcriptomes in the polyploid lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens the relative merits of normalization and rarefaction in gene discovery
BMC Genomics, 2009Co-Authors: Matthew C Hale, Cory R Mccormick, James R Jackson, Andrew J DewoodyAbstract:Background Next-generation sequencing technologies have been applied most often to model organisms or species closely related to a model. However, these methods have the potential to be valuable in many wild organisms, including those of conservation concern. We used Roche 454 pyrosequencing to characterize gene expression in polyploid lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) gonads.
Kim T Scribner - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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rainbow darter etheostoma caeruleum storer 1845 predation on early ontogenetic stages of lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens rafinesque 1817
Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 2020Co-Authors: Kadie B Heinle, Edward A Baker, Douglas Larson, Andrew M Lockwood, Kim T ScribnerAbstract:Previous molecular diet analysis identified lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens, Rafinesque, 1817) DNA in the gastrointestinal tracts of stream‐resident rainbow darters (Etheostoma caeruleum, Storer, 1845) during the egg incubation, free embryo, and larval drift stages. The objectives of this experimental study were to: (a) quantify levels of predation by rainbow darters on lake sturgeon at the egg and free‐embryo stages; and (b) evaluate whether predation varied as a function of substrate size and rainbow darter body size. We conducted experimental trials in 23‐L polycarbonate tanks 0.41 m (L) × 0.33 m (W) × 0.30 m (D) with a standardized benthic area of 0.14 m². The tanks were randomly assigned one of two different substrate size classes: large rock (51.35 mm ± 0.91 mm) or small rock (27.68 mm ± 0.57 mm). We stocked individual rainbow darter, which were deprived of feed for 48 hr, with lake sturgeon (133 individuals/m²) in each of 12 replicates per ontogenetic stage and substrate type. The number of surviving lake sturgeon was quantified following a 24‐hr predation exposure period. We used a generalized linear model with a binomial distribution to assess the influence of ontogenetic stage, substrate size, and rainbow darter body size on proportional lake sturgeon survival. Predation on lake sturgeon occurred at both egg (6.25 ± 1.16 individuals, mean ± 2SE) and free embryo (3.08 ± 1.08 individuals, mean ± 2SE) stages. Egg proportional survival was generally lower than at the free embryo stage in both substrate sizes; however, free embryo proportional survival was greater in small substrate trials. Rainbow darter total length did not affect the probability of lake sturgeon survival at either developmental stage. Results demonstrate that rainbow darters prey on early ontogenetic stages of lake sturgeon, corroborating previous results based on genetic diet analysis. Results fill a major knowledge gap concerning the vulnerability of pre‐drift sturgeon to predation by an abundant river resident species that was previously discounted as a predator for early ontogenetic stages of lake sturgeon due to its small body size.
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ecological conditions affect behavioral and morphological trait variability of lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens rafinesque 1817 yolk sac larvae
Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 2018Co-Authors: K J Jay, Jeanette M Mcguire, Kim T ScribnerAbstract:The effects of stream environmental conditions on inter individual variability were quantified for lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens (Rafinesque, 1817) yolk sac larvae in the expression of behavioral and morphological traits. Simulated experimental treatments including food availability (brine shrimp), presence of chemosensory predator cues (adult crayfish and odonate larvae), and conspecific density (2 verses 1 larvae) were applied to determine the effects on the duration of time in substrates following hatch and growth from hatch until emergence. In spring 2010, larvae from two full‐sib families were individually placed into 240 mL perforated plastic containers (n = 263) with gravel substrate immediately following hatch. Containers were maintained in stream water at ambient temperatures and constant flow (~0.03 m/sec) in 4 m experimental flowing streams. Duration of time (days) each individual remained in the substrate was recorded. Morphological traits including total length (mm), body area (mm²), and yolk‐sac area (mm²) were measured at hatch and at the time of emergence from substrate to compare growth and amount of endogenous yolk reserves used in individuals among experimental treatments. Environmental conditions significantly affected emergence time. Individuals emerged earlier in treatments exposing larvae to chemosensory predator odorants and higher conspecific density. Use of endogenous reserves (yolk‐sac area) at the time of emergence did not differ among treatments. Growth was significantly greater when individuals were provided a food source compared to all other treatments. Quantifying the magnitude and direction of phenotypic responses to environmental conditions is important to understand potential factors affecting survival during early life stages and population viability under conditions of increasing environmental variability.
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post hatch dispersal of lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens rafinesque 1817 yolk sac larvae in relation to substrate in an artificial stream
Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 2013Co-Authors: R P Hastings, John M Bauman, Edward A Baker, Kim T ScribnerAbstract:Summary Knowledge of the effects of environment and genotype on behavior during early ontogenetic stages of many fish species including lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) is generally lacking. Understanding these effects is particularly important at a time when human activities are fundamentally altering habitats and seasonal and diel physical and biotic stream features. Artificial stream channels were used in a controlled experiment to quantify lake sturgeon yolk-sac larvae dispersal distance and stream substrate preference from different females (N = 2) whose eggs were incubated at different temperatures (10 and 18°C) that simulated stream conditions during early and late spawning and incubation periods in the Black River, Michigan. Data revealed that yolk-sac larvae exhibited considerable variability in dispersal distance as a function of family (genotype), temperature experienced during previous (embryonic) ontogenetic stages, and environmental ‘grain’. Yolk-sac larvae dispersal distance varied as a function of the juxtaposition of substrate to location of egg hatch. Lake sturgeon yolk-sac larvae dispersed from mesh screens attached to bricks and settled exclusively in gravel substrate. Dispersal distance also varied as a function of family and egg incubation temperatures, reflecting differences in offspring body size and levels of endogenous yolk reserves (yolk sac area) at hatch. Expression of plasticity in dispersal behavior may be particularly important to individual survival and population levels of recruitment contingent upon the location, size, and degree of fragmentation of suitable (gravel) habitats between adult spawning and yolk-sac larvae rearing areas.
