The Effects of Hybridization and Parasite Infection on the Survival and Behaviour of Endangered Landlocked Salmon Subject to Predation—Implications for Genetic Rescue
ABSTRACT A prerequisite of genetic rescue in endangered and genetically depauperate populations is to pre‐evaluate between possible pros and cons of hybridization for the life history and survival of the target population. We hybridized the critically endangered Saimaa landlocked salmon (Salmo salar...
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Wiley
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Evolutionary Applications |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.70056 |
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| author | Aslak Eronen Matti Janhunen Pekka Hyvärinen Raine Kortet Anssi Karvonen |
| author_facet | Aslak Eronen Matti Janhunen Pekka Hyvärinen Raine Kortet Anssi Karvonen |
| author_sort | Aslak Eronen |
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| description | ABSTRACT A prerequisite of genetic rescue in endangered and genetically depauperate populations is to pre‐evaluate between possible pros and cons of hybridization for the life history and survival of the target population. We hybridized the critically endangered Saimaa landlocked salmon (Salmo salar m. sebago) with one of its geographically closest relatives, anadromous Baltic salmon from River Kymijoki. In two similar experiments, conducted in semi‐natural streams during overwintering (at age 1.5) and in early summer (age 2+), we studied how hybridization and eye parasite infection (Diplostomum pseudospathaceum) affected survival from predation by Northern pike (Esox lucius). Additionally, we recorded movements of the juvenile salmon using passive integrated telemetry to gain insights into the effect of hybridization and infection on antipredatory behaviour (movement activity and habitat use). Among the uninfected groups, we found significantly lower mortality of hybrid salmon (mortality ± S.E. 14.5% ± 5.4%) compared to purebred landlocked salmon (37.2% ± 9.4%), supporting a positive effect of hybridization under predation risk. This benefit, however, was cancelled out by the parasite infection, which impaired vision and increased the susceptibility to predation. The negative effects of infection were particularly pronounced in the anadromous salmon due to lower infection resistance, compared to the landlocked salmon. Hybridization per se did not affect the activity levels of salmon, but overwintering activity correlated positively with eye cataract coverage, and summer activity was highest in anadromous salmon. These results demonstrate that controlled supplementation of a small animal population with genetically more diverse hybrids could entail both positive and negative implications, at least in the first crossbred generation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8af4d059ad184ed4a5e01a93fa4be9c8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | Evolutionary Applications |
| spelling | doaj-art-8af4d059ad184ed4a5e01a93fa4be9c82025-01-29T07:57:46ZengWileyEvolutionary Applications1752-45712024-12-011712n/an/a10.1111/eva.70056The Effects of Hybridization and Parasite Infection on the Survival and Behaviour of Endangered Landlocked Salmon Subject to Predation—Implications for Genetic RescueAslak Eronen0Matti Janhunen1Pekka Hyvärinen2Raine Kortet3Anssi Karvonen4Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences University of Eastern Finland Joensuu FinlandNatural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE) Migratory Fish and Regulated Rivers Joensuu FinlandNatural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE) Migratory Fish and Regulated Rivers Paltamo FinlandDepartment of Environmental and Biological Sciences University of Eastern Finland Joensuu FinlandDepartment of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä FinlandABSTRACT A prerequisite of genetic rescue in endangered and genetically depauperate populations is to pre‐evaluate between possible pros and cons of hybridization for the life history and survival of the target population. We hybridized the critically endangered Saimaa landlocked salmon (Salmo salar m. sebago) with one of its geographically closest relatives, anadromous Baltic salmon from River Kymijoki. In two similar experiments, conducted in semi‐natural streams during overwintering (at age 1.5) and in early summer (age 2+), we studied how hybridization and eye parasite infection (Diplostomum pseudospathaceum) affected survival from predation by Northern pike (Esox lucius). Additionally, we recorded movements of the juvenile salmon using passive integrated telemetry to gain insights into the effect of hybridization and infection on antipredatory behaviour (movement activity and habitat use). Among the uninfected groups, we found significantly lower mortality of hybrid salmon (mortality ± S.E. 14.5% ± 5.4%) compared to purebred landlocked salmon (37.2% ± 9.4%), supporting a positive effect of hybridization under predation risk. This benefit, however, was cancelled out by the parasite infection, which impaired vision and increased the susceptibility to predation. The negative effects of infection were particularly pronounced in the anadromous salmon due to lower infection resistance, compared to the landlocked salmon. Hybridization per se did not affect the activity levels of salmon, but overwintering activity correlated positively with eye cataract coverage, and summer activity was highest in anadromous salmon. These results demonstrate that controlled supplementation of a small animal population with genetically more diverse hybrids could entail both positive and negative implications, at least in the first crossbred generation.https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.70056conservation biologygenetic rescuehost parasite interactionshybridizationoutbreeding depressionsalmo salar m. sebago |
| spellingShingle | Aslak Eronen Matti Janhunen Pekka Hyvärinen Raine Kortet Anssi Karvonen The Effects of Hybridization and Parasite Infection on the Survival and Behaviour of Endangered Landlocked Salmon Subject to Predation—Implications for Genetic Rescue Evolutionary Applications conservation biology genetic rescue host parasite interactions hybridization outbreeding depression salmo salar m. sebago |
| title | The Effects of Hybridization and Parasite Infection on the Survival and Behaviour of Endangered Landlocked Salmon Subject to Predation—Implications for Genetic Rescue |
| title_full | The Effects of Hybridization and Parasite Infection on the Survival and Behaviour of Endangered Landlocked Salmon Subject to Predation—Implications for Genetic Rescue |
| title_fullStr | The Effects of Hybridization and Parasite Infection on the Survival and Behaviour of Endangered Landlocked Salmon Subject to Predation—Implications for Genetic Rescue |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effects of Hybridization and Parasite Infection on the Survival and Behaviour of Endangered Landlocked Salmon Subject to Predation—Implications for Genetic Rescue |
| title_short | The Effects of Hybridization and Parasite Infection on the Survival and Behaviour of Endangered Landlocked Salmon Subject to Predation—Implications for Genetic Rescue |
| title_sort | effects of hybridization and parasite infection on the survival and behaviour of endangered landlocked salmon subject to predation implications for genetic rescue |
| topic | conservation biology genetic rescue host parasite interactions hybridization outbreeding depression salmo salar m. sebago |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.70056 |
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