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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

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Abstract

The study of cisco diversity in inland lakes of North America has been plagued by taxonomic uncertainty linked to high phenotypic plasticity and an ongoing reliance on morphology to differentiate species. More recently, this uncertainty has hindered the development of conservation plans and status assessments of ciscoes. This study presents the first range-wide comparison of morphological and genetic variation between Cisco (Coregonus artedi) and Shortjaw Cisco (C. zenithicus). Using morphological and genetic data from 17 lakes, three sets of analyses were undertaken to evaluate alternate hypotheses explaining the pattern of cisco phenotypic diversity in inland lakes. Morphotypes (MTs) representing the two taxa were phenotypically distinct (largely reflective of differences in gill raker number and jaw morphology) within lakes but highly variable across lakes. Shortjaw Cisco was only recognizable when compared to sympatric Cisco and some populations were morphologically similar to Cisco from other lakes. Analysis of AFLP data revealed two genetic clusters that conformed to differences in geography (eastern and western groups), rather than hypothesized taxonomic boundaries. Genetic variation strongly suggests that each of these unique sympatric pairs of MTs originated recently and locally, in parallel, from the ancestral Cisco. Phenotypic and genetic distinctiveness between MTs were not related. MTs were sometimes clearly recognizable despite a lack of genetic differentiation, suggesting that the canalization of phenotypic plasticity is unevenly completed across lakes. These results provide evidence that the taxon-based approach is clearly inadequate for the protection of Shortjaw Cisco. In Canada, status assessment should aim to identify lake-specific designatable units (DU). Given the idiosyncratic nature of each instance of Shortjaw Cisco, it is expected that the strength of morphological, biological, ecological and genetic evidence for individual DUs will vary among lakes.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by a Great Lake Fishery Commission grant (Fishery Research Program) to SR, JT and TP who designed the project. Samples and morphological data for Great Slave Lake result from a Great Lakes Fishery Commission grant (Fishery Research Program) to JR with work being led by AM. KH provided tissues samples, morphological data and in depth knowledge of ciscoes from Great Bear Lake collected through funding provided by the DFO SARCEP program, Environment Canada IRF program, Sahtu Renewable Resource Board, DFO Sahtu Implementation Funds and the NWT Cumulative Impacts Monitoring Program. We thank Jim Johnson and Lee Murray for the samples from Lake Athapapuskow. JT and AB collected and analyzed the genetic data. JT and SR wrote the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département de biologie, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada

    Julie Turgeon & Audrey Bourret

  2. Aquatic Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, ON, Canada

    Scott M. Reid

  3. Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Sault Sainte Marie, ON, Canada

    Thomas C. Pratt

  4. Freshwater Institute Science Laboratory, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

    James D. Reist & Kimberly L. Howland

  5. Great Lakes Fishery Commission, 2100 Commonwealth Blvd., Suite 100, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA

    Andrew M. Muir

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  1. Julie Turgeon
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Correspondence to Julie Turgeon.

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Turgeon, J., Reid, S.M., Bourret, A. et al. 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. Conserv Genet 17, 45–56 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-015-0759-4

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