Abstract
Environmental conditions can influence biological characteristics, such as phenology and body size, with important consequences for organismal fitness. Examining these fitness consequences under natural conditions through genetic pedigree reconstruction offers a lens into potential population responses to changing environments. Over 3 years (2013–2015), we introduced adult alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), anadromous, iteroparous clupeids, into one Massachusetts (USA) lake to complete the first detailed examination of this species’ mating system and assess relationships among body size, reproductive timing, and seasonal reproductive success. We reconstructed pedigrees using 15 microsatellites and genotypes from all possible parents and samples of naturally produced offspring within 4 months of hatching. In each of the 3 study years, spawning adults had multiple mates and spawned multiple times. Larger females that arrived and were translocated earlier had higher reproductive success. Declining body size and altered migration timing, through an influence on reproductive success, can influence population vital rates and productivity over time.
| Original language | English |
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| Pages (from-to) | 1134-1146 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences |
| Volume | 76 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2019 |
Funding
Field sampling assistance was provided by Alina Arnheim (2013), Julianne Rosset (2014), Steven Mattocks (2014 and 2015), Vasili Luzanau (2014 and 2015), Matt Devine (2015), Steve Bittner (2015), Drew Fournier (2015), Dave Stutt (2015), Sarah Becker (2015), Bia Dias (2015), Ashleigh Novak (2015), and Habib Mohammadi (2015) from the University of Massachusetts Amherst; Ryan Joyce (2013 and 2014), Dave Andrews (2015), Nicole Ward (2015), Scott Elzey (2013–2015), and Kim Trull (2013–2015) from MDMF; and Michael Bailey (2013) from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Maili Paige, Spencer Weinstein, and Iryna Polunina assisted with genetic processing. Jason Coombs’ expertise was vital to the pedigree simulation. This work was funded by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and MDMF, which also provided essential field support and equipment to stock fish from 2013 to 2015. A.J. received support from the US Department of Agriculture through the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, under project number MAS No. 14. All work was completed in accordance with University of Massachusetts, Amherst IACUC 2013–0047. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the US Government.
| Funders |
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| University of Massachusetts Boston |