First evidence of natural reproduction of the Allis shad <i>Alosa alosa</i> in the River Rhine following re‐introduction measures

Hundt, Matthias; Scharbert, Andreas; Weibel, Uwe; Kuhn, Gustavo C. S.; Metzner, K.; Jatteau, Philippe; Pies, A.; Schulz, Ralf; Gergs, René

doi:10.1111/jfb.12721

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 8 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Concerning allis shad, there is an ongoing stocking program (started in 2008) in the Rhine River (Germany) with juveniles coming from assisted reproduction of wild spawners from the Gironde-Garonne-Dordogne basin (France) [ 33 ]; http://www.lanuv.nrw.de/alosa-alosa/en/ . Monitoring in the Rhine River reported that spawners have been observed in the river for the first time in more than a half century in 2013 and 2014, while juveniles are commonly caught in the estuary since the beginning of the stocking program [ 101 ]. These promising results are in line with the results of the current correlative modelling approach and those of [ 28 ] in which the Rhine basin will be suitable for shads around 2100 under climate change scenarios.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Combined Use of Correlative and Mechanistic Species Distribution Models Benefits Low Conservation Status Species

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Species can respond to climate change by tracking appropriate environmental conditions in space, resulting in a range shift. Species Distribution Models (SDMs) can help forecast such range shift responses. For few species, both correlative and mechanistic SDMs were built, but allis shad (Alosa alosa), an endangered anadromous fish species, is one of them. The main purpose of this study was to provide a framework for joint analyses of correlative and mechanistic SDMs projections in order to strengthen conservation measures for species of conservation concern. Guidelines for joint representation and subsequent interpretation of models outputs were defined and applied. The present joint analysis was based on the novel mechanistic model GR3D (Global Repositioning Dynamics of Diadromous fish Distribution) which was parameterized on allis shad and then used to predict its future distribution along the European Atlantic coast under different climate change scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5). We then used a correlative SDM for this species to forecast its distribution across the same geographic area and under the same climate change scenarios. First, projections from correlative and mechanistic models provided congruent trends in probability of habitat suitability and population dynamics. This agreement was preferentially interpreted as referring to the species vulnerability to climate change. Climate change could not be accordingly listed as a major threat for allis shad. The congruence in predicted range limits between SDMs projections was the next point of interest. The difference, when noticed, required to deepen our understanding of the niche modelled by each approach. In this respect, the relative position of the northern range limit between the two methods strongly suggested here that a key biological process related to intraspecific variability was potentially lacking in the mechanistic SDM. Based on our knowledge, we hypothesized that local adaptations to cold temperatures deserved more attention in terms of modelling, but further in conservation planning as well.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Combined Use of Correlative and Mechanistic Species Distribution Models Benefits Low Conservation Status Species

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Within a monitoring program in the course of the EU-LIFE and EU-LIFE + projects involving the reintroductions of the allis shad (Alosa alosa) in the River Rhine, inter alia fish scale samples for molecular analyses were collected, to assess the project success (Hundt et al 2015). The allis shad is an anadromous fish within the family Clupeidae, which was formerly widespread throughout Western Europe.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new approach combining forensic thresholds and a multiple-tubes approach to unravel false microsatellite profiles from cross-contaminated sample material

Mäck

Scharbert²,

Schulz

et al. 2020

Conservation Genet Resour

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Contamination and degradation are known challenges for reliable genotyping, since they can cause, among other problems, false microsatellite profiles. In this study we described a method to decrease the proportion of false microsatellite profiles from fish scale samples of endangered allis shads (Alosa alosa) from a reintroduction program, where cross-contamination with DNA from other individuals and potentially degradation of samples occurred. To maximize the portion of reliably measurable results, we modified and combined two known approaches—thresholds used in forensic DNA analyses and a multiple-tubes approach. This combined approach increased reliable microsatellite profiles compared with single approaches. The forensic thresholds and the multiple-tubes approach increased the measurable results from 55 to 67% and 75%, respectively, whereas the combined approach accomplished an increase to 90%. This illustrates the potential of the combined approach for other studies with comparable problems or sample material.

show abstract

“…Residential populations of allis shad were likewise extinct in the Rhine ecosystem by the middle of the 20th Century [ 4 , 5 ] until their repatriation in the course of the EU-LIFE project “The reintroduction of Allis shad ( Alosa alosa ) in the Rhine system” (2007–2010) and the follow-on EU-LIFE+ project “Conservation and Restoration of the Allis shad in the Gironde and Rhine watersheds” (2011–2015). Within these projects, allis shad brood stock from a natural population in France were spawned in captivity and 10.66 million larvae reared in aquaculture facilities were released into the Rhine system, between 2008 and 2014 [ 6 , 7 ]. Adult shad first returned to spawn in the Rhine six years after the release of larvae in these waters [ 7 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Within these projects, allis shad brood stock from a natural population in France were spawned in captivity and 10.66 million larvae reared in aquaculture facilities were released into the Rhine system, between 2008 and 2014 [ 6 , 7 ]. Adult shad first returned to spawn in the Rhine six years after the release of larvae in these waters [ 7 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Repatriation of an old fish host as an opportunity for myxozoan parasite diversity: The example of the allis shad, Alosa alosa (Clupeidae), in the Rhine

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundWildlife repatriation represents an opportunity for parasites. Reintroduced hosts are expected to accumulate generalist parasites via spillover from reservoir hosts, whereas colonization with specialist parasites is unlikely. We address the question of how myxozoan parasites, which are characterized by a complex life-cycle alternating between annelids and fish, can invade a reintroduced fish species and determine the impact of a de novo invasion on parasite diversity. We investigated the case of the anadromous allis shad, Alosa alosa (L.), which was reintroduced into the Rhine approximately 70 years after its extinction in this river system.MethodsWe studied parasites belonging to the Myxozoa (Cnidaria) in 196 allis shad from (i) established populations in the French rivers Garonne and Dordogne and (ii) repatriated populations in the Rhine, by screening the first adults returning to spawn in 2014. Following microscopical detection of myxozoan infections general myxozoan primers were used for SSU rDNA amplification and sequencing. Phylogenetic analyses were performed and cloned sequences were analyzed from individuals of different water sources to better understand the diversity and population structure of myxozoan isolates in long-term coexisting vs recently established host-parasite systems.ResultsWe describe Hoferellus alosae n. sp. from the renal tubules of allis shad by use of morphological and molecular methods. A species-specific PCR assay determined that the prevalence of H. alosae n. sp. is 100 % in sexually mature fish in the Garonne/Dordogne river systems and 22 % in the first mature shad returning to spawn in the Rhine. The diversity of SSU rDNA clones of the parasite was up to four times higher in the Rhine and lacked a site-specific signature of SNPs such as in the French rivers. A second myxozoan, Ortholinea sp., was detected exclusively in allis shad from the Rhine.ConclusionsOur data demonstrate that the de novo establishment of myxozoan infections in rivers is slow but of great genetic diversity, which can only be explained by the introduction of spores from genetically diverse sources, predominantly via straying fish or by migratory piscivorous birds. Long-term studies will show if and how the high diversity of a de novo introduction of host-specific myxozoans succeeds into the establishment of a local successful strain in vertebrate and invertebrate hosts.Graphical AbstractElectronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1760-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

show abstract

First evidence of natural reproduction of the Allis shad Alosa alosa in the River Rhine following re‐introduction measures

Cited by 8 publications

References 8 publications

The Combined Use of Correlative and Mechanistic Species Distribution Models Benefits Low Conservation Status Species

The Combined Use of Correlative and Mechanistic Species Distribution Models Benefits Low Conservation Status Species

A new approach combining forensic thresholds and a multiple-tubes approach to unravel false microsatellite profiles from cross-contaminated sample material

Repatriation of an old fish host as an opportunity for myxozoan parasite diversity: The example of the allis shad, Alosa alosa (Clupeidae), in the Rhine

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About