Parental identity influences progeny responses to incubation thermal stress in sockeye salmonOnchorhynchus nerka

Abstract

The influence of individual parentage on progeny responses to early developmental temperature stress was examined in a cross-fertilization experiment using sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka. Differences in survival, hatch timing and size were examined among five paternally linked and five maternally linked offspring families (Weaver Creek population, British Columbia, Canada) incubated at 12, 14 and 16° C from just after fertilization to hatch. Mean embryonic survival was significantly lower at 14 and 16° C; however, offspring families had substantially different survival responses across the thermal gradient (crossing reaction norms). Within temperature treatments, substantial variation in embryonic survival, alevin mass, time-to-hatch and hatch duration were attributable to family identity; however, most traits were governed by significant temperature-family interactions. For embryonic survival, large differences between families at 16° C were due to both female and male spawner influence, whereas inter-family differences were obscured at 14° C (high intra-family variation), and minimal at 12° C (only maternal influence detected). Despite post-hatch rearing under a common cool thermal regime, persistent effects of both temperature and parentage were detected in alevin and 3 week-old fry. Collectively, these findings highlight the crucial role that parental influences on offspring may have in shaping future selection within salmonid populations exposed to elevated thermal regimes. An increased understanding of parental and temperature influences and their persistence in early development will be essential to developing a more comprehensive view of population spawning success and determining the adaptive capacity of O. nerka populations in the face of environmental change.

Optimum and maximum temperatures of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) populations hatched at different temperatures

“…Similarly, further study is needed to discover why a higher incubation temperature increased variance of CTmax across populations. Consistent with the previous discoveries of other traits (Beacham and Murray 1985;Burt et al 2012;Whitney et al 2013), the increased variance of phenotypic traits at individual and population levels was the reflection of the inequality in coping with adverse environments, thus, it has adaptive significance.…”

“…Moreover, increased incubation temperature leads to small hatchlings (Ojanguren and Braña 2003;Finstad and Jonsson 2012), possibly because routine metabolic rate and energy consumption increase exponentially with temperature, thus, leading to reduced capacity for growth and development at temperature beyond the optimum (Pörtner 2010). Although the effects of incubation temperature on fish embryogenesis are well studied (Murray and McPhail 1988;Damme et al 1992;Mueter et al 2002;Burt et al 2012;Lahnsteiner et al 2012), little is known in terms of how incubation temperature affects the posthatch temperature tolerance of fish and whether or not population differences exist. However, more broadly, Chinese Pond Turtles (Mauremys reevesii (Gray, 1831)) incubated at high incubation temperature increased their critical thermal minimum (Du et al 2006), while elevated incubation temperature decreased preference temperature of the Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentine (L., 1758)) (O'Steen 1998).…”

Thermal adaptation and phenotypic plasticity in a warming world: Insights from common garden experiments on Alaskan sockeye salmon

“…These findings reinforce other studies that report G 9 E interactions between hatch timing and incubation regime at the family-level (Burt, Hinch, & Patterson, 2012;Kinnison et al, 2008;Steel et al, 2012). These findings reinforce other studies that report G 9 E interactions between hatch timing and incubation regime at the family-level (Burt, Hinch, & Patterson, 2012;Kinnison et al, 2008;Steel et al, 2012).…”

Developmental temperature affects phenotypic means and variability: A meta‐analysis of fish data

“…genetic assimilation; Crispo, ). There is some evidence, based on genotype‐by‐environment interactions, for the adaptive potential of warm‐induced variants in a coral reef fish and a salmon species ( Acanthochromis polyacanthus : Munday, Donelson, & Domingos, , Onchorhynchus nerka : Burt, Hinch, & Patterson, ). Warm temperatures in early life also cause epigenetic changes (e.g.…”