Introgression affects Salmo trutta juvenile life-history traits generations after stocking with non-native strains.

Introgression of non-native conspecifics changes the genetic composition of wild populations, potentially leading to loss of local adaptations and fitness declines. However, long-term data from wild populations are still relatively few. Here, we studied the effects of introgression in a Danish brown trout (Salmo trutta, L.) population, subjected to intensive stocking with domesticated hatchery fish of non-native origin. We used wild-caught genetically wild and admixed trout as well as fish from the partly domesticated hatchery strain used for stocking the river up until ~15 years prior to this study, to produce 22 families varying in hatchery/wild admixture. Following a replicated common-garden experiment conducted in fish tanks from first feeding through 23 weeks at 7, 12, and 16°C, we observed a significant positive relationship between family admixture and fish size upon termination, an effect observed through all levels of admixture. Furthermore, the admixture effect was most distinct at the higher rearing temperatures. Although the hatchery strain used for stocking had been in culture for ~7 generations, it had not been deliberately selected for increased growth. These data thus demonstrate: (i) that growth had increased in the hatchery strain even in the absence of deliberate directional selection for this trait, (ii) that the increasing effect of admixture by temperature could represent inadvertent selection for performance in the hatchery strain at higher temperatures, and most significantly, (iii) that despite undergoing up to five generations of natural selection in the admixed wild population, the genetically increased growth potential was still detectable and thus persistent. Our findings suggest that altered growth patterns and potentially their cascading effects are of importance to the severity of hatchery/wild introgression, especially under changing-climate scenarios and are of general significance to conservation practitioners seeking to evaluate long-term effects of intra-specific hybridization including under recovery.

Limited Parallelism in Genetic Adaptation to Brackish Water Bodies in European Sprat and Atlantic Herring.

The European sprat is a small plankton-feeding clupeid present in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, in the Mediterranean Sea, and in the brackish Baltic Sea and Black Sea. This species is the target of a major fishery and, therefore, an accurate characterization of its genetic population structure is crucial to delineate proper stock assessments that aid ensuring the fishery's sustainability. Here, we present (i) a draft genome assembly, (ii) pooled whole genome sequencing of 19 population samples covering most of the species' distribution range, and (iii) the design and test of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-chip resource and use this to validate the population structure inferred from pooled sequencing. These approaches revealed, using the populations sampled here, three major groups of European sprat: Oceanic, Coastal, and Brackish with limited differentiation within groups even over wide geographical stretches. Genetic structure is largely driven by six large putative inversions that differentiate Oceanic and Brackish sprats, while Coastal populations display intermediate frequencies of haplotypes at each locus. Interestingly, populations from the Baltic and the Black Seas share similar frequencies of haplotypes at these putative inversions despite their distant geographic location. The closely related clupeids European sprat and Atlantic herring both show genetic adaptation to the brackish Baltic Sea, providing an opportunity to explore the extent of genetic parallelism. This analysis revealed limited parallelism because out of 125 independent loci detected in the Atlantic herring, three showed sharp signals of selection that overlapped between the two species and contained single genes such as PRLRA, which encodes the receptor for prolactin, a freshwater-adapting hormone in euryhaline species, and THRB, a receptor for thyroid hormones, important both for metabolic regulation and the development of red cone photoreceptors.

Most of the escaped farmed salmon entering a river during a 5-year period were infected with one or more viruses.

Disease interactions between farmed and wild populations have been poorly documented for most aquaculture species, in part due to the complexities to study this. Here, we tested 567 farmed Atlantic salmon escapees, captured in a Norwegian river during 2014-2018, for five viral infections that are prevalent in global salmonid aquaculture. Over 90% of the escapees were infected with one or more viruses. Overall prevalences were: 75.7% for piscine orthoreovirus (PRV-1), 43.6% for salmonid alphavirus (SAV), 31.2% for piscine myocarditis virus (PMCV), 1.2% for infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) and 0.4% for salmon anaemia virus (ISAV). A significantly higher prevalence of PMCV infection was observed in immature compared to mature individuals. The prevalence of both SAV and PMCV infections was higher in fish determined by fatty acid profiling to be 'recent' as opposed to 'early' escapees that had been in the wild for a longer period of time. This is the first study to establish a time-series of viral infection status of escapees entering a river with a native salmon population. Our results demonstrate that farmed escapees represent a continuous source of infectious agents which could potentially be transmitted to wild fish populations.

Overruled by nature: A plastic response to environmental change disconnects a gene and its trait.

In Atlantic salmon, age at maturation is a life history trait governed by a sex-specific trade-off between reproductive success and survival. Following environmental changes across large areas of the Northeast Atlantic, many populations currently display smaller size at age and higher age at maturation. However, whether these changes reflect rapid evolution or plasticity is unknown. Approximately 1500 historical and contemporary salmon from the river Etne in Western Norway, genotyped at 50,000 SNPs, revealed three loci associated with age at maturation. These included vgll3 and six6 which collectively explained 36%-50% of the age at maturation variation in the 1983-1984 period. These two loci also displayed sex-specific epistasis, as the effect of six6 was only detected in males bearing two copies of the late maturation allele for vgll3. Strikingly, despite allelic frequencies at vgll3 remaining unchanged, the combined influence of these genes was nearly absent in all samples from 2013 to 2016, and genome-wide heritability strongly declined between the two time-points. The difference in age at maturation between males and females was upheld in the population despite the loss of effect from the candidate loci, which strongly points towards additional causative mechanisms resolving the sexual conflict. Finally, because admixture with farmed escaped salmon was excluded as the origin of the observed disconnection between gene(s) and maturation age, we conclude that the environmental changes observed in the North Atlantic during the past decades have led to bypassing of the influence of vgll3 and six6 on maturation through growth-driven plasticity.

Pre-fertilization gamete thermal environment influences reproductive success, unmasking opposing sex-specific responses in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

The environment gametes perform in just before fertilization is increasingly recognized to affect offspring fitness, yet the contributions of male and female gametes and their adaptive significance remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigated gametic thermal plasticity and its effects on hatching success and embryo performance in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Eggs and sperm were incubated overnight at 2°C or 8°C, temperatures within the optimal thermal range of this species. Crosses between warm- and cold-incubated gametes were compared using a full-factorial design, with half of each clutch reared in cold temperatures and the other in warm temperatures. This allowed disentangling single-sex interaction effects when pre-fertilization temperature of gametes mismatched embryonic conditions. Pre-fertilization temperature influenced hatch timing and synchrony, and matching sperm and embryo temperatures resulted in earlier hatching. Warm incubation benefited eggs but harmed sperm, reducing the hatching success and, overall, gametic thermal plasticity did not enhance offspring fitness, indicating vulnerability to thermal changes. We highlight the sensitivity of male gametes to higher temperatures, and that gamete acclimation may not effectively buffer against deleterious effects of thermal fluctuations. From an applied angle, we propose the differential storage of male and female gametes as a tool to enhance sustainability within the hatcheries.

Global, regional, and cryptic population structure in a high gene-flow transatlantic fish.

Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) is a transatlantic marine fish displaying large population sizes and a high potential for dispersal and gene-flow. These features are expected to result in weak population structure. Here, we investigated population genetic structure of lumpfish throughout its natural distribution in the North Atlantic using two approaches: I) 4,393 genome wide SNPs and 95 individuals from 10 locations, and II) 139 discriminatory SNPs and 1,669 individuals from 40 locations. Both approaches identified extensive population genetic structuring with a major split between the East and West Atlantic and a distinct Baltic Sea population, as well as further differentiation of lumpfish from the English Channel, Iceland, and Greenland. The discriminatory loci displayed ~2-5 times higher divergence than the genome wide approach, revealing further evidence of local population substructures. Lumpfish from Isfjorden in Svalbard were highly distinct but resembled most fish from Greenland. The Kattegat area in the Baltic transition zone, formed a previously undescribed distinct genetic group. Also, further subdivision was detected within North America, Iceland, West Greenland, Barents Sea, and Norway. Although lumpfish have considerable potential for dispersal and gene-flow, the observed high levels of population structuring throughout the Atlantic suggests that this species may have a natal homing behavior and local populations with adaptive differences. This fine-scale population structure calls for consideration when defining management units for exploitation of lumpfish stocks and in decisions related to sourcing and moving lumpfish for cleaner fish use in salmonid aquaculture.

Genomic evidence of recent European introgression into North American farmed and wild Atlantic salmon.

Gene flow between wild and domestic populations has been repeatedly demonstrated across a diverse range of taxa. Ultimately, the genetic impacts of gene flow from domestic into wild populations depend both on the degree of domestication and the original source of the domesticated population. Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, used in North American aquaculture are ostensibly of North American origin. However, evidence of European introgression into North American aquaculture salmon has accumulated in recent decades, even though the use of diploid European salmon has never been approved in Canada. The full extent of such introgression as well as the potential impacts on wild salmon in the Northwest Atlantic remains uncertain. Here, we extend previous work comparing North American and European wild salmon (n = 5799) using a 220 K SNP array to quantify levels of recent European introgression into samples of domestic salmon, aquaculture escapees, and wild salmon collected throughout Atlantic Canada. Analysis of North American farmed salmon (n = 403) and escapees (n = 289) displayed significantly elevated levels of European ancestry by comparison with wild individuals (p < 0.001). Of North American farmed salmon sampled between 2011 and 2018, ~17% had more than 10% European ancestry and several individuals exceeded 40% European ancestry. Samples of escaped farmed salmon similarly displayed elevated levels of European ancestry, with two individuals classified as 100% European. Analysis of juvenile salmon collected in rivers proximate to aquaculture locations also revealed evidence of elevated European ancestry and larger admixture tract in comparison to individuals collected at distance from aquaculture. Overall, our results demonstrate that even though diploid European salmon have never been approved for use in Canada, individuals of full and partial European ancestry have been in use over the last decade, and that some of these individuals have escaped and hybridized in the wild.

The salmon louse genome: Copepod features and parasitic adaptations.

Copepods encompass numerous ecological roles including parasites, detrivores and phytoplankton grazers. Nonetheless, copepod genome assemblies remain scarce. Lepeophtheirus salmonis is an economically and ecologically important ectoparasitic copepod found on salmonid fish. We present the 695.4 Mbp L. salmonis genome assembly containing ≈60% repetitive regions and 13,081 annotated protein-coding genes. The genome comprises 14 autosomes and a ZZ-ZW sex chromosome system. Assembly assessment identified 92.4% of the expected arthropod genes. Transcriptomics supported annotation and indicated a marked shift in gene expression after host attachment, including apparent downregulation of genes related to circadian rhythm coinciding with abandoning diurnal migration. The genome shows evolutionary signatures including loss of genes needed for peroxisome biogenesis, presence of numerous FNII domains, and an incomplete heme homeostasis pathway suggesting heme proteins to be obtained from the host. Despite repeated development of resistance against chemical treatments L. salmonis exhibits low numbers of many genes involved in detoxification.

Genetic variation for upper thermal tolerance diminishes within and between populations with increasing acclimation temperature in Atlantic salmon.

Populations may counteract lasting temperature changes or recurrent extremes through plasticity or adaptation. However, it remains underexplored how outbreeding, either naturally, unintentionally, or facilitated, may modify a local response potential and whether genotype-by-environment interactions or between-trait correlations can restrict this potential. We quantified population differences and outbreeding effects, within-population genetic variation, and plasticity of these, for thermal performance proxy traits using 32 pedigreed wild, domesticated, and wild-domesticated Atlantic salmon families reared under common-garden conditions. Following exposure to ambient cold (11.6 °C) or ~4° and ~8° warmer summer temperatures, populations differed notably for body length and critical thermal maximum (CTmax) and for thermal plasticity of length, condition, and CTmax, but not for haematocrit. Line-cross analysis suggested mostly additive and some dominant outbreeding effects on means and solely additive outbreeding effects on plasticity. Heritability was detected for all traits. However, with increasing acclimation temperature, differences in CTmax between populations and CTmax heritability diminished, and CTmax breeding values re-ranked. Furthermore, CTmax and body size were negatively correlated at the genetic and phenotypic levels, and there was indirect evidence for a positive correlation between growth potential and thermal performance breadth for growth. Thus, population differences (including those between wild and domesticated populations) in thermal performance and plasticity may present a genetic resource in addition to the within-population genetic variance to facilitate, or impede, thermal adaptation. However, unfavourable genotype-by-environment interactions and negative between-trait correlations may generally hamper joint evolution in response to an increase in average temperature and temporary extremes.

Long-term monitoring of a brown trout (Salmo trutta) population reveals kin-associated migration patterns and contributions by resident trout to the anadromous run.

BACKGROUND: In species showing partial migration, as is the case for many salmonid fishes, it is important to assess how anthropogenic pressure experienced by migrating individuals affects the total population. We focused on brown trout (Salmo trutta) from the Guddal River in the Norwegian Hardanger Fjord system, which encompasses both resident and anadromous individuals. Aquaculture has led to increased anthropogenic pressure on brown trout during the marine phase in this region. Fish traps in the Guddal River allow for sampling all ascending anadromous spawners and descending smolts. We analyzed microsatellite DNA markers from all individuals ascending in 2006-2016, along with all emigrating smolts in 2017. We investigated (1) if there was evidence for declines in census numbers and effective population size during that period, (2) if there was association between kinship and migration timing in smolts and anadromous adults, and (3) to what extent resident trout were parents of outmigrating smolts. RESULTS: Census counts of anadromous spawners showed no evidence for a decline from 2006 to 2016, but were lower than in 2000-2005. Estimates of effective population size also showed no trends of declines during the study period. Sibship reconstruction of the 2017 smolt run showed significant association between kinship and migration timing, and a similar association was indicated in anadromous spawners. Parentage assignment of 2017 smolts with ascending anadromous trout as candidate parents, and assuming that unknown parents represented resident trout, showed that 70% of smolts had at least one resident parent and 24% had two resident parents. CONCLUSIONS: The results bear evidence of a population that after an initial decline has stabilized at a lower number of anadromous spawners. The significant association between kinship and migration timing in smolts suggests that specific episodes of elevated mortality in the sea could disproportionally affect some families and reduce overall effective population size. Finally, the results based on parentage assignment demonstrate a strong buffering effect of resident trout in case of elevated marine mortality affecting anadromous trout, but also highlight that increased mortality of anadromous trout, most of which are females, may lower overall production in the system.

Not that clean: Aquaculture-mediated translocation of cleaner fish has led to hybridization on the northern edge of the species' range.

Translocation and introduction of non-native organisms can have major impacts on local populations and ecosystems. Nevertheless, translocations are common practices in agri- and aquaculture. Each year, millions of wild-caught wrasses are transported large distances to be used as cleaner fish for parasite control in marine salmon farms. Recently, it was documented that translocated cleaner fish are able to escape and reproduce with local wild populations. This is especially a challenge in Norway, which is the world's largest salmon producer. Here, a panel of 84 informative SNPs was developed to identify the presence of nonlocal corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops) escapees and admixed individuals in wild populations in western Norway. Applying this panel to ~2000 individuals, escapees and hybrids were found to constitute up to 20% of the local population at the northern edge of the species' distribution. The introduction of southern genetic material at the northern edge of the species distribution range has altered the local genetic composition and could obstruct local adaptation and further range expansion. Surprisingly, in other parts of the species distribution where salmon farming is also common, few escapees and hybrids were found. Why hybridization seems to be common only in the far north is discussed in the context of demographic and transport history. However, the current lack of reporting of escapes makes it difficult to evaluate possible causes for why some aquaculture-dense areas have more escapees and hybrids than others. The results obtained in this study, and the observed high genomic divergence between the main export and import regions, puts the sustainability of mass translocation of nonlocal wild wrasse into question and suggests that the current management regime needs re-evaluation.

Genetic response to human-induced habitat changes in the marine environment: A century of evolution of European sprat in Landvikvannet, Norway.

Habitat changes represent one of the five most pervasive threats to biodiversity. However, anthropogenic activities also have the capacity to create novel niche spaces to which species respond differently. In 1880, one such habitat alterations occurred in Landvikvannet, a freshwater lake on the Norwegian coast of Skagerrak, which became brackish after being artificially connected to the sea. This lake is now home to the European sprat, a pelagic marine fish that managed to develop a self-recruiting population in barely few decades. Landvikvannet sprat proved to be genetically isolated from the three main populations described for this species; that is, Norwegian fjords, Baltic Sea, and the combination of North Sea, Kattegat, and Skagerrak. This distinctness was depicted by an accuracy self-assignment of 89% and a highly significant F ST between the lake sprat and each of the remaining samples (average of ≈0.105). The correlation between genetic and environmental variation indicated that salinity could be an important environmental driver of selection (3.3% of the 91 SNPs showed strong associations). Likewise, Isolation by Environment was detected for salinity, although not for temperature, in samples not adhering to an Isolation by Distance pattern. Neighbor-joining tree analysis suggested that the source of the lake sprat is in the Norwegian fjords, rather than in the Baltic Sea despite a similar salinity profile. Strongly drifted allele frequencies and lower genetic diversity in Landvikvannet compared with the Norwegian fjords concur with a founder effect potentially associated with local adaptation to low salinity. Genetic differentiation (F ST) between marine and brackish sprat is larger in the comparison Norway-Landvikvannet than in Norway-Baltic, which suggests that the observed divergence was achieved in Landvikvannet in some 65 generations, that is, 132 years, rather than gradually over thousands of years (the age of the Baltic Sea), thus highlighting the pace at which human-driven evolution can happen.

Genomic analysis reveals neutral and adaptive patterns that challenge the current management regime for East Atlantic cod Gadus morhua L.

Challenging long-held perceptions of fish management units can help to protect vulnerable stocks. When a fishery consisting of multiple genetic stocks is managed as a single unit, overexploitation and depletion of minor genetic units can occur. Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is an economically and ecologically important marine species across the North Atlantic. The application of new genomic resources, including SNP arrays, allows us to detect and explore novel structure within specific cod management units. In Norwegian waters, coastal cod (i.e. those not undertaking extensive migrations) are divided into two arbitrary management units defined by ICES: one between 62° and 70°N (Norwegian coastal cod; NCC) and one between 58° and 62°N (Norwegian coastal south; NCS). Together, these capture a fishery area of >25,000 km2 containing many spawning grounds. To assess whether these geographic units correctly represent genetic stocks, we analysed spawning cod of NCC and NCS for more than 8,000 SNPs along with samples of Russian White Sea cod, north-east Arctic cod (NEAC: the largest Atlantic stock), and outgroup samples representing the Irish and Faroe Sea's. Our analyses revealed large differences in spatial patterns of genetic differentiation across the genome and revealed a complex biological structure within NCC and NCS. Haplotype maps from four chromosome sets show regional specific SNP indicating a complex genetic structure. The current management plan dividing the coastal cod into only two management units does not accurately reflect the genetic units and needs to be revised. Coastal cod in Norway, while highly heterogenous, is also genetically distinct from neighbouring stocks in the north (NEAC), west (Faroe Island) and the south. The White Sea cod are highly divergent from other cod, possibly yielding support to the earlier notion of subspecies rank.

The pantophysin gene and its relationship with survival in early life stages of Atlantic cod.

Genetic markers are widely used in fisheries management around the world. While the genetic structure and markers selected are usually based on samples from the wild, very few controlled experiments have been carried out to investigate possible differences in influence on traits between markers. Here we examine the bi-allelic gene pantophysin (Pan I), widely used in the management of Atlantic cod, in a series of in vitro crosses under a range of temperatures. It has been proposed that this gene, or another tightly linked gene, may be under strong divergent selection. Resolving this issue is essential in order to interpret results when using this gene marker for stock management. We found no evidence of departure from the expected 1 : 2 : 1 Mendelian ratio for any of the three genotypes during the egg stage, while both the 6 and 12°C temperature regimes in tank experiments favoured the survival of the Pan IAA genotype. No difference in genotype survival was, however, found in a more natural mesocosm environment. Collectively, these results suggest that for the early life stages of Atlantic cod, and under the current experimental conditions, there is no strong consistent influence of Pan I genotype on survival. The results also emphasize the importance of varied experimental studies to verify the importance of environmental factors influencing genotype selection.

Disentangling the effects of sex, life history and genetic background in Atlantic salmon: growth, heart and liver under common garden conditions.

Livestock domestication has long been a part of agriculture, estimated to have first occurred approximately 10 000 years ago. Despite the plethora of traits studied, there is little understanding of the possible impacts domestication has had on internal organs, which are key determinants of survival. Moreover, the genetic basis of observed associated changes in artificial environments is still puzzling. Here we examine impacts of captivity on two organs in Atlantic salmon (Salar salar) that have been domesticated for approximately 50 years: heart and liver, in addition to growth. We studied multiple families of wild, domesticated, F1 and F2 hybrid, and backcrossed strains of S. salar in replicated common garden tanks during the freshwater and marine stages of development. Heart and liver weight were investigated, along with heart morphology metrics examined in just the wild, domesticated and F1 hybrid strains (heart height and width). Growth was positively linked with the proportion of the domesticated strain, and recombination in F2 hybrids (and the potential disruption of co-adapted gene complexes) did not influence growth. Despite the influence of domestication on growth, we found no evidence for domestication-driven divergence in heart or liver morphology. However, sexual dimorphism was detected in heart morphology, and after controlling for body size, females exhibited significantly larger heart weight and heart width when compared with males. Wild females also had an increased heart height when compared with wild males, and this was not observed in any other strain. Females sampled in saltwater showed significantly larger heart height with rounder hearts, than saltwater males. Collectively, these results demonstrate an additive basis of growth and, despite a strong influence of domestication on growth, no clear evidence of changes in heart or liver morphology associated with domestication was identified.

Development of supermale and all-male Atlantic salmon to research the vgll3 allele - puberty link.

BACKGROUND: Farmed Atlantic salmon are one of the most economically significant global aquaculture products. Early sexual maturation of farmed males represents a significant challenge to this industry and has been linked with the vgll3 genotype. However, tools to aid research of this topic, such as all-male and clonal fish, are still lacking. The present 6-year study examined if all-male production is possible in Atlantic salmon, a species with heteromorphic sex chromosomes (males being XY, females XX), and if all-male fish can be applied to further explore the vgll3 contribution on the likelihood of early maturation. RESULTS: Estrogen treatment of mixed sex yolk sac larvae gave rise to one sexually mature hermaphrodite with a male genotype (XY) that was used to produce both self-fertilized offspring and androgenetic double haploid (dh) offspring following egg activation with UV treated sperm and pressure shock to block the first mitotic division. There were YY supermales among both offspring types, which were crossed with dh females. Between 1 and 8% of the putative all-male offspring from the eight crosses with self-fertilized supermales were found to have ovaries, and 95% of these phenotypic females were also genetically female. None of the offspring from the one dh supermale cross had ovaries. When assessing the general contribution of the vgll3 locus on the likelihood of early post-smolt sexual maturation (jacking) in the all-male populations we found individuals that were homozygous for the early maturing genotype (97%) were more likely to enter puberty than individuals that were homozygous for the late maturing genotype (26%). However, the likelihood of jacking within individuals with an early/late heterozygous genotype was higher when the early allele came from the dam (94%) compared to the sire (45%). CONCLUSIONS: The present results show that supermale Atlantic salmon are viable and fertile and can be used as a research tool to study important aspects of sexual maturation, such as to further explore the sex dependent parental genetic contribution to age at puberty in Atlantic salmon. In addition, we report the production of viable double haploid supermale fish.

Genome wide analysis reveals genetic divergence between Goldsinny wrasse populations.

BACKGROUND: Marine fish populations are often characterized by high levels of gene flow and correspondingly low genetic divergence. This presents a challenge to define management units. Goldsinny wrasse (Ctenolabrus rupestris) is a heavily exploited species due to its importance as a cleaner-fish in commercial salmonid aquaculture. However, at the present, the population genetic structure of this species is still largely unresolved. Here, full-genome sequencing was used to produce the first genomic reference for this species, to study population-genomic divergence among four geographically distinct populations, and, to identify informative SNP markers for future studies. RESULTS: After construction of a de novo assembly, the genome was estimated to be highly polymorphic and of ~600Mbp in size. 33,235 SNPs were thereafter selected to assess genomic diversity and differentiation among four populations collected from Scandinavia, Scotland, and Spain. Global FST among these populations was 0.015-0.092. Approximately 4% of the investigated loci were identified as putative global outliers, and ~ 1% within Scandinavia. SNPs showing large divergence (FST > 0.15) were picked as candidate diagnostic markers for population assignment. One hundred seventy-three of the most diagnostic SNPs between the two Scandinavian populations were validated by genotyping 47 individuals from each end of the species' Scandinavian distribution range. Sixty-nine of these SNPs were significantly (p < 0.05) differentiated (mean FST_173_loci = 0.065, FST_69_loci = 0.140). Using these validated SNPs, individuals were assigned with high probability (≥ 94%) to their populations of origin. CONCLUSIONS: Goldsinny wrasse displays a highly polymorphic genome, and substantial population genomic structure. Diversifying selection likely affects population structuring globally and within Scandinavia. The diagnostic loci identified now provide a promising and cost-efficient tool to investigate goldsinny wrasse populations further.

Genetic analysis redraws the management boundaries for the European sprat.

Sustainable fisheries management requires detailed knowledge of population genetic structure. The European sprat is an important commercial fish distributed from Morocco to the Arctic circle, Baltic, Mediterranean, and Black seas. Prior to 2018, annual catch advice on sprat from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) was based on five putative stocks: (a) North Sea, (b) Kattegat-Skagerrak and Norwegian fjords, (c) Baltic Sea, (d) West of Scotland-southern Celtic Seas, and (e) English Channel. However, there were concerns that the sprat advice on stock size estimates management plan inadequately reflected the underlying biological units. Here, we used ddRAD sequencing to develop 91 SNPs that were thereafter used to genotype approximately 2,500 fish from 40 locations. Three highly distinct and relatively homogenous genetic groups were identified: (a) Norwegian fjords; (b) Northeast Atlantic including the North Sea, Kattegat-Skagerrak, Celtic Sea, and Bay of Biscay; and (c) Baltic Sea. Evidence of genetic admixture and possibly physical mixing was detected in samples collected from the transition zone between the North and Baltic seas, but not between any of the other groups. These results have already been implemented by ICES with the decision to merge the North Sea and the Kattegat-Skagerrak sprat to be assessed as a single unit, thus demonstrating that genetic data can be rapidly absorbed to align harvest regimes and biological units.

A transcriptomic analysis of diploid and triploid Atlantic salmon lenses with and without cataracts.

To avoid negative environmental impacts of escapees and potential inter-breeding with wild populations, the Atlantic salmon farming industry has and continues to extensively test triploid fish that are sterile. However, they often show differences in performance, physiology, behavior and morphology compared to diploid fish, with increased prevalence of vertebral deformities and ocular cataracts as two of the most severe disorders. Here, we investigated the mechanisms behind the higher prevalence of cataracts in triploid salmon, by comparing the transcriptional patterns in lenses of diploid and triploid Atlantic salmon, with and without cataracts. We assembled and characterized the Atlantic salmon lens transcriptome and used RNA-seq to search for the molecular basis for cataract development in triploid fish. Transcriptional screening showed only modest differences in lens mRNA levels in diploid and triploid fish, with few uniquely expressed genes. In total, there were 165 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the cataractous diploid and triploid lens. Of these, most were expressed at lower levels in triploid fish. Differential expression was observed for genes encoding proteins with known function in the retina (phototransduction) and proteins associated with repair and compensation mechanisms. The results suggest a higher susceptibility to oxidative stress in triploid lenses, and that mechanisms connected to the ability to handle damaged proteins are differentially affected in cataractous lenses from diploid and triploid salmon.

"A cleaner break": Genetic divergence between geographic groups and sympatric phenotypes revealed in ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta).

Capture and long-distance translocation of cleaner fish to control lice infestations on marine salmonid farms has the potential to influence wild populations via overexploitation in source regions, and introgression in recipient regions. Knowledge of population genetic structure is therefore required. We studied the genetic structure of ballan wrasse, a phenotypically diverse and extensively used cleaner fish, from 18 locations in Norway and Sweden, and from Galicia, Spain, using 82 SNP markers. We detected two very distinct genetic groups in Scandinavia, northwestern and southeastern. These groups were split by a stretch of sandy beaches in southwest Norway, representing a habitat discontinuity for this rocky shore associated benthic egg-laying species. Wrasse from Galicia were highly differentiated from all Scandinavian locations, but more similar to northwestern than southeastern locations. Distinct genetic differences were observed between sympatric spotty and plain phenotypes in Galicia, but not in Scandinavia. The mechanisms underlying the geographic patterns between phenotypes are discussed, but not identified. We conclude that extensive aquaculture-mediated translocation of ballan wrasse from Sweden and southern Norway to western and middle Norway has the potential to mix genetically distinct populations. These results question the sustainability of the current cleaner fish practice.