Genetics Helps Understand Brown Trout Diversity
Ann Arbor, MI — Although historic records trace Michigan brown trout back to Germany, it now appears their ancestors were a mix from several northern European regions.
The first introduction of brown trout in the US was in 1890 in the Pere Marquette River. Since then, they have become a very popular sport fish and have been introduced across much of the US. But not all brown trout survive equally well in every stream. This is partly due to the fact that streams are ecologically different, but it may also be the case because brown trout are genetically different. The genetic differences in Michigan browns may be directly related to their European ancestry.
"Initially, we simply wanted to know if there were genetic differences in Michigan brown trout hatchery strains," said Alexey Nikitin, a Biology professor at Grand Valley State University.
What they found was that hatchery strains had a relatively distinct genetic signature.
"The genetic signature observed for individual strains has great information value for fisheries biology," Nikitin noted. "This will make it much easier for fishery managers to track the success of different strains in different habitats."
Ultimately, the Grand Valley research group would like to determine which strain is best adapted for a particular set of environmental conditions.
"Knowing the European regions that were the source of Michigan brown trout will help us understand what conditions their ancestors were adapted to survive in," Nikitin said. This would help fishery managers predict which strain has the best chance to survive in a particular Michigan stream.
Original Publication Information
Results of this study, "Genetic variation at the mtDNA ND-1 locus among North American wild and hatchery brown trout (Salmo trutta)," are reported by Shelby Johnson, Mark Luttenton, and Alexey Nikitin in the latest issue (Volume 35, No. 1, pp. 163-167) of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, published by Elsevier, 2009.
Contacts
For more information about the study, contact Alexey Nikitin, Biology Department, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI 49401, nikitin@gvsu.edu, (616) 331-2505.
For information about the Journal of Great Lakes Research, contact Marlene Evans, Editor, National Water Research Institute, 11 Innovation Boulevard, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 3H5, Canada; editor@iaglr.org; (608) 692-1076.
Since 1967, IAGLR has served as the focal point for compiling and disseminating multidisciplinary knowledge on North America's Laurentian Great Lakes and other large lakes of the world and their watersheds. In part, IAGLR communicates this knowledge through publication of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, available to members in print and electronic form. A searchable archive of the journal is available online and includes the abstracts of articles from the journal's inception in 1975 through the most recent issue. In addition, complete articles are available to members who have signed up for an electronic subscription.