Life History Variation of Polymorphic Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus) in Thingvallavatn, Iceland

1988 ◽  
Vol 45 (9) ◽  
pp. 1537-1547 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Jonsson ◽  
S. Skúlason ◽  
S. S. Snorrason ◽  
O. T. Sandlund ◽  
H. J. Malmquist ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Salvelinus Alpinus ◽  
Arctic Charr ◽  
Gonadosomatic Index ◽  
Fork Length ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Initial Growth ◽  
Life History Variation ◽  
Feeding Habitat ◽  
Spawning Time

The Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) in Thingvallavatn, Iceland, exhibits four morphs. Small benthivorous charr grow slowly, have an asymptotic length of 13 cm, and mature at an age of 2–4 yr. Large benthivorous charr grow faster and almost rectilinearly with age. They mature at an age of 3–11 yr. Planktivorous and piscivorous charr have even higher initial growth rate, but planktivorous charr cease growing at 20 cm and piscivorous charr at a fork length of 30 cm. They mature at 3–5 yr and 5–10 yr of age, respectively. The gonadosomatic index and the annual allocation of energy into gonads relative to soma were higher for planktivorous and piscivorous than for benthivorous charr. The results indicate that piscivorous and planktivorous charr belong to the same gene pool; piscivorous charr are probably recruited from the most fast-growing planktivorous individuals and start feeding on fish at a length of 23 cm. The benthivorous morphs may belong to different stocks due to significant differences in several life history variables as well as genetics, spawning time, and feeding habitat. The four morphs seem to be differentiated within the lake through trophic radiation, but should be considered as conspecifics.

Migration and life history variation in Arctic charr,Salvelinus alpinus

Ecoscience ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross F. Tallman ◽  
Fernand Saurette ◽  
Trevor Thera
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Salvelinus Alpinus ◽  
Arctic Charr ◽  
Life History Variation

scholarly journals “And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into thee”: four morphs of Arctic charr adapting to a depth-gradient in Lake Tinnsjøen

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kjartan Østbye ◽  
Marius Hagen Hassve ◽  
Ana-Maria Tamayo Peris ◽  
Mari Hagenlund ◽  
Thomas Vogler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Reproductive Isolation ◽  
Adaptive Radiation ◽  
Arctic Charr ◽  
River System ◽  
Ecological Speciation ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Life History Trait ◽  
Life History Variation ◽  
Microsatellite Variation

AbstractBackgroundThe origin of species is a central topic in biology aiming at understanding mechanisms, level and rate of diversification. Ecological speciation is an important driver in adaptive radiation during post-glacial intra-lacustrine niche diversification in fishes. The Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus L. species complex in the Northern hemisphere freshwater systems display huge morphological and life history divergence in lakes with one or several morphs present, thus offering a unique opportunity to address ongoing speciation mechanisms.We studied Arctic charr in Lake Tinnsjøen by fishing in four nominal lake habitats (pelagial, littoral, shallow-moderate profundal, and deep-profundal habitats) down to 350 meters depth. Research topics addressed were; (1) to illuminate Holarctic phylogeography and lineages colonizing Lake Tinnsjøen, (2) to estimate reproductive isolation of morphs or fish using unbiased methods, and (3) to document eco-morphological and life history trait divergence. Also, we compared Lake Tinnsjøen with four Norwegian outgroup populations of Arctic charr.ResultsFour field-assigned morphs were identified in Lake Tinnsjøen; the planktivore morph in all habitats except deep-profundal, the dwarf morph in shallow-moderate profundal, the piscivore morph in shallow-moderate profundal (less in littoral and deep-profundal), and an undescribed new morph – the abyssal morph in the deep-profundal only. The morphs displayed extensive life history variation based on age and size patterns. A moderate to high concordance was observed between field-assigned morphs and four unbiased genetic clusters obtained from microsatellite variation. MtDNA suggested the occurrence of two minor endemic clades in Lake Tinnsjøen likely originating from one widespread colonizing clade in the Holarctic. All morphs were genetically differentiated at microsatellites (FST: 0.12-0.20; with some ongoing gene flow among morphs, and for most mtDNA comparisons (FST: 0.04-0.38). Analyses of Norwegian outgroup lakes implied colonization from a river system below Lake Tinnsjøen.ConclusionOur findings suggest post-glacial adaptive radiation of one colonizing mtDNA lineage with divergent niche specialization along a depth-temperature-productivity-pressure gradient. Concordance between reproductive isolation and the realized habitat of the morphs imply that ecological speciation may be the mechanism of divergence. Particularly novel is the extensive morph diversification with depth into the often unexplored deep-water profundal habitat, suggesting we may have systematically underestimated biodiversity present in lakes.

Life history of anadromous arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus, in the Fraser River, northern Labrador

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 315-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. Dempson ◽  
J. M. Green
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Salvelinus Alpinus ◽  
Arctic Charr ◽  
Fork Length ◽  
Fraser River ◽  
Large Variability ◽  
Anadromous Arctic Charr ◽  
North American Arctic ◽  
History Of ◽  
Length Variable

Upstream migrations of anadromous Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus, were monitored in the Fraser River, Labrador. Samples of charr were randomly obtained from 1975 to 1979 for biological analysis of age, growth, reproductive, and migratory characteristics. The run begins in mid-July and extends until late September. Larger charr tend to enter the river first with a progressive decrease in mean length throughout the run. Size and age composition of migrant charr range from 13 to 82 cm ([Formula: see text], 45.1 ± 7.3) and from 3 to 18 years (8.3 ± 1.7), respectively. Spawning activity peaks during the last 2 weeks in October. Fecundity of fish 41–61 cm in fork length ranged from 2316 to 9245 eggs (4665 ± 434) with approximately 75% of females mature by 8 years of age. There was no evidence from tag recaptures over an 8-year period (1976–1983; N = 241) that Fraser River charr undergo extensive marine migrations. Approximately 84% of the recaptures were from fish which either returned to the Fraser River or were caught in commercial and domestic fisheries in adjacent Nain and Tikkoatokak bays. In comparison with other North American Arctic charr populations, Fraser River charr are similar with respect to the large variability observed in age at length, variable maturation cycle, and preponderance of females at sea during the summer. Differences, however, occur among individual life history characteristics such as growth rate, size and age at first seaward migration, size and age at maturity, fecundity, and movements at sea.

Does the Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) exhibit a seasonal change in seawater tolerance?

Aquaculture ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 82 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 383-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bengt Finstad ◽  
Kjell J. Nilssen ◽  
Arne M. Arnesen
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Change ◽  
Salvelinus Alpinus ◽  
Arctic Charr ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Seawater Tolerance

REGULAR ARTICLES / ARTICLES RÉGULIERS Whether to reproduce or not: immune suppression and costs of parasites during reproduction in the Arctic charr

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 271-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frode Skarstein ◽  
Ivar Folstad ◽  
Ståle Liljedal
Keyword(s):  
Immune Suppression ◽  
Salvelinus Alpinus ◽  
Arctic Charr ◽  
Indirect Evidence ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Parasitic Infections ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Parasite Infections ◽  
Gamete Production ◽  
The Difference

Secondary sexual characters are assumed to be costly to develop, and the costs of parasite infections and immune suppression are currently an active area of research within sexual selection. We investigated differences in parasitic infections and immunological activity between reproductively active and inactive Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus). Spawning fish were found to have higher intensities of macroparasite infections than nonspawning or resting fish. The difference in intensity between spawning and resting fish was only observed in males, and can be explained by differences in exposure or susceptibility to parasites. However, there is indirect evidence that the difference in parasite intensities does not stem from varying exposure originating from group differences in consumption of carotenoid-containing intermediate hosts. We show, rather, that spawning males may be more susceptible, since they have a smaller spleen, which is an important lymphocyte-producing organ, than resting males. As these costs of spawning are found predominantly among males, they are unlikely to be the result of energetic investment in gamete production, as gamete production in general is thought to be more energetically demanding in females than in males. Rather, we suggest that the observed costs of reproduction result from immune suppression related to ornamental development and spermatogenesis.

Influence of nutritional status on biomarker responses to PCB in the Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus)

1999 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 233-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Even H Jørgensen ◽  
Bjørn E Bye ◽  
Malcolm Jobling
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Salvelinus Alpinus ◽  
Arctic Charr ◽  
The Arctic
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