Dispersal strategies, secondary range expansion and invasion genetics of the nonindigenous round goby, Neogobius melanostomus, in Great Lakes tributaries
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2011
Publication Title
Molecular Ecology
Volume
20
Issue
9
First Page
1845
Last Page
1859
Abstract
Dispersal strategies are important mechanisms underlying the spatial distribution and colonizing ability of all mobile species. In the current study, we use highly polymorphic microsatellite markers to evaluate local dispersal and colonization dynamics of the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), an aquatic invader expanding its range from lake to river environments in its introduced North American range. Genetic structure, genotype assignment and genetic diversity were compared among 1262 round gobies from 20 river and four lake sites in three Great Lakes tributaries. Our results indicate that a combination of short-distance diffusion and long-distance dispersal, collectively referred to as 'stratified dispersal', is facilitating river colonization. Colonization proceeded upstream yearly (approximately 500 m/year; 2005-2009) in one of two temporal replicates while genetic structure was temporally stable. Contiguous dispersal from the lake was observed in all three rivers with a substantial portion of river fish (7.3%) identified as migrants. Genotype assignment indicated a separate introduction occurred upstream of the invasion front in one river. Genetic diversity was similar and relatively high among lake and recently colonized river populations, indicating that founder effects are mitigated through a dual-dispersal strategy. The remarkable success of round goby as an aquatic invader stresses the need for better diffusion models of secondary range expansion for presumably sessile invasive species.
DOI
10.1111/j.1365-294X.2011.05030.x
Recommended Citation
Bronnenhuber, Jennifer E.; Dufour, Brad A.; Higgs, Dennis M.; and Heath, Daniel D.. (2011). Dispersal strategies, secondary range expansion and invasion genetics of the nonindigenous round goby, Neogobius melanostomus, in Great Lakes tributaries. Molecular Ecology, 20 (9), 1845-1859.
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/glierpub/71
Comments
This is an accepted manuscript version of an article whose version of record was published in:Molecular Ecology: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2011.05030.x