Significant differences in maternal carotenoid provisioning and effects on offspring fitness in Chinook salmon colour morphs

Authors

Sarah J. Lehnert, University of Windsor
Kyle A. Garver
Jon Richard
Robert H. Devlin
Celine Lajoie, University of Windsor
Trevor E. Pitcher, University of Windsor
Daniel D. Heath, University of Windsor

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2018

Publication Title

Journal of Evolutionary Biology

Volume

31

Issue

12

First Page

1876

Keywords

carotenoid pigmentation; common garden; gene expression; genetic polymorphisms; infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus.

Last Page

1893

Abstract

In oviparous species, maternal carotenoid provisioning can deliver diverse fitness benefits to offspring via increased survival, growth and immune function. Despite demonstrated advantages of carotenoids, large intra- and interspecific variation in carotenoid utilization exists, suggesting trade-offs associated with carotenoids. In Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), extreme variation in carotenoid utilization delineates two colour morphs (red and white) that differ genetically in their ability to deposit carotenoids into tissues. Here, we take advantage of this natural variation to examine how large differences in maternal carotenoid provisioning influence offspring fitness. Using a full factorial breeding design crossing morphs and common-garden rearing, we measured differences in a suite of fitnessrelated traits, including survival, growth, viral susceptibility and host response, in offspring of red (carotenoid-rich eggs) and white (carotenoidpoor eggs) females. Eggs of red females had significantly higher carotenoid content than those of white females (69 more); however, this did not translate into measurable differences in offspring fitness. Given that white Chinook salmon may have evolved to counteract their maternal carotenoid deficiency, we also examined the relationship between egg carotenoid content and offspring fitness within each morph separately. Egg carotenoids only had a positive effect within the red morph on survival to eyed-egg (earliest measured trait), but not within the white morph. Although previous work shows that white females benefit from reduced egg predation, our study also supports a hypothesis that white Chinook salmon have evolved additional mechanisms to improve egg survival despite low carotenoids, providing novel insight into evolutionary mechanisms that maintain this stable polymorphism.

DOI

10.1111/jeb.13383

Recommended Citation

Lehnert, Sarah J.; Garver, Kyle A.; Richard, Jon; Devlin, Robert H.; Lajoie, Celine; Pitcher, Trevor E.; and Heath, Daniel D.. (2018). Significant differences in maternal carotenoid provisioning and effects on offspring fitness in Chinook salmon colour morphs. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 31 (12), 1876-1893.
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/glierpub/197