Strong habitat and weak genetic effects shape the lifetime reproductive success in a wild clownfish population

• Published in: Ecology letters Vol. 23; no. 2; pp. 265 - 273
• Main Authors: Salles, Océane C., Almany, Glenn R., Berumen, Michael L., Jones, Geoffrey P., Saenz‐Agudelo, Pablo, Srinivasan, Maya, Thorrold, Simon R., Pujol, Benoit, Planes, Serge, Coulson, Tim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.02.2020
• Subjects: Adaptation; additive genetic variation; Amphiprion percula; Animal reproduction; Breeding success; Ecosystem; Environmental changes; environmental effects; evolvability; Genetic effects; Genetic factors; Genetic Variation; Geographical locations; Habitat changes; Habitats; Heritability; maternal effects; multi‐generational pedigree; Pedigree; Population; Quantitative genetics; Reproduction; reproductive success; selection; Shape effects; Species; statistical models; evolvability; selection; maternal effects; multi-generational pedigree; additive genetic variation; environmental effects; Adaptation; heritability
• ISSN: 1461-023X; 1461-0248; 1461-0248
• DOI: 10.1111/ele.13428

The relative contributions of environmental, maternal and additive genetic factors to the Lifetime reproductive success (LRS) determine whether species can adapt to rapid environmental change. Yet to date, studies quantifying LRS across multiple generations in marine species in the wild are non‐existent. Here we used 10‐year pedigrees resolved for a wild orange clownfish population from Kimbe Island (PNG) and a quantitative genetic linear mixed model approach to quantify the additive genetic, maternal and environmental contributions to variation in LRS for the self‐recruiting portion of the population. We found that the habitat of the breeder, including the anemone species and geographic location, made the greatest contribution to LRS. There were low to negligible contributions of genetic and maternal factors equating with low heritability and evolvability. Our findings imply that our population will be susceptible to short‐term, small‐scale changes in habitat structure and may have limited capacity to adapt to these changes. In the wild orange clownfish population from Kimbe Island (PNG), a 10 years survey combined to quantitative genetic analyses revealed that the habitat of the breeder, including the anemone species and geographic location, made the greatest contribution to the reproductive success for the self‐recruiting portion of the population. There were low to negligible contributions of genetic and maternal factors equating with low heritability and evolvability, which implies that our population will be susceptible to short‐term, small‐scale changes in habitat structure and may have limited capacity to adapt to these changes.