Interacting effects of identity, size, and winter severity determine temporal consistency of offspring phenotype

Offspring size can strongly influence offspring fitness; however, the importance of female identity to offspring size determination is poorly understood, despite the potential for identity effects to drive offspring size adaptation and population dynamics. We tracked reproductive investment (skein m...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCanadian journal of fisheries and aquatic sciences Vol. 75; no. 8; pp. 1337 - 1345
Main Authors Feiner, Zachary S, Malinich, Timothy D, Höök, Tomas O
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Ottawa NRC Research Press 01.08.2018
Canadian Science Publishing NRC Research Press
Subjects
Adaptation
Case studies
Density
Environmental changes
Environmental effects
Females
Fish eggs
Fitness
Freshwater
Influence
Observations
Offspring
Perca flavescens
Phenotypes
Population dynamics
Populations
Reproduction
Size determination
Spawning
Survival
Variation
Winter
Yellow perch
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Summary:Offspring size can strongly influence offspring fitness; however, the importance of female identity to offspring size determination is poorly understood, despite the potential for identity effects to drive offspring size adaptation and population dynamics. We tracked reproductive investment (skein mass) and mean egg diameter, mass, and density produced by individual female yellow perch (Perca flavescens) over four spawning years to determine the influences of maternal identity, size, and winter severity to reproductive trait variation. Individual identity significantly influenced egg diameter and mass, but did not affect egg density or skein mass. All egg traits were negatively influenced by winter severity prior to spawning, and egg mass and diameter were also negatively related to maternal size. Our results suggest that individual effects can comprise a large amount of the intrapopulation variation in reproductive traits in populations, which may be unaccounted for in studies examining only environmental or phenotypic effects. Accounting for potential identity effects would likely improve our understanding of constraints on offspring size plasticity and potential responses of offspring size in populations experiencing environmental change.
ISSN:0706-652X
1205-7533
DOI:10.1139/cjfas-2017-0220