Premium
Fine‐spotted brown trout: genetic aspects and the need for conservation
Author(s) -
Skaala Ø.,
Jørstad K. E.,
Borgstrøm R.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1991.tb05076.x
Subject(s) - biology , brown trout , trout , population , threatened species , zoology , mendelian inheritance , ecology , fishery , fish <actinopterygii> , genetics , habitat , demography , sociology , gene
In Lake Svartavasstjønn on the Hardangervidda plateau, a fine‐spotted variant of brown trout has been found. The spotted variability shows a classical Mendelian mode of inheritance. In this population genetic variability was found in LDH‐5 *, MDH‐3 * and MDH‐3 *. The fast allele at LDH‐5 * had a frequency of 0,913. This is remarkable, as this allele has been found in frequencies above 0.4 in only five out of 50 investigated populations in Norway. The genetic characteristics of brown trout from Lake Svartavasstjønn were compared with 11 other populations sampled from a broad geographical area of Norway. Among these was Lake Setningen, where fine‐spotted individuals occur at low frequency. Using a cluster analysis based on eight loci found to be polymorphic in brown trout, we found no indication of a close relationship between the fine‐spotted brown trout from Lake Svartavasstjønn and the population in Lake Setningen. During a field survey in 1990 we found that the reproduction of fine‐spotted trout in Lake Svartavasstjønn had terminated. The fine‐spotted trout represents a valuable but threatened genetic resource, and attempts are carried out to conserve it.