Asymmetric hybridization and introgression between pink salmon and chinook salmon in the Laurentian Great Lakes

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society
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Abstract

Among Pacific salmon collected in the St. Marys River, five natural hybrids of pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha and chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and one suspected backcross have been detected using morphologic, meristic, and color evidence. One allozyme (LDH, l-lactate dehydrogenase from muscle) and one nuclear DNA locus (growth hormone) for which species-specific fixed differences exist were analyzed to detect additional hybrids and to determine if introgression had occurred. Restriction fragment length polymorphism of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was used to identify the maternal parent of each hybrid. Evidence of introgression was found among the five previously identified hybrids. All hybrid specimens had chinook salmon mtDNA, indicating that hybridization between chinook salmon and pink salmon in the St. Marys River is asymmetric and perhaps unidirectional. Ecological, physiological, and sexual selection forces may contribute to this asymmetric hybridization. Introgression between these highly differentiated species has implications for management, systematics, and conservation of Pacific salmon.
Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Asymmetric hybridization and introgression between pink salmon and chinook salmon in the Laurentian Great Lakes
Series title Transactions of the American Fisheries Society
DOI 10.1577/1548-8659(2000)129<0670:AHAIBP>2.3.CO;2
Volume 129
Issue 3
Year Published 2000
Language English
Publisher Taylor & Francis
Publisher location London, UK
Contributing office(s) Great Lakes Science Center
Description 9 p.
Larger Work Type Article
Larger Work Subtype Journal Article
Larger Work Title Transactions of the American Fisheries Society
First page 670
Last page 679
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