Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Khrystyna Kurta, Henrik Jeuthe, Rakan Naboulsi, Dirk-Jan de Koning, Christos Palaiokostas
Summary: This study investigated the effects of reproductive season and age on sperm quality in farmed Arctic charr and identified genomic regions related to variation in sperm quality. The findings can guide decisions on broodstock selection and hatchery management.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Fotis Pappas, Christos Palaiokostas
Summary: Animal breeding has greatly benefited from the availability of large-scale genetic information. Two cost-efficient genotyping strategies, high and low coverage, were compared in this study. High coverage genotyping performed better in genetic diversity analysis, while low coverage strategy was more successful in identifying genomic regions associated with phenotypic traits. Both strategies show potential for application in aquaculture selective breeding.
Article
Ecology
Marilena Frye, Torvald B. Egeland, Jarle Tryti Nordeide, Ivar Folstad
Summary: The study found that cannibalistic behavior occurred in nearly 50% of Arctic charr spawning events, with the highest number of fish cannibalizing on eggs in multiple spawning events. The number of males releasing milt and the density of fish at the spawning site were positively correlated with egg cannibalism. Despite some instances of partial filial cannibalism, protective behavior towards eggs was observed in dominant males and females, indicating that charr exhibit parental care.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Torvald Blikra Egeland, Einar Skarstad Egeland, Jarle Tryti Nordeide
Summary: Females in mutually ornamented species are often less conspicuously ornamented than their male conspecifics. An experiment conducted on wild Arctic charr found no evidence to support the hypothesis that females investing less in ornaments would result in decreased offspring quality until hatching.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Sergey S. Alekseyev, Natalia Gordeeva, Vitalii P. Samusenok, Anatolii L. Yur'ev, Nikolai B. Korostelev, Stepan Taranyuk, Arkadii N. Matveev
Summary: Our study presents a case of fast and profound eco-morphological and genetic divergence between two allopatric populations of Arctic charr. Despite low variability at microsatellite loci, the populations show considerable differentiation in allele composition. However, they share the same mtDNA control region haplotype, indicating a common origin.
Article
Fisheries
Albert K. D. Imsland, Aoalheiour Olafsdottir, Jon Arnason, Arnpor Gustavsson, Helgi Thorarensen, Snorri Gunnarsson
Summary: This study explored the impact of different and progressively changing rearing temperatures on the sensory quality of Arctic charr fillets, showing that lower rearing temperatures lead to increased freshness characteristics and color intensity, as well as improved softness and juiciness in the fillets. The final rearing temperature appeared to have a greater influence on sensory attributes than the initial temperature.
AQUACULTURE RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Khrystyna Kurta, Henrik Jeuthe, Dirk Jan de Koning, Christos Palaiokostas
Summary: Arctic charr is a high-value species for Nordic aquaculture, but the variable reproductive performance in commercial farms hinders its industry expansion in Sweden. Traits related to sperm motility and concentration play a crucial role in male fertility and could be improved through selective breeding practices. The study found that the recorded sperm quality traits are heritable and could be predicted efficiently using genomic information.
AQUACULTURE REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Christian Beuvard, Albert K. D. Imsland, Helgi Thorarensen
Summary: In this experiment, the effect of temperature on the survival, growth rate, metabolism, and physiological indices of juvenile Arctic charr in Iceland was examined. The results showed that high temperatures resulted in decreased survival and growth rate, reduced feed intake, and increased stress on the cardiovascular system. However, growth rate was not limited by temperature at lower temperatures.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Bernard-Antonin Dupont-Cyr, Nathalie R. Le Francois, Felix Christen, Veronique Desrosiers, Arianne Savoie, Grant W. Vandenberg, France Dufresne, Pierre U. Blier
Summary: This study showed that linseed oil can replace fish oil in charr diets without significant impacts on growth, feed utilization, or muscle lipid and protein content. The muscle fatty acid profile was mainly influenced by feed content, and hybridization between closely related species did not affect key enzyme expression.
AQUACULTURE REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Alla G. Oleinik, Andrey D. Kukhlevsky, Lubov A. Skurikhina
Summary: The complete mitochondrial genomes of two individuals of charr Salvelinus alpinus erythrinus from Arctic Canada were studied. The results show a low difference between the two genomes, indicating the phylogenetic closeness of S. alpinus erythrinus and Salvelinus sp. 4 from Lake Nachikinskoe, Kamchatka, and their common ancestry.
MITOCHONDRIAL DNA PART B-RESOURCES
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Sigthora Brynja Kristjansdottir, Heiddis Smaradottir, Rannveig Bjornsdottir
Summary: A novel vaccine against atypical furunculosis caused by Aeromonas salmonicida ssp. achromogenes in Arctic charr was developed, demonstrating significantly higher antibody titers and lower fish mortality compared to a commercially available vaccine.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Christos Palaiokostas, Anam Anjum, Henrik Jeuthe, Khrystyna Kurta, Fernando Lopes Pinto, Dirk Jan de Koning
Summary: Routine implementation of genomic information for guiding selection is not common in most aquaculture species. In the study, ddRAD-seq was used on an Arctic charr strain with a long history of selection, revealing low genetic differentiation and potential genetic regions affecting body length and age of sexual maturation.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tony Kess, J. Brian Dempson, Sarah J. Lehnert, Kara K. S. Layton, Anthony Einfeldt, Paul Bentzen, Sarah J. Salisbury, Amber M. Messmer, Steven Duffy, Daniel E. Ruzzante, Cameron M. Nugent, Moira M. Ferguson, Jong S. Leong, Ben F. Koop, Michael F. O'Connell, Ian R. Bradbury
Summary: The study on Arctic Charr in Gander Lake, Newfoundland, Canada, revealed genetic divergence between deep-water and shallow-water morphs, with genes involved in gene expression, DNA repair, cardiac function, and membrane transport being highlighted as key factors in adaptation to extreme deep-water environments.
Article
Fisheries
Christos Palaiokostas, Daniyal Gohar, Khrystyna Kurta, Henrik Jeuthe, Mohammad Bahram
Summary: Limited knowledge exists on the microbiome in gamete-related samples in fish. This study used metabarcoding to explore the microbiome structure in ovarian fluid and milt from farmed Arctic charr. The ovarian fluid showed higher microbial diversity compared to the milt, and there was a significant association between the Shannon diversity index and sperm motility-related traits.
Article
Fisheries
Henrik Jeuthe, Christos Palaiokostas, Anders Johannisson
Summary: The paternal factor in Arctic charr broodstock is more closely related to embryo survival than fertilization rates, with high levels of DNA fragmentation in sperm but good membrane integrity. Fertilization rates and proportion of eyed eggs show variation and correlation, but the main loss is due to embryo mortality. DNA fragmentation and membrane integrity in sperm did not show correlation with the resulting reproductive outcome of Arctic charr sires.
Article
Ecology
Sarah J. Salisbury, Gregory R. McCracken, Robert Perry, Donald Keefe, Kara K. S. Layton, Tony Kess, Cameron M. Nugent, Jong S. Leong, Ian R. Bradbury, Ben F. Koop, Moira M. Ferguson, Daniel E. Ruzzante
Summary: The genetic consequences associated with the loss of migratory capacity of landlocked diadromous fishes in freshwater are not well understood. Selective pressures in freshwater residency can lead to differentiation between landlocked and anadromous populations, as well as within landlocked populations. However, genetic drift in isolated landlocked populations may limit consistent adaptation. Understanding the genetic parallelism can have implications for evolution and management practices.
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Tricia L. Rubi, Alana G. McPherson, Niloufar Mokariasl, Ben F. Koop, Briony Campbell, John S. Taylor
Summary: The study on brood stock selection in Golden Eagle Sablefish hatchery shows potential for enhancing early survival rates. Analysis of a 2019 hatchery cohort revealed significant variations in productivity at both individual and family levels, with few breeding individuals contributing to the majority of offspring.
AQUACULTURE RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Quentin Rougemont, Amanda Xuereb, Xavier Dallaire, Jean-Sebastien Moore, Eric Normandeau, Eric B. Rondeau, Ruth E. Withler, Donald M. Van Doornik, Penelope A. Crane, Kerry A. Naish, John Carlos Garza, Terry D. Beacham, Ben F. Koop, Louis Bernatchez
Summary: This study investigated the genomic basis of local adaptation in Coho salmon across North America and found that migration distance is the primary selective factor. Several candidate genetic variations associated with long-distance migration and altitude were also identified.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Jay Joshi, Anne-Marie Flores, Kris A. Christensen, Hollie Johnson, Ahmed Siah, Ben F. Koop
Summary: This study used long-read sequencing technology to update the genome assemblies of Atlantic and Pacific salmon lice, and identified unique genomic features of their sex chromosomes. Moreover, conserved orthologous protein sequences were found between the W- and Z-chromosomes.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Carlo A. Biagi, Rosalind A. Leggatt, Dionne Sakhrani, Mike Wetklo, Wendy E. Vandersteen, Kris A. Christensen, Eric B. Rondeau, Breanna M. Watson, Kyle W. Wellband, Ben F. Koop, Ruth E. Withler, Robert H. Devlin
Summary: Doubled haploid gynogens are individuals with two identical maternal chromosome sets and no paternal genetic contributions. They are useful in whole-genome sequence assembly to eliminate allelic variation. This study successfully determined the timing for producing doubled haploid gynogens in multiple salmonid species and assessed their survival rate and genotypes.
NORTH AMERICAN JOURNAL OF AQUACULTURE
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Amanda Xuereb, Quentin Rougemont, Xavier Dallaire, Jean-Sebastien Moore, Eric Normandeau, Berenice Bougas, Alysse Perreault-Payette, Ben F. Koop, Ruth Withler, Terry Beacham, Louis Bernatchez
Summary: This study evaluated the current conservation units (CUs) for Coho salmon in Canada using a large genomic dataset and compared patterns of genetic variation using neutral and outlier loci. The results suggest that the current CU boundaries are generally appropriate, but there may be a need for refinement in certain areas.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Eric B. Rondeau, Kris A. Christensen, David R. Minkley, Jong S. Leong, Michelle T. T. Chan, Cody A. Despins, Anita Mueller, Dionne Sakhrani, Carlo A. Biagi, Quentin Rougemont, Eric Normandeau, Steven J. M. Jones, Robert H. Devlin, Ruth E. Withler, Terry D. Beacham, Kerry A. Naish, Jose M. Yanez, Roberto Neira, Louis Bernatchez, William S. Davidson, Ben F. Koop
Summary: The coho salmon populations in North America have significantly declined, and analysis of genomic data suggests bottleneck events after glacial retreat as a possible cause. A chromosome-level genome assembly and genome resequencing of 83 coho salmon were performed to aid in stock management and conservation efforts.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Peter T. Euclide, Wesley A. Larson, Yue Shi, Kristen Gruenthal, Kris A. Christensen, Jim Seeb, Lisa Seeb
Summary: This study used whole genome resequencing to identify 64 islands of divergence in sockeye salmon, with 16 clustered in four genomic regions shared by two isolated populations. These islands were created by a variety of mechanisms, including structural and non-structural variation. The differentiation at these islands did not consistently correlate with established population attributes.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Eric B. Rondeau, Kris A. Christensen, Hollie A. Johnson, Dionne Sakhrani, Carlo A. Biagi, Mike Wetklo, Cody A. Despins, Rosalind A. Leggatt, David R. Minkley, Ruth E. Withler, Terry D. Beacham, Ben F. Koop, Robert H. Devlin
Summary: Chum salmon genome was sequenced and assembled using Oxford Nanopore and Flye software. Genome assembly was characterized by resequencing 59 chum salmon from hatchery sources. Genes involved in immune system and toxin response were found to be enriched in regions collapsed due to duplicated chromosomes from ancient genome duplication.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Anne-Marie Flores, Kris A. Christensen, Briony Campbell, Ben F. Koop, John S. Taylor
Summary: Sablefish, a type of cod, is found in coastal regions of the Pacific Ocean and has been subjected to a declining trend in stock biomass and landings since 2010. The genetic variation in growth rate, disease resistance, and survival among sablefish individuals and cohorts is not well understood. This study provides a comprehensive genome assembly of sablefish, which can be utilized for SNP-based surveys and management of both aquaculture and wild fishery.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Morgan D. Hocking, Jeffrey C. MacAdams, Michael J. Allison, Lauren C. Bergman, Robert Sneiderman, Ben F. Koop, Brian M. Starzomski, Mary L. Lesperance, Caren C. Helbing
Summary: A current challenge in environmental DNA (eDNA) applications is accounting for environmental background in surveys. This study conducted two controlled experiments using a coho salmon eDNA assay, demonstrating a novel method to detect target species eDNA in the presence of background and providing a statistically robust assessment for eDNA surveys.