0000000001306848

AUTHOR

Ellika Faust

Not that clean: Aquaculture-mediated translocation of cleaner fish has led to hybridization on the northern edge of the species' range

Translocation and introduction of non-native organisms can have major impacts on local populations and ecosystems. Nevertheless, translocations are common practices in agri- and aquaculture. Each year, millions of wild-caught wrasses are transported large distances to be used as cleaner fish for parasite control in marine salmon farms. Recently, it was documented that translocated cleaner fish are able to escape and reproduce with local wild populations. This is especially a challenge in Norway, which is the world's largest salmon producer. Here, a panel of 84 informative SNPs was developed to identify the presence of nonlocal corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops) escapees and admixed individu…

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Cleaner fish escape salmon farms and hybridize with local wrasse populations

The genetic impact of farmed fish escaping aquaculture is a highly debated issue. However, non-target species, such as cleaner fish used to remove sea lice from farmed fish, are rarely considered. Here, we report that wild corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops), which are transported long distances to be used as cleaner fish in salmon farms, escape and hybridize with local populations. Recently, increasing numbers of corkwing wrasse have been reported in Flatanger in Norway, north of its described distribution range, an area heavily relying on the import of cleaner fish from Skagerrak. Using genetic markers identified with 2bRAD sequencing, we show that, although the Flatanger population largel…

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Electronic Supplementary Material S1-S6 from Cleaner fish escape salmon farms and hybridize with local wrasse populations

File contains sample information, mds of identiy by missingness, accuracy and efficiency estimates, pairwise Fst table and comparison of K between STRUCTURE runs.

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“A cleaner break”: Genetic divergence between geographic groups and sympatric phenotypes revealed in ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta)

Abstract Capture and long‐distance translocation of cleaner fish to control lice infestations on marine salmonid farms has the potential to influence wild populations via overexploitation in source regions, and introgression in recipient regions. Knowledge of population genetic structure is therefore required. We studied the genetic structure of ballan wrasse, a phenotypically diverse and extensively used cleaner fish, from 18 locations in Norway and Sweden, and from Galicia, Spain, using 82 SNP markers. We detected two very distinct genetic groups in Scandinavia, northwestern and southeastern. These groups were split by a stretch of sandy beaches in southwest Norway, representing a habitat…

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Data from: “A cleaner break”: genetic divergence between geographic groups and sympatric phenotypes revealed in ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta)

Capture and long-distance translocation of cleaner fish to control lice infestations on marine salmonid farms has the potential to influence wild populations via overexploitation in source regions, and introgression in recipient regions. Knowledge of population genetic structure is therefore required. We studied the genetics of ballan wrasse, a phenotypically diverse and extensively used cleaner fish, from 18 locations in Norway and Sweden, and from Galicia, Spain. We detected two very distinct genetic groups in Scandinavia, northwest and southeast. These groups were split by a stretch of sandy beaches in southwest Norway, representing a habitat discontinuity for this rocky shore associated…

research product

Data from: Cleaner fish escape salmon farms and hybridize with local wrasse populations

The genetic impact of farmed fish escaping aquaculture is a highly debated issue. However, non-target species, such as cleaner fish used to remove sea lice from farmed fish, are rarely considered. Here we report that wild corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops), which are transported long distances to be used as cleaner fish in salmon farms, escape and hybridize with local populations. Recently, increasing numbers of corkwing wrasse have been reported in Flatanger in Norway, north of its described distribution range, an area heavily relying on import of cleaner fish from Skagerrak. Using genetic markers identified with 2bRAD sequencing, we show that, although the Flatanger population largely is …

research product