Genetic History of Walleyes Spawning in Lake Erie's Cattaraugus Creek: a Comparison of Pre‐ and Poststocking

Abstract

AbstractFish stocking (artificial supplementation) has been used to augment populations and angling opportunities. However, genetic composition and adaptations of native fish populations may be affected, raising management concerns. From 1995 to 2000, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation stocked Walleye Sander vitreus fry and fingerlings from the Maumee River (western Lake Erie) into Cattaraugus Creek (eastern Lake Erie). We analyzed nuclear microsatellite (sat) DNA and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation in Cattaraugus Creek Walleyes for comparisons between prestocking and poststocking groups, among annual spawning runs (1998–2011), among age cohorts, and between sexes. Results for genetic differentiation (index FST) were not significant between prestocking and poststocking groups (sat: FST = 0.003; mtDNA: FST < 0.001), and the two groups did not resemble stocked Maumee River fingerlings (sat: FST = 0.003–0.012; mtDNA: FST = 0.076–0.090). Tests for differentiation were not significant among annual spawning runs (sat: FST = <0.001–0.007; mtDNA: FST = <0.001–0.049), among age cohorts (sat: FST = <0.001–0.006; mtDNA: FST = <0.001–0.097), or between sexes (sat: FST < 0.001; mtDNA: FST < 0.001). Genetic diversity levels were high and consistent (sat: observed heterozygosity [mean ± SE] = 0.71 ± 0.04; mtDNA: haplotype diversity = 0.79 ± 0.01). Thus, despite stocking, the genetic signature of the native spawning run remained distinctive. However, the genetic composition of the local wild population and the stocking source should be assessed prior to any future supplementation plans.Received December 6, 2013; accepted June 12, 2014