Hybridization between northern redbelly dace (Phoxinus eos) and finescale dace (Phoxinus neogaeus) (Osteichthyes: Cyprinidae) in Alberta

Abstract

Hybridization between northern redbelly dace (Phoxinus eos) and finescale dace (Phoxinus neogaeus) was studied in Upper Pierre Grey Lake, Alberta. Sympatric parental and hybrid populations were compared with allopatric populations from Cameron Lake and Tay Lake, Alberta. Canonical variates and principal components analyses, using 31 morphological characters, revealed that the two parental groups were bridged by an intermediate all-female hybrid group in Upper Pierre Grey Lake. Hybrids made up approximately 33% of the individuals of the sympatic population. Neither backcross nor hybrid F2 individuals could be identified from the analyses, although the majority of hybrids were morphologically more similar to P. neogaeus than to P. eos. No clear evidence of introgressive hybridization was found in either of the sympatric parental species.