Rapid adaptation to a new environment: is it reversible?
Accumulating evidence suggests rapid adaptation of fish populations when they are exposed to artificial hatchery environments. However, little is known if rapidly-adapted populations can readapt to their original, natural environment at the same rate. Here, I review recent studies on salmonid fish that address this issue. They indeed suggest rapid adaptation of hatchery populations, in which reproductive fitness under a natural environment became much lower than that in the wild population after only 1-2 generations of captive breeding. However, the reproductive fitness did not recover after one generation of natural rearing, implying that rapid adaptation to a new environment was not reversible at the same rate. I discuss potential consequences of the irreversible fitness reduction in extensively stocked fish species. Understanding the mechanism behind the irreversible rapid adaptation in fish populations will help us figure out a better, nature-friendly, and hence sustainable means of hatchery operations for human welfare.
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| Format: | Book Section biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
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Aquaculture Dept., Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
2015
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| Subjects: | Adaptations, Anadromous species, Breeding, Behaviour, Culture effects, Cultured organisms, Fish culture, Hatcheries, Reproduction, Reproductive behaviour, Stocks, |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1834/9166 |
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