Studies on life-history adaptation in arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) in the high mountain environment

Here we look at life-history adaptation in the arctic charr in a high mountain environment with a particular emphazis on its life history strategies. As this is a marginal environment with regard to the number and variability of degree-days (i.e. the temperature sum), and the length and variability of the feeding season, the charr must trade-off energetic requirements to growth and gonad allocation, and potentially adopt a bet-hedging strategy. Thus, alternative life-history strategies may evolve in such harsh environments as compared to the founder population which exists in a very divergent lowland environment.

 

A normal arctic charr male with spawning coloration (above) and a dwarf arctic charr male living sympatrically in lake Fetavatn.

The Finse system is dominated by the arctic charr (some few brown trouts exists), which makes this a very good model system to study the effects of both resource competition and climatic change upon these trade-off patterns. Moreover, we plan to initiate a long-term study on the effects of directional selection on life history traits by enforcing directional fishery induced selection by reducing fish biomass in one lake by selectively removing size/age groups. We hope that interested people and students contact us for more information.

Tags: life-history, Finsevatn, arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus, limnology
Published Feb. 6, 2013 12:40 PM - Last modified Aug. 16, 2013 12:55 PM

Contact

Project leader:

Kjartan Østbye, University of Oslo

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