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Increased intrinsic growth rate is advantageous even under ecologically stressful conditions in coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)

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Abstract

Growth rate is an ecologically important trait, affecting the energy acquisition from, and provisioning to, the surrounding community. One of many costs suggested to counteract the evolution of increased intrinsic growth rate is an associated reduction in tolerance to conditions of nutrient stress. Here we test this concept with individuals possessing experimentally increased intrinsic growth rates (growth hormone transgenic coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch) relative to wild genotypes. Using a series of three experiments, survival and growth of both genotypes were assessed on a physiological and behavioral level while varying food abundance, social interactions, and predation risk. Only in complete absence of exogenous food in newly emerged fry did the high intrinsic growth rate appear costly with a shorter average survival time compared to wild-type (Exp. 1). In experiment 2, genotypes with elevated intrinsic growth showed equal or higher survival and growth than wild-type genotypes In a third experiment, adding very limited amounts of food and allowing for social interactions in a simulated natural environment benefited transgenic individuals relative to wild-types, but at similar magnitudes in both the absence and presence of predators. Populations with transgenic individuals present did not crash under these competitive conditions as previously reported when studied in simple environments where hiding and attack escape were not possible. Our data suggest that transgenic fish have a greater scope for growth under most conditions, but are not obligated to use this capability. Physiological (e.g. appetite and conversion efficiency) and behavioral traits (e.g. competitive ability and risk-taking) found previously to correlate positively with intrinsic growth rate in the transgenic strain likely aided in their survival and growth, even under food limited conditions. Hence, at least in coho salmon, intrinsic growth rate does not appear to strongly affect survival under nutrient stress.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks to Henry Kwok, Nicole Hofs, Benjamin Goh, Morgan Williams, Ki-Whan Eom, Mare Lõhmus, Geoff Harrison, Wendy Tymchuk, and Carlo Biagi for assistance during parts of the experiments. The work was carried out with financial support from the Canadian Regulatory System for Biotechnology (RHD). LFS was funded by a post-doctoral grant from the Swedish Research Council FORMAS and as a Marie Curie Outgoing International Fellowship under contract MOIF-CT-2005-8141 from the European Community’s Sixth Framework Programme. The present work does not necessarily reflect the Community’s views and in no way anticipates its future policy in this area.

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  1. L. Fredrik Sundström

    Present address: Department of Animal Ecology/Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

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  1. DFO/UBC Centre for Aquaculture and Environmental Research, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 4160 Marine Drive, West Vancouver, BC, V7V 1N6, Canada

    L. Fredrik Sundström & Robert H. Devlin

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  1. L. Fredrik Sundström
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  2. Robert H. Devlin
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Correspondence to Robert H. Devlin.

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Sundström, L.F., Devlin, R.H. Increased intrinsic growth rate is advantageous even under ecologically stressful conditions in coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). Evol Ecol 25, 447–460 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-010-9406-1

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