Distribution of Phoxinus eos, Phoxinus neogaeus, and their asexually-reproducing hybrids (Pisces: Cyprinidae) in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 5; no. 10; p. e13185
• Main Authors: Mee, Jonathan A, Rowe, Locke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 04-10-2010; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Agreements; Animals; Asexual reproduction; Cloning; Collections; Cyprinidae; Cyprinidae - physiology; Discriminant analysis; Dispersal; Dispersion; Ecological effects; Ecological niches; Ecology; Ecology/Evolutionary Ecology; Evolutionary Biology; Evolutionary Biology/Evolutionary Ecology; Fish; Glaciers; Hybridization; Hybrids; Lakes; Morphology; Museums; Niches; Niches (Ecology); Ontario; Parks; Phoxinus; Phoxinus eos; Phoxinus neogaeus; Physiochemistry; Reproduction; Reproduction (biology); Species; Sperm; Vertebrates; Zoology; Ontario; Canada, Ontario, Algonquin Provincial Park; Canada, Ontario, Algonquin Park
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013185

Hybrid Phoxinus are one of the few asexually reproducing vertebrates species. The distribution of hybrid Phoxinus among lakes in Algonquin Park, Ontario, was evaluated relative to the distribution of parental species and relative to physiochemical lake characteristics. No association between the distribution of hybrids and the distribution of parental species was found, suggesting that the hybrids can successfully coexist with either parental species. In addition, we found no association between hybrid distribution and the physiochemical characteristics of lakes, suggesting that the hybrids are generalists with respect to the ecological niches available in Algonquin Park. There was a difference between the physiochemical characteristics of lakes with and without the parental species P. neogaeus. The lakes containing P. neogaeus were lower elevation than the lakes containing the other parental species, P. eos. The difference in distribution between the parental species may therefore be due to different dispersal abilities, to later arrival following post-glacial dispersal, or to differences in ecology. These results suggest that asexual reproduction is a successful strategy for hybrid Phoxinus in Algonquin Park because these sperm-dependent asexual hybrids are able to survive and persist regardless of which parental species is present, and regardless of the physiochemical characteristics of their habitat.