Project
Genetic analysis of migratory and resident Walleye from Saginaw Bay, the origins of two behaviors
Acoustic telemetry studies have revealed that many fish species, including walleye in Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron, exhibit distinct behavioral patterns where some individuals migrate long distances while others remain in small home ranges (Kaemingk et al. 2011, Kessel et al. 2017, Hayden et al. 2014). The factors influencing these behaviors, whether ecological or intrinsic, and the extent to which genetics play a role remain unclear. \\r\\n\\r\\nMaintaining a small home range may conserve energy and reduce predation risk associated with unfamiliar territories but may limit access to new resources. In contrast, long-distance movements can potentially lead to better foraging opportunities and less competition or predation in new habitats (Pothoven et al. 2014). \\r\\n\\r\\nWalleye in Saginaw Bay show dichotomous behavior post spawning: some stay within the bay while others migrate annually to either northern or southern Lake Huron. Despite these migratory differences, all fish display high fidelity to their Tittabawassee River spawning site (Hayden et al. 2018). This consistency suggests that there may be a heritable basis for the observed behavioral dichotomy.\\r\\n\\r\\nTo investigate this hypothesis, we are using whole genome sequencing of acoustically tracked walleye from Saginaw Bay. Genetic analysis of these samples aims to explore whether there is genotypic variation correlating with short-distance resident behavior versus long-distance migratory behavior. Understanding these genetic underpinnings could provide insights into the evolutionary drivers of migratory strategies in fish populations.