We recently observed a bimodal distribution in size of sexually maturing lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis Mitchill) in Lac de L'Est, Quebec. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that these two spawning size classes represent genetically distinct ecotypes, potentially adapted in morphology for occupying different trophic niches. This was accomplished by quantifying the ex...

The First Nations communities of Grassy Narrows and Wabaseemong (Ontario, Canada) have been impacted by mercury pollution since the 1960s. This study was implemented with the objective of providing these communities with information on current mercury concentrations in their catch, in order to make appropriate fish consumption choices. A total of 851 fish samples, including Walleye, Northern Pi...

Parallel divergence across replicated species pairs occurring in similar environmental contrasts may arise through distinct evolutionary scenarios. Deciphering whether such parallelism actually reflects repeated parallel divergence driven by divergent selection or a single divergence event with subsequent gene flow needs to be ascertained. Reconstructing historical gene flow is therefore of fun...

The physiological mechanisms underlying local adaptation in natural populations of animals, and whether the same mechanisms contribute to adaptation and acclimation, are largely unknown. Therefore, we tested for evolutionary divergence in aerobic exercise physiology in laboratory bred, size-matched crosses of ancestral, benthic, normal Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) and derived, limnet...

The sensitivity of an enrichment culture procedure for detecting Clostridium botulinum type E in whitefish chubs (Leucichthys sp.) was assayed. Data demonstrated that fish inoculated with 10 or more viable C. botulinum spores regularly develop specifically neutralizable enrichment cultures. Mild heat treatment (60 C, 15 min) substantially reduced the sensitivity of enrichment culturing. This ef...

The stocking of hatchery-produced whitefish is a common practice in most countries of the species' natural range. Rigorous monitoring of the effects of stocking is less common , however, and possible negative impacts of stocking ontlle target population are rarely considered, even though supportive stocking might exelt a series of negative effects. The present study discusses Ulese potentiiLl i...

Sympatric fish populations observed in many north temperate lakes are among the best models to study the processes of population divergence and adaptive radiation. Despite considerable research on such systems, little is known about the associations between ecological conditions and the extent of ecotypic divergence. In this study, we examined the biotic and abiotic properties of postglacial la...

Many small-scale fisheries are remote in nature, making data collection logistically difficult. Thus, there is a need for accessible solutions that address the gaps present these fisheries. One possible solution to incorporate photography into community- or harvest-based monitoring frameworks and employ images estimate biological data. Here, we test this approach using łuk dagaii, broad whitefi...

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is a potent hepatotoxin for which substantial gap in knowledge persists regarding the underlying molecular mechanisms of liver toxicity and injury. Although long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been extensively studied model organisms, our concerning role lncRNAs injury limited. Given that show low levels sequence conservation, their becomes even more unclear non-model org...