Otolith and Genomic Data Reveal Temporal Insights Into Stocking Across a Large River Basin in a Mobile, Long‐Lived Australian Freshwater Fish Species

Freshwater ecosystems and their biota are under increasing pressure from anthropogenic stressors. In response to declining fish stocks, hatchery and stocking programmes are widely implemented as core components of restoration and management strategies, with positive outcomes for some wild populations. Despite this, stocking remains contentious due to potential genetic and ecological risks to wild populations. Monitoring and evaluation of stocking outcomes are critical to ensuring the long-term sustainability of wild populations, but identification of stocked individuals post-release remains a key challenge, particularly for mobile species. In this study, we combined otolith (natal origin and age) and genomic data to identify stocked individuals and evaluate the genetic implications of stocking for a culturally and socioeconomically important and mobile freshwater fish, golden perch Macquaria ambigua (family: Percichthyidae), across Australia's Murray-Darling Basin (MDB). We also generated a chromosome-level genome assembly. Many close kin were detected across the MDB, increasing in prevalence over recent decades and mostly of hatchery origin. Rivers with many close kin were associated with low effective population sizes (N<sub>e</sub> < 100). Genetic signatures of stocking varied according to local context, being most pronounced in but not restricted to rivers considered functionally isolated for management purposes. Where fish are stocked into rivers that are part of the connected metapopulation, there is scope to modify current stocking practices to avoid over-representation of related stocked individuals. Increased focus on the genetic diversity of stocked fish is likely to promote the long-term persistence of golden perch in the wild.

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Publication Details

Journal
Molecular Ecology
Published
2025-03-05
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17714
Citations
2
Primary Topic
Fish Ecology and Management Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
4.63

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article

Otolith and Genomic Data Reveal Temporal Insights Into Stocking Across a Large River Basin in a Mobile, Long‐Lived Australian Freshwater Fish Species

Christopher M. Bice, Erez Lieberman Aiden, Luciano B. Beheregaray, James O'Dwyer et al.
2 citations
Molecular Ecology
Fish Ecology and Management Studies
4.63
article

Otolith and Genomic Data Reveal Temporal Insights Into Stocking Across a Large River Basin in a Mobile, Long‐Lived Australian Freshwater Fish Species

Christopher M. Bice, Erez Lieberman Aiden, Luciano B. Beheregaray, James O'Dwyer, Chris J. Brauer, Jason D. Thiem, Olga Dudchenko, Jian D. L. Yen, Benjamin G. Fanson, Gavin L. Butler, Graeme Hackett, Wayne M. Koster, Zeb Tonkin, David Dawson, John R. Morrongiello, Scott Raymond, Kyne Krusic‐Golub, Katherine A. Harrisson, Arron Strawbridge, Emily J. Booth, Nicholas P. Murphy, Jarod Lyon, Brenton P. Zampatti, Annique Harris, Meaghan L. Rourke, Parwinder Kaur, Matthew Jones, J. A. Lieschke
article en
2 citations

Abstract

Freshwater ecosystems and their biota are under increasing pressure from anthropogenic stressors. In response to declining fish stocks, hatchery and stocking programmes are widely implemented as core components of restoration and management strategies, with positive outcomes for some wild populations. Despite this, stocking remains contentious due to potential genetic and ecological risks to wild populations. Monitoring and evaluation of stocking outcomes are critical to ensuring the long-term sustainability of wild populations, but identification of stocked individuals post-release remains a key challenge, particularly for mobile species. In this study, we combined otolith (natal origin and age) and genomic data to identify stocked individuals and evaluate the genetic implications of stocking for a culturally and socioeconomically important and mobile freshwater fish, golden perch Macquaria ambigua (family: Percichthyidae), across Australia's Murray-Darling Basin (MDB). We also generated a chromosome-level genome assembly. Many close kin were detected across the MDB, increasing in prevalence over recent decades and mostly of hatchery origin. Rivers with many close kin were associated with low effective population sizes (N<sub>e</sub> < 100). Genetic signatures of stocking varied according to local context, being most pronounced in but not restricted to rivers considered functionally isolated for management purposes. Where fish are stocked into rivers that are part of the connected metapopulation, there is scope to modify current stocking practices to avoid over-representation of related stocked individuals. Increased focus on the genetic diversity of stocked fish is likely to promote the long-term persistence of golden perch in the wild.

Molecular EcologyVol. 34(7)
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (AU), Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research (AU), The University of Melbourne (AU), Flinders University (AU), The University of Western Australia (AU), Baylor College of Medicine (US), La Trobe University (AU), South Australian Research and Development Institute (AU), Center for Theoretical Biological Physics (US), Fishwell Consulting (Australia) (AU), The University of Adelaide (AU), Rice University (US)
Welch Foundation, La Trobe University, University of Melbourne, Australian Research Council
Life in Land
Openalex Percentile: Top 8%
Fish Ecology and Management Studies
4.63
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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