Genetic sex determination improves Canadian Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar) population assessments

Abstract Estimating egg deposition for Atlantic salmon population assessments is made difficult by their lack of sexual dimorphism prior to the autumn spawning season. We quantified the effect of sex misclassification from subjective examination of external morphology on egg deposition estimates in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Fisheries Management and Ecology
Main Authors: Robertson, Martha J., Lehnert, Sarah J., Kelly, Nicholas I., Hamilton, Lorraine C., Jones, Ross A., Levy, Alex L., Poole, Rebecca, Burke, Chantelle M., Duffy, Steven J., Messmer, Amber, Bradbury, Ian R.
Other Authors: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2023
Subjects:
Atlantic salmon
Salmo salar
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/fme.12655
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/fme.12655
Description
Summary:Abstract Estimating egg deposition for Atlantic salmon population assessments is made difficult by their lack of sexual dimorphism prior to the autumn spawning season. We quantified the effect of sex misclassification from subjective examination of external morphology on egg deposition estimates in four Atlantic salmon populations across multiple years. Sex classification of Canadian salmon using the genetic sex marker ( sd Y) was accurate (>97%), whereas sex classification based on subjective examination of external morphology was inaccurate, with misclassification rates dependent on sea age, life history, and sampling season. Sex misclassification led to annual egg deposition estimates that ranged from −36% to +56%. We found that sex could not be discriminated based on measures of external morphology.

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