Data from: Phenotypic and community consequences of captive propagation in mosquitofish

1. Captive propagation can lead to phenotypic change in fish populations, but the broader community-level consequences of captive phenotypes remain largely unknown. 2. Here we investigate the degree to which captive propagation alters the phenotypes and ecological roles of fish stocked into wild communities. We focus on captive propagation of western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) for biocontrol, which represents one of the largest-scale production efforts for any fish released into the wild. 3. Captive propagation in mosquitofish consistently generated novel mixtures of morphological and behavioral traits that deviate from those of wild populations. 4. A mesocosm experiment showed that mosquitofish from captive propagation facilities differ from wild fish in their effects on aquatic community structure by shifting their consumption to less-mobile, benthic prey. 5. Synthesis and applications: These findings provide evidence that captive-propagated and translocated wild stocks not only differ in phenotype, but can have substantially different ecological effects on the communities into which they are introduced. Therefore, captive propagation programs involving continual release should expand their concerns beyond altered phenotypes and fitness to include whether propagated fish actually provide the intended ecological roles and services associated with wild counterparts. Infusions of wild alleles and captive environments that mimic wild conditions are recommended strategies to retain the desired ecological role of captive propagated fish

1. 人工繁育（captive propagation）可导致鱼类种群产生表型变化，但人工繁育个体的表型对群落层面的广泛影响目前仍鲜为人知。
2. 本研究旨在探究人工繁育对放归野生群落的鱼类的表型与生态功能的改变程度。本研究聚焦于用于生物防治的西部食蚊鱼（Gambusia affinis）的人工繁育——该物种是全球范围内野放规模最大的鱼类繁育项目之一。
3. 食蚊鱼的人工繁育始终会产生一套与野生种群显著不同的全新形态与行为性状组合。
4. 中型实验生态系统（mesocosm）实验结果显示，人工繁育场来源的食蚊鱼与野生个体对水生群落结构的影响存在差异：它们的摄食偏好转向了移动性较弱的底栖猎物。
5. 综合与应用启示：本研究结果证实，人工繁育个体与移殖野生种群不仅表型存在差异，其对引入群落的生态影响也存在显著区别。因此，涉及持续放流的人工繁育项目，其关注范围不应仅局限于表型与适合度的改变，还需评估繁育个体能否提供与野生同类一致的预期生态角色与服务。研究建议通过引入野生等位基因、采用模拟野生环境的繁育环境等策略，维持人工繁育鱼类的预期生态功能。