Life history genomic regions explain differences in Atlantic salmon marine diet specialization

Abstract

1. Animals employ various foraging strategies along their ontogeny to acquire energy, and with varying degree of efficiencies, to support growth, maturation and subsequent reproduction events. Individuals that can efficiently acquire energy early are more likely to mature at an earlier age, as a result of faster energy gain which can fuel maturation and reproduction.

2. We aimed to test the hypothesis that heritable resource acquisition variation that co-varies with efficiency along the ontogeny would influence maturation timing of individuals.

3. To test this hypothesis, we utilized Atlantic salmon as a model which exhibit a simple, hence trackable, genetic control of maturation age. We then monitored the variation in diet acquisition (quantified as stomach fullness and composition) of individuals with different ages, and linked it with genomic regions (haploblocks) that were previously identified to be associated with age-at-maturity.

4. Consistent with the hypoth...