Data from: Genetic identification of lamprey genera and anadromous ecotypes in watersheds of the Northeastern Pacific Ocean

Non-parasitic, non-migratory Western Brook Lamprey (WBL; Lampetra ayresii)
and parasitic, anadromous Western River Lamprey (WRL; L. ayresii) are
sympatric lampreys that likely represent different life history variations
of a single species. Novel genetic tools are critical for differentiating
WBL and WRL, whose larvae preclude morphological identification (ID) and
will enable comprehensive assessment of imperiled native lampreys of the
Northeastern Pacific (including WBL, WRL, and Pacific Lamprey, Entosphenus
tridentatus). We developed 47 candidate single nucleotide polymorphism
(SNP) markers using whole genome resequencing of WBL (N=24) and WRL (N=15)
from Ksi Ts’oohl Ts’ap Creek (Nass River, British Columbia, Canada) which
are likely ecotypes distinguished by few divergent SNPs across multiple
chromosomes. We used five novel candidate SNPs to perform genetic ID of
WBL and WRL ecotypes in collections of mixed native lampreys from lower
Columbia River tributaries (N=1,474), Ksi Ts’oohl Ts’ap Creek (N=352), and
ocean phase WRL from the Georgia Basin (Salish Sea, British Columbia,
Canada; N=91). Two previously published SNPs were used to ID genera,
Entosphenus versus Lampetra. Morphological ID utilized photographs
collected from a subset of genotyped lampreys, and high concordance was
demonstrated between ID methods for genera (99%) and Lampetra ecotypes
(>98%). We characterized spatial and temporal composition of
lamprey genera and ecotypes surveyed across NE Pacific tributaries under
the expectation these compositions would be similar across nearby sites
and across years at the same site. Proportions of lamprey genera were
highly variable within regions and across years; however, Lampetra
ecotypic proportions were spatially and temporally stable. WRL were rare
in lower Columbia tributaries (~1% average rate among Lampetra) and common
further north (>40% of Lampetra). Genetic ID methods are powerful
monitoring tools that create the novel ability to ascertain genera and
ecotypes regardless of life stage, while increasing efficiency of surveys
by eliminating time-intensive morphological data collection.