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Juvenile specimens of the pugnose pipefish, Bryx dunckeri, were collected during a multipurpose research survey conducted within the Sargasso Sea Subtropical Convergence Zone, extending the known distribution range of this species to include open ocean areas of the Western North Atlantic. Novel spatial data are of scientific interest as information on the distribution, population structure, and population size of this species is limited. Additionally, we present detailed photographs and morphological data on the collected specimens. The results are discussed in relation to the dispersal abilities and population structure in syngnathids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tidal sluices are a frequent element in the tidal regions of Europe's rivers and may hinder downstream migrating European eels Anguilla anguilla. Sea level rise will reduce the possibility for tidal sluices to freely discharge water, further compressing windows of opportunity for the passage of eels. Understanding how eels utilize the discharge events of tidal sluices and which conditions facilitate successful passage is pivotal for the design of effective fish migration measures. To investigate eel migration at a tidal sluice, acoustic receivers were placed at the tidal sluice Nieuwe Statenzijl and in its tributary of the Westerwoldse Aa, the Netherlands. Of the 30 tagged eels, 26 eels reached the tidal sluice and passage success was 100%. The mean migration speed of eels in the unobstructed part of the tributary was slow (0.14 m s−1). The eels were delayed in their migration by the sluice and delay was right‐skewed distributed with most eels showing moderate delays (<2 days), while about 10% of the tagged individuals experienced extensive delays of more than 3 weeks. The number of missed sluicing events prior to successful passage was influenced by biological characteristics such as migration speed in the tributary, weight and condition. In addition, sluicing events with rapidly increasing and high maximum discharge levels increased the success rate of an individual eel to pass the sluice. Compromising sluicing duration in favour of higher and faster increasing discharge could facilitate eel migration at tidal barriers and contribute to the recovery of this endangered species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Range expansions can lead to increased contact of divergent populations, thus increasing the potential of hybridization events. Whether viable hybrids are produced will most likely depend on the level of genomic divergence and associated genomic incompatibilities between the different entities as well as environmental conditions. By taking advantage of historical Baltic cod (Gadus morhua) otolith samples combined with genotyping and whole genome sequencing, we here investigate the genetic impact of the increased spawning stock biomass of the eastern Baltic cod stock in the mid 1980s. The eastern Baltic cod is genetically highly differentiated from the adjacent western Baltic cod and locally adapted to the brackish environmental conditions in the deeper Eastern basins of the Baltic Sea unsuitable for its marine counterparts. Our genotyping results show an increased proportion of eastern Baltic cod in western Baltic areas (Mecklenburg Bay and Arkona Basin)—indicative of a range expansion westwards—during the peak population abundance in the 1980s. Additionally, we detect high frequencies of potential hybrids (including F1, F2 and backcrosses), verified by whole genome sequencing data for a subset of individuals. Analysis of mitochondrial genomes further indicates directional gene flow from eastern Baltic cod males to western Baltic cod females. Our findings unravel that increased overlap in distribution can promote hybridization between highly divergent populations and that the hybrids can be viable and survive under specific and favourable environmental conditions. However, the observed hybridization had seemingly no long‐lasting impact on the continuous separation and genetic differentiation between the unique Baltic cod stocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have uncovered patterns of genomic divergence in marine teleosts where panmixia due to high gene flow has been the general paradigm. These signatures of divergent selection are often impacted by structural variants, acting as "supergenes" facilitating local adaptation. The highly dispersing European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa)—in which putative structural variants (i.e., inversions) have been identified—has successfully colonized the brackish water ecosystem of the Baltic Sea. Thus, the species represents an ideal opportunity to investigate how the interplay of gene flow, structural variants, natural selection, past demographic history, and gene flow impacts on population (sub)structuring in marine systems. Here, we report on the generation of an annotated draft plaice genome assembly in combination with population sequencing data—following the salinity gradient from the Baltic Sea into the North Sea together with samples from Icelandic waters—to illuminate genome‐wide patterns of divergence. Neutral markers pointed at large‐scale panmixia across the European continental shelf associated with high gene flow and a common postglacial colonization history of shelf populations. However, based on genome‐wide outlier loci, we uncovered signatures of population substructuring among the European continental shelf populations, i.e., suggesting signs of ongoing selection. Genome‐wide selection analyses (xp‐EHH) and the identification of genes within genomic regions of recent selective sweeps—overlapping with the outlier loci—suggest that these represent the signs of divergent selection. Our findings provide support for genomic divergence driven by local adaptation in the face of high gene flow and elucidate the relative importance of demographic history versus adaptive divergence in shaping the contemporary population genetic structure of a marine teleost. The role of the putative inversion(s) in the substructuring—and potentially ongoing adaptation—was seemingly not substantial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anguillid eels are found globally in fresh, transitional and saline waters and have played an important role in human life for centuries. The population status of several species is now of significant concern. The threats to populations include direct exploitation at different life stages, blockages to migratory routes by dams and other structures, changes in river basin management that impact habitat carrying capacity and suitability, pollution, climate change, diseases and parasites. While much has been done to understand eel biology and ecology, a major challenge is to identify the key research and management questions so that effective and targeted studies can be designed to inform conservation, management and policy. We gathered 30 experts in the field of eel biology and management to review the current state of knowledge for anguillid eel species and to identify the main topics for research. The identified research topics fell into three themes: (a) Lifecycle and Biology; (b) Impacts and (c) Management. Although tropical anguillid eels are by far the least well understood, significant knowledge gaps exist for all species. Considerable progress has been made in the last 20 years, but the status of many species remains of great concern, particularly for northern temperate species. Without improved engagement and coordination at the regional, national and international level, the situation is unlikely to improve. Further, adaptive management mechanisms to respond to developments in science, policy and our knowledge of potential threats are required to ensure the future of these important and enigmatic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The abundance and distribution of leptocephalus larvae of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla, Anguillidae) were examined using ten historic and recent Sargasso Sea expeditions that were selected on the basis of having the largest number of sampling stations and highest catches. The surveys cover the period 1920–2014. Station data were recalculated to the same unit of larval density per unit area, and the irregular station positions were transformed to a regular spatial grid to allow calculation of comparable measures of abundance of the youngest (0+) leptocephalus cohort. The result is that the mean and maximum densities of 0+ leptocephali after 2007 on average have decreased by 70%–80% from the densities during the period before the drastic decrease in glass eel recruitment, which started in the 1980s. This is of the same magnitude as the change in spawning stock, if the total continental commercial landings are used as a proxy. In the same period, the glass eel recruitment in Europe has decreased by more than 95%. The conclusion is that a major cause for the recruitment decrease may be an increased leptocephalus mortality during the oceanic phase or a large geographic shift in glass eel arrival. Combining the survey data, the spatial distribution of 0+ leptocephali was concentrated south of the northernmost front in the Subtropical Convergence Zone, but high densities were also found far south of the front in the western part of the distribution area and leptocephali were present also north of the average frontal position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The spawning areas of the Atlantic freshwater eels were discovered about a century ago by the Danish scientist Johannes Schmidt who after years of searching found newly hatched larvae of the European eel, Anguilla anguilla, and the American eel, Anguilla rostrata, in the southern Sargasso Sea. The discovery showed that anguillid eels migrate thousands of kilometers to offshore spawning areas for reproduction, and that their larvae, called leptocephali, are transported equally long distances by ocean currents to their continental recruitment areas. The spawning sites were found to be related to oceanographic conditions several decades later by German and American surveys from 1979 to 1989 and by a Danish survey in 2007 and a German survey in 2011. All these later surveys showed that spawning occurred within a restricted latitudinal range, between temperature fronts within the Subtropical Convergence Zone of the Sargasso Sea. New data and re-examinations of Schmidt's data confirmed his original conclusions about the two species having some overlap in spawning areas. Although there have been additional collections of leptocephali in various parts of the North Atlantic, and both otolith research and transport modelling studies have subsequently been carried out, there is still a range of unresolved questions about the routes of larval transport and durations of migration. This paper reviews the history and basic findings of surveys for anguillid leptocephali in the North Atlantic and analyses a new comprehensive database that includes 22612 A. anguilla and 9634 A. rostrata leptocephali, which provides a detailed view of the spatial and temporal distributions and size of the larvae across the Atlantic basin and in the Mediterranean Sea. The differences in distributions, maximum sizes, and growth rates of the two species of larvae are likely linked to the contrasting migration distances to their recruitment areas on each side of the basin. Anguilla rostrata leptocephali originate from a more western spawning area, grow faster, and metamorphose at smaller sizes of <70 mm than the larvae of A. anguilla, which mostly are spawned further east and can reach sizes of almost 90 mm. The larvae of A. rostrata spread west and northwest from the spawning area as they grow larger, with some being present in the western Caribbean and eastern Gulf of Mexico. Larvae of A. anguilla appear to be able to reach Europe by entering the Gulf Stream system or by being entrained into frontal countercurrents that transport them directly northeastward. The larval duration of A. anguilla is suggested to be quite variable, but gaps in sampling effort prevent firm conclusions. Although knowledge about larval behaviour is lacking, some influences of directional swimming are implicated by the temporal distributions of the largest larvae. Ocean-atmosphere changes have been hypothesized to affect the survival of the larvae and cause reduced recruitment, so even after about a century following the discovery of their spawning areas, mysteries still remain about the marine life histories of the Atlantic eels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European eel ( Anguilla anguilla) stock experienced a sharp decline during the last decades and is suffering from massive anthropogenic impacts on inland waters. To evaluate the benefit of management measures and to better understand the contribution of single drainage systems to spawner production, knowledge of the respective silver eel escapement is required. Furthermore, a better understanding of environmental conditions that potentially trigger the onset of spawning migration is needed to reduce anthropogenic mortalities during riverine eel migration. Investigations are also necessary to clarify whether fish protecting devices and bypasses at barriers are functional and truly increase eel survival and escapement rates., In this study, total female silver eel escapement from a northern German drainage system ( Schwentine River) was assessed over a period of three consecutive years, and downstream migration patterns were compared to potential environmental triggers. Furthermore, the benefit of two fish bypasses (surface and deep) and a trash rack at the hydropower station for the survival of migrating eels was examined, and the spawner quality of escaping silver eels was determined by analysing lipid content and infection intensities with the swimbladder parasite Anguillicoloides crassus., The results indicate that silver eel escapement from the Schwentine drainage system is far below the estimated values underlying the respective eel management plan, highlighting the necessity of direct migration assessments to validate indirect estimations that include multiple assumptions and uncertainties. Major downstream migration events took place during short time periods in autumn and appear to be influenced by river discharge and water temperatures, suggesting that a precise prediction of escapement events is possible. Regarding spawner quality, fat reserves appear sufficient for escaping silver eels to migrate and spawn. However, high A. crassus prevalence and infection intensities are assumed to further reduce the number of potential spawners. Another matter of concern is the high trash rack mortality at the hydropower station that illustrates the need of fish protecting devices that fulfil eel-specific requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antarctic notothenioid fishes represent a rare example of a marine species flock. They evolved special adaptations to the extreme environment of the Southern Ocean including antifreeze glycoproteins. Although lacking a swim bladder, notothenioids have diversified from their benthic ancestor into a wide array of water column niches, such as epibenthic, semipelagic, cryopelagic and pelagic habitats. Applying stable carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) isotope analyses to gain information on feeding ecology and foraging habitats, we tested whether ecological diversification along the benthic-pelagic axis followed a single directional trend in notothenioids, or whether it evolved independently in several lineages. Population samples of 25 different notothenioid species were collected around the Antarctic Peninsula, the South Orkneys and the South Sandwich Islands. The C and N stable isotope signatures span a broad range (mean δ13C and δ15N values between −25.4‰ and −21.9‰ and between 8.5‰ and 13.8‰, respectively), and pairwise niche overlap between four notothenioid families was highly significant. Analysis of isotopic disparity-through-time on the basis of Bayesian inference and maximum-likelihood phylogenies, performed on a concatenated mitochondrial (cyt b) and nuclear gene ( myh6, Ptr and tbr1) data set (3148 bp), showed that ecological diversification into overlapping feeding niches has occurred multiple times in parallel in different notothenioid families. This convergent diversification in habitat and trophic ecology is a sign of interspecific competition and characteristic for adaptive radiations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European eels ( Anguilla anguilla) spawn in the remote Sargasso Sea in partial sympatry with American eels ( Anguilla rostrata), and juveniles are transported more than 5000 km back to the European and North African coasts. The two species have been regarded as classic textbook examples of panmixia, each comprising a single, randomly mating population. However, several recent studies based on continental samples have found subtle, but significant, genetic differentiation, interpreted as geographical or temporal heterogeneity between samples. Moreover, European and American eels can hybridize, but hybrids have been observed almost exclusively in Iceland, suggesting hybridization in a specific region of the Sargasso Sea and subsequent nonrandom dispersal of larvae. Here, we report the first molecular population genetics study based on analysis of 21 microsatellite loci in larvae of both Atlantic eel species sampled directly in the spawning area, supplemented by analysis of European glass eel samples. Despite a clear East-West gradient in the overlapping distribution of the two species in the Sargasso Sea, we only observed a single putative hybrid, providing evidence against the hypothesis of a wide marine hybrid zone. Analyses of genetic differentiation, isolation by distance, isolation by time and assignment tests provided strong evidence for panmixia in both the Sargasso Sea and across all continental samples of European eel after accounting for the presence of sibs among newly hatched larvae. European eel has declined catastrophically, and our findings call for management of the species as a single unit, necessitating coordinated international conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversification of the teleost suborder Notothenioidei (Perciformes) in Antarctic waters provides one of the most striking examples of a marine adaptive radiation. Along with a number of adaptations to the cold environment, such as the evolution of antifreeze glycoproteins, notothenioids diversified into eight families and at least 130 species. Here, we investigate the genetic population structure of the humped rockcod ( Gobionotothen gibberifrons), a benthic notothenioid fish. Six populations were sampled at different locations around the Scotia Sea, comprising a large part of the species’ distribution range ( N = 165). Our analyses based on mitochondrial DNA sequence data (352 bp) and eight microsatellite markers reveal a lack of genetic structuring over large geographic distances (ΦST ≤ 0.058, FST ≤ 0.005, P values nonsignificant). In order to test whether this was due to passive larval dispersal, we used GPS-tracked drifter trajectories, which approximate movement of passive surface particles with ocean currents. The drifter data indicate that the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) connects the sampling locations in one direction only (west–east), and that passive transport is possible within the 4-month larval period of G. gibberifrons. Indeed, when applying the isolation-with-migration model in IMA, strong unidirectional west-east migration rates are detected in the humped rockcod. This leads us to conclude that, in G. gibberifrons, genetic differentiation is prevented by gene flow via larval dispersal with the ACC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]