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<p>Conservation units are a necessary discretization of biological variation, but species complexes with uncertain boundaries often hinder conservation of important ecological, biological, and genetic diversity. New genomic methods can resolve uncertainties for these species. Here, we resolve conservation units by combining ecological field studies with whole genome methods in a species complex of fishes, White Suckers (Catostomus commersonii) and Summer Suckers (C. utawana), in the Adirondack region of New York State. Like many complexes, the White-Summer Sucker complex has been reevaluated many times with no clear guidance on defining conservation units to date. We paired spawning dates, length, age, and fecundity in two lakes where these species co-occur, with whole genomes of 297 individuals to compare divergence between species and between lakes. With this data, we evaluated trait overlap, genetic distinctiveness using hierarchical PCAs and Admixture, and genotype-trait relationships. Though we find extensive overlap in established diagnostic traits among putative Summer and White suckers within the same lake and no consistent genetic groupings of Summer versus White Suckers, we do find evidence of divergence between Summer and White Suckers within lakes. This suggests that they represent multiple, convergent life history ecotypes with independent origins. We propose that, the Summer Sucker ecotype represents intraspecific diversity that should be protected based on its ecologically important traits, the risk of losing genetic variation underlying those traits, and its declining distribution. Our approach integrating genomic and ecological profiles is readily applicable to other species complexes where taxonomic uncertainty impedes conservation.</p>

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Overcoming barriers to conservation of species complexes: integrating ecology with affordable whole genome methods to define conservation units in imperiled fishes

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年9月25日

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  • Carl A. St. John,
  • Douglas M. Carlson,
  • Lisa K. Holst,
  • Nina Overgaard Therkildsen,
  • Peter B. McIntyre

摘要

Conservation units are a necessary discretization of biological variation, but species complexes with uncertain boundaries often hinder conservation of important ecological, biological, and genetic diversity. New genomic methods can resolve uncertainties for these species. Here, we resolve conservation units by combining ecological field studies with whole genome methods in a species complex of fishes, White Suckers (Catostomus commersonii) and Summer Suckers (C. utawana), in the Adirondack region of New York State. Like many complexes, the White-Summer Sucker complex has been reevaluated many times with no clear guidance on defining conservation units to date. We paired spawning dates, length, age, and fecundity in two lakes where these species co-occur, with whole genomes of 297 individuals to compare divergence between species and between lakes. With this data, we evaluated trait overlap, genetic distinctiveness using hierarchical PCAs and Admixture, and genotype-trait relationships. Though we find extensive overlap in established diagnostic traits among putative Summer and White suckers within the same lake and no consistent genetic groupings of Summer versus White Suckers, we do find evidence of divergence between Summer and White Suckers within lakes. This suggests that they represent multiple, convergent life history ecotypes with independent origins. We propose that, the Summer Sucker ecotype represents intraspecific diversity that should be protected based on its ecologically important traits, the risk of losing genetic variation underlying those traits, and its declining distribution. Our approach integrating genomic and ecological profiles is readily applicable to other species complexes where taxonomic uncertainty impedes conservation.