Phenotypic plasticity and allometry of craniological features of anadromous and lacustrine forms of whitefish Coregonus lavaretus (Linnaeus, 1758) as an indication of wrong species status of Coregonus pidschian
E. A. Borovikova1,2, J. V. Kodukhova1, A. V. Semenova3
1Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters of RAS, Borok, Russia
2Institute of Biophysics Siberian Branch of RAS, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
3Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
Keywords: coregonid fish, craniological features, anadromous form, lacustrine form, plasticity, allometry, species status
Abstract
Skull features variability was investigated for anadromous and lacustrine forms of whitefish Coregonus lavaretus (Linnaeus, 1758) from waterbodies of the Karelsky Coast of White Sea. Significant phenotypic plasticity depending on the environmental conditions was revealed for craniological parameters of the whitefish. Moreover, a correlation between indexes of the craniological traits (except for index of the length of the snout) and the length of the body and/or the length of the head was identified (allometric effect). The results obtained suggest unreasonable separation of anadromous and lacustrine forms of C. lavaretus in distinct taxonomical units and refute the species validity of C. pidschian and C. oxyrinchus .
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