Extending DNA barcoding coverage for Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) across the three major basins of Lake Huron

DNA barcoding is a useful tool for both species identification and discovery, but the latter requires denser sampling than typically used in barcode studies. Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) is a valuable species, fished traditionally, commercially, and recreationally in Lake Huron. Based on the natural geographic and bathymetric separation of the three major basins in Lake Huron, the potential separation of Lake Whitefish within these basins, and the variation among life history (early and late spawning), we predicted that Lake Huron might harbour cryptic lineages of Lake Whitefish at the basin level. To test this prediction, DNA barcodes of the mitochondrial 5’ cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences were recovered from spawning phase Lake Whitefish (n = 5 per site), which were collected from sites (n = 28) around Lake Huron during Fall 2012. These sequences, combined with other publically available DNA barcodes from the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD), revealed twelve unique haplotypes across North America, with seven unique to Lake Huron. The dominant haplotype was found throughout Lake Huron and east to the St. Lawrence River. No deep divergences were revealed. This comprehensive lake-wide sampling effort offers a new perspective on C. clupeaformis, and Research Article Open Access © 2015 Lauren M. Overdyk et al. licensee De Gruyter Open. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License. Lauren M. Overdyk*, Heather E. Braid, Stephen S. Crawford, Robert H. Hanner Extending DNA barcoding coverage for Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) across the three major basins of Lake Huron *Corresponding author:Lauren M. Overdyk, Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1, E-mail: loverdyk@uoguelph.ca Stephen S. Crawford, Robert H. Hanner: Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1 Heather E. Braid: Institute for Applied Ecology New Zealand, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland, New Zealand 1010 Stephen S. Crawford: Chippewas of Nawash, Unceded First Nation, 135 Lakeshore Blvd, Nevaashiinigmiing, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1 Robert H. Hanner: Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1 10.1515/dna-2015-0007 Downloaded from De Gruyter Online at 09/12/2016 11:31:59PM via free access 60 L.M. Overdyk et al. 2 Materials and Methods 2.1 Specimen Collection A lake-wide sampling effort for adult Lake Whitefish was undertaken in the fall of 2012 in Lake Huron (Figure 1; Table 1). Spawning-phase Lake Whitefish were sampled from twenty-eight locations across the three basins of Lake Huron: the Main Basin (n = 16), the North Channel (n = 4), and Georgian Bay (n = 8). Early and late samples were taken from Sites 16-18 (Cape Hurd, Stokes Bay, and Howdenvale) along the Western shore of the Saugeen (Bruce) Peninsula based on known variation in spawning activity of Lake Whitefish in these areas (Table 1). Five different individuals, including at least two males and two females, were sampled from each site for DNA barcoding. Two muscle fillets were taken from each individual and maintained at -20oC, thawed briefly for subsampling of approximately 1 gram of tissue for DNA extraction. We had previously obtained representative Lake Whitefish from Stokes Bay and Sharbot Lake, which were processed in the same manner.