Nest-Specific DNA Fingerprints of Smallmouth Bass in Lake Opeongo, Ontario

Abstract

Methods of DNA fingerprinting were employed to search for nest-specific markers in the population of smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu in Lake Opeongo, Ontario. Banding patterns produced from combinations of six restriction endonucleases and seven DNA fingerprint probes were evaluated. Each enzyme and probe combination detected very few polymorphic loci among fry from the same nest. However, comparisons of fingerprints between fry from different nests revealed significant differences in banding patterns, indicating that each nest had a unique fingerprint. Fry from 15 nests in the Jones Bay area of the lake were fingerprinted by using the restriction enzyme Hae III and the probe (GACA)4. A double-blind test was conducted to determine the ability to assign an unknown fry correctly to its nest of origin and demonstrate that nestspecific fingerprints exist. All fry tested were assigned correctly to their nest of origin by visual comparison of their fingerprints with each of the nest fingerprints, thus demonstrating that nestspecific DNA fingerprints can be generated.