Developmental Instability as an Indicator of Reduced Genetic Variation in Hatchery Trout

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Abstract
We present evidence for reduced developmental stability in a hatchery stock of westslope cutthroat trout Salmo clarki lewisi. These fish have a high frequency of two obvious morphological deformities and an unusually high amount of asymmetry at five bilateral meristic traits. We have previously reported that this stock has a reduced amount of genetic variation at 35 isozyme loci compared to the wild population from which it was derived. The loss of genetic variation in this stock apparently has reduced the ability of these fish to develop precisely along genetically determined developmental pathways. We also present the biological rationale and the methods for using fluctuating asymmetry as a diagnostic tool for detecting the effects of the loss of genetic variation in cultured stocks of fish. Received April 7, 1984 Accepted November 8, 1984