Reconstructing History: Scale Analysis Reveals Long‐Term Changes in Age‐Related Growth of a Coregonid Fish
ABSTRACT Animal growth is shaped by a complex interplay of environmental conditions and intrinsic life‐history trade‐offs, yet long‐term datasets allowing the reconstruction of individual growth histories in natural populations remain rare. Here, we use scale analysis to reconstruct age‐specific gro...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71884 |
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| _version_ | 1849224536251170816 |
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| author | Christian Vogelmann Maxim Teichert Michael Schubert Niels Dingemanse Herwig Stibor |
| author_facet | Christian Vogelmann Maxim Teichert Michael Schubert Niels Dingemanse Herwig Stibor |
| author_sort | Christian Vogelmann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Animal growth is shaped by a complex interplay of environmental conditions and intrinsic life‐history trade‐offs, yet long‐term datasets allowing the reconstruction of individual growth histories in natural populations remain rare. Here, we use scale analysis to reconstruct age‐specific growth histories of coregonid fish (Coregonus sp.) from Lake Starnberg, Germany, over a 22‐year period, evaluating the roles of lake phosphorus concentrations and spring temperatures as potential drivers. Linear mixed‐effects models revealed age‐specific changes in scale growth over time: while growth remained stable or increased slightly in younger age classes (ages 1 and 2), growth significantly declined over time in mature fish (age 3). During the observed period, phosphorus concentrations decreased, indicating reduced nutrient availability, whereas spring temperatures showed no significant long‐term trend. Our analyses further indicated significant interactions between temperature and age class, suggesting that temperature effects on growth may have varied by age, even though there was no overall change in temperature during the monitored time period. The observed decline in growth among mature individuals aligns with predictions from life‐history theory, reflecting a potential allocation shift from somatic growth to reproductive investment following maturation. This study provides rare empirical evidence from a natural fish population that long‐term environmental changes interact with intrinsic life‐history strategies, resulting in clear age‐specific patterns of growth variation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b02a441ab8dc4b7da726bec21a43de73 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-b02a441ab8dc4b7da726bec21a43de732025-08-25T08:16:14ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-08-01158n/an/a10.1002/ece3.71884Reconstructing History: Scale Analysis Reveals Long‐Term Changes in Age‐Related Growth of a Coregonid FishChristian Vogelmann0Maxim Teichert1Michael Schubert2Niels Dingemanse3Herwig Stibor4Faculty of Biology Department II, Aquatic Ecology Ludwig‐Maximilians‐Universität München Martinsried GermanyBavarian State Research Center for Agriculture (LfL), Institute for Fisheries Starnberg GermanyBavarian State Research Center for Agriculture (LfL), Institute for Fisheries Starnberg GermanyFaculty of Biology Department II, Behavioural Ecology Ludwig‐Maximilians‐Universität München Martinsried GermanyFaculty of Biology Department II, Aquatic Ecology Ludwig‐Maximilians‐Universität München Martinsried GermanyABSTRACT Animal growth is shaped by a complex interplay of environmental conditions and intrinsic life‐history trade‐offs, yet long‐term datasets allowing the reconstruction of individual growth histories in natural populations remain rare. Here, we use scale analysis to reconstruct age‐specific growth histories of coregonid fish (Coregonus sp.) from Lake Starnberg, Germany, over a 22‐year period, evaluating the roles of lake phosphorus concentrations and spring temperatures as potential drivers. Linear mixed‐effects models revealed age‐specific changes in scale growth over time: while growth remained stable or increased slightly in younger age classes (ages 1 and 2), growth significantly declined over time in mature fish (age 3). During the observed period, phosphorus concentrations decreased, indicating reduced nutrient availability, whereas spring temperatures showed no significant long‐term trend. Our analyses further indicated significant interactions between temperature and age class, suggesting that temperature effects on growth may have varied by age, even though there was no overall change in temperature during the monitored time period. The observed decline in growth among mature individuals aligns with predictions from life‐history theory, reflecting a potential allocation shift from somatic growth to reproductive investment following maturation. This study provides rare empirical evidence from a natural fish population that long‐term environmental changes interact with intrinsic life‐history strategies, resulting in clear age‐specific patterns of growth variation.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71884fisheries induced evolutionmaturation shiftsreproductive allocationwhitefish |
| spellingShingle | Christian Vogelmann Maxim Teichert Michael Schubert Niels Dingemanse Herwig Stibor Reconstructing History: Scale Analysis Reveals Long‐Term Changes in Age‐Related Growth of a Coregonid Fish Ecology and Evolution fisheries induced evolution maturation shifts reproductive allocation whitefish |
| title | Reconstructing History: Scale Analysis Reveals Long‐Term Changes in Age‐Related Growth of a Coregonid Fish |
| title_full | Reconstructing History: Scale Analysis Reveals Long‐Term Changes in Age‐Related Growth of a Coregonid Fish |
| title_fullStr | Reconstructing History: Scale Analysis Reveals Long‐Term Changes in Age‐Related Growth of a Coregonid Fish |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reconstructing History: Scale Analysis Reveals Long‐Term Changes in Age‐Related Growth of a Coregonid Fish |
| title_short | Reconstructing History: Scale Analysis Reveals Long‐Term Changes in Age‐Related Growth of a Coregonid Fish |
| title_sort | reconstructing history scale analysis reveals long term changes in age related growth of a coregonid fish |
| topic | fisheries induced evolution maturation shifts reproductive allocation whitefish |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71884 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT christianvogelmann reconstructinghistoryscaleanalysisrevealslongtermchangesinagerelatedgrowthofacoregonidfish AT maximteichert reconstructinghistoryscaleanalysisrevealslongtermchangesinagerelatedgrowthofacoregonidfish AT michaelschubert reconstructinghistoryscaleanalysisrevealslongtermchangesinagerelatedgrowthofacoregonidfish AT nielsdingemanse reconstructinghistoryscaleanalysisrevealslongtermchangesinagerelatedgrowthofacoregonidfish AT herwigstibor reconstructinghistoryscaleanalysisrevealslongtermchangesinagerelatedgrowthofacoregonidfish |