Identifying Historically Collected Larval Coregonines to Species Using a Redesigned Genetic Assay

Abstract

Cisco and Whitefish are prey fish in the Great Lakes; however, their populations have sharply declined. However, their larvae are phenotypically indistinguishable, thus requiring a genetic assay to differentiate the species. We redesigned an established assay to analyze historical samples so that climate drivers of population dynamics can be studied.