Widespread hybridization between native atlantic salmon, salmo-salar, and introduced brown trout, salmo-trutta, in eastern newfoundland

Hybridization between native Atlantic salmon and introduced brown trout was found to occur at a mean frequency of 0.9% in Atlantic salmon populations in eastern Newfoundland. Hybrids were detected in five of the 10 watersheds studied, but consideration of sampling error suggests that they could have been present in the remaining five watersheds although they were not detected. The frequency found in the Newfoundland and other North American salmon populations is significantly greater than the 0.3% reported for salmon populations in the British Isles, and both are higher than frequencies observed in salmon populations in Sweden. The higher frequency in North America is in accord with the prediction that hybridization between species will be more frequent where one species is introduced than in areas where both are native.

Widespread hybridization between native Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, and introduced brown trout, S. trutta, in eastern Newfoundland - ResearchGate. Available from: http://www.researchgate.net/publication/229797116_Widespread_hybridization_between_native_Atlantic_salmon_Salmo_salar_and_introduced_brown_trout_S._trutta_in_eastern_Newfoundland [accessed May 22, 2015].