Meeting Abstract

63.9  Wednesday, Jan. 6  Genetic variation in the plasticity of thermal performance in the zebrafish, Danio rerio. CONDON, CH*; CHENOWETH, SF; WILSON, RS; The University of Queensland, Australia; The University of Queensland, Australia; The University of Queensland, Australia c.condon@uq.edu.au

To adjust to seasonal variation in the environment many ectotherms are able to plastically alter the performance of a trait as a function of environmental temperature. Plastic changes in the shape, mean and height of thermal performance curves after acclimation are frequently found to enhance the performance of whole-animal traits (e.g. locomotion). While recent empirical work has focussed on whether acclimation provides an adaptive benefit to organisms, how short-term (i.e. seasonal) plasticity in thermal performance curves may evolve remains largely theoretical. Theory predicts that genetic variation is likely to exist in all traits including plastic acclimation responses. However, little is known of the genetic basis of the components of thermal performance curve shape (i.e. height, width and mean) upon which selection can act. Particularly, whether these components are constrained or can evolve independently. Here, we investigate the genetic variation in the thermal acclimation response of two whole-animal performance traits in the zebrafish, Danio rerio. We reared full-sib families in a common environment and exposed adults to either 16 or 32 °C to examine a GxE interaction on the plastic change in performance curve traits. After 6 weeks exposure, we tested the thermal performance of each animal for both burst swimming and routine activity between 12-36°C. Through the analysis of each individual’s thermal performance within a quantitative genetic framework we are able to discuss the genetic basis of plasticity in thermal performance curve shape.