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Cold water aquaria room

Sticklebacks

The threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus complex) invaded much of Switzerland in the past 150 years. Despite the fact that this invasion is very recent, an amazing diversity of phenotypes has colonized a very wide range of different habitats, ranging from small streams to the pelagic zones of the largest lakes. Exceptionally large variation in key phenotyes is observed within Switzerland, comparable to the overall variation across Europe in general, including both marine and freshwater populations. We investigate how the interaction of natural and sexual selection, historical contingency and hybridization permitted the rapid evolution of this variation that has allowed fort this invasion of ecologically diverse environments.

To investigate the genetic basis and evolutionary potential of this rapid adaptive diversification, we combine laboratory and field studies. We use data collected from field observations with genetic, behavioural and morphological data collected in the lab. To this end, we maintain state of the art facilities for experimental research at our institutes in Kastanienbaum and Bern. 

We currently maintain breeding tanks to propagate lines and crosses of interest, as well as experimental tanks to conduct tests of mate choice etc.. We have been developing expertise in in-vitro fertilization techniques and in inducing spawning in stickleback to effectively carry out experiments on this model system year-round.

Management of Coregonids

European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus group) are native to all major lakes of the Alpine region. Due to their high commercial value they are the object of intense exploitation. Most, if not all stocks are managed in a fairly sustainable way, allowing most fish to spawn at least once. Stocking programmes are often carried out in order to sustain the fishable stock. In nutrient-poor (oligotrophic) lakes, natural reproduction is functional and often produces most of the fish caught, while stocking contributes only a minor part of the recruits. In nutrient-rich (eutrophic) lakes, however, natural reproduction is impaired or even completely disabled because the eggs that develop on the lake bottom suffocate in the muddy, anoxic sediment. Improving – lowering – the trophic state of such lakes also aims at restoring natural reproduction of coregonids.