Selection against dispersers: Sex, age and origin-dependent fitness differences in wild Atlantic salmon

Abstract

Local adaptation is often portrayed as uniform fitness disadvantages of immigrants relative to residents. Yet dispersal costs vary with origin, sex, and life-history traits, shaping the balance between gene flow and adaptation. We quantified these heterogeneous costs by comparing the reproductive success of local and immigrant individuals using a 15-year genetic pedigree of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), including over 1,100 adults and 3,400 juveniles. Immigrants represented 19.5% of adults, showed male-biased dispersal, and averaged 15% lower reproductive success than locals. However, outcomes were strongly origin-dependent: immigrants from some populations suffered severe fitness costs while others matched or exceeded locals. Sex and life-history further modulated reproductive success: male immigrants underperformed local males, whereas multi-sea-winter females often equaled or outperformed female residents. Immigrant males partially compensated their fitness offset by acquiring more mates. These findings highlight that, while local adaptation promotes philopatry, immigrants origin effects should be considered in gene-flow adaptation dynamics.