scholarly journals Brown trout (Salmo trutta) growth and condition along a winter thermal gradient in temperate streams

2017 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.E. French ◽  
B. Vondracek ◽  
L.C. Ferrington ◽  
J.C. Finlay ◽  
D.J. Dieterman

Winter harshness and the degree to which it can impact stream-dwelling salmonid populations has received considerable attention from fisheries biologists, although some debate exists regarding the importance of winter severity for local populations. Groundwater input may buffer stream water temperature and benefit fish in buffered versus unbuffered streams. Overwinter growth and condition of individual brown trout were measured in 24 groundwater-dominated streams, and the relations between winter growth and condition to stream thermal regime (quantified by regressions of air and water temperature) and diet quality (amount and caloric density of prey) were examined in a subset of 16 streams. Brown trout (Salmo trutta) growth rate (mg·g−1·day−1) was positive overwinter in 18 of 24 streams, and there was no significant change in condition between early and late winter. Juvenile fish grew faster than adults, but there was no significant difference in condition between adults and juveniles. Thermal regime positively influenced winter growth for both adults and juveniles, likely mediated through moderation of water temperature by groundwater, whereas diet had no significant effect on growth.

1992 ◽  
Vol 49 (9) ◽  
pp. 1953-1958 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin McGowan ◽  
William S. Davidson

Protein electrophoresis and mitochondrial DNA analysis were used to detect the frequency and direction of natural hybridization between brown trout (Salmo trutta) and Atlantic salmon (S. salar) in nine Newfoundland rivers. In total, 37 hybrids were discovered in a sample of 792 juvenile fish for a regional frequency of 4.67%. Local frequencies ranged from 0.00 to 18.75% and were significantly heterogeneous. All of the hybrids sampled were produced from matings between female brown trout and male Atlantic salmon. Possible reasons for the breakdown of prereproductive isolating mechanisms between these species are considered. Reproductive characteristics of the populations involved appear to have a major influence on the dynamics of hybridization between these species in Newfoundland. It is proposed that an abundance of sexually mature Atlantic salmon parr in Newfoundland streams is responsible for both the frequency and direction of hybridization observed in this study.


Author(s):  
Anna Hagelin ◽  
Eva Bergman

Abstract Worldwide declines in salmonid populations have generated major interest in conservation and restoration of wild populations and riverine habitats. Species reintroductions to previous habitats raises questions about their potential impact on these systems. In River Klarälven, landlocked Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) has been extinct from upper reaches for over 50 years due to hydropower dams. Here we study competitive interactions between salmon, grayling (Thymallus thymallus) and brown trout (Salmo trutta), that occur in the upper reaches of the river. We examine foraging rates, aggression and activity of juvenile fish in allopatry at three different densities and in sympatry with one or both potential competitors in laboratory flumes. Salmon captured prey less frequently in the presence of brown trout and grayling, whereas grayling and brown trout were unaffected by salmon, but affected each other. Grayling was the most aggressive and active species whereas salmon the least. Consequently, re-introduction of salmon probably will have little impact on grayling and brown trout, whereas grayling and brown trout could affect the success of re-introducing salmon.


2012 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 821-832 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Parra ◽  
Ana Almodóvar ◽  
Daniel Ayllón ◽  
Graciela G. Nicola ◽  
Benigno Elvira

This study looks at the relative influence of water temperature and density dependence on the spatial variation in body size of 126 brown trout ( Salmo trutta ) cohorts from 12 Iberian rivers over a 12-year period. Mean cohort mass and length of age groups 0+ to 2+ varied significantly among sampling sites because of the concurrent effect of water temperature and density dependence. Density in suitable habitat had a limiting role that influenced potential maximum growth of cohorts, and water temperature differentiated these cohorts in two groups of sites with high and low potential maximum growth. Water temperature had a positive cumulative effect on body size of all age classes. However, body size of age-0 trout was nonlinearly influenced by short-term exposure to extreme water temperature. Thus, extremely high temperatures became a limiting factor and had deleterious effects on growth. There were intracohort and intercohort effects of density dependence throughout the life span, which were mainly due to the density in the available suitable habitat of trout of the same age or older. The present study supports the hypothesis that both density-dependent and density-independent processes are crucial for the understanding of population dynamics and that their relative importance varies across scales of space and time.


2017 ◽  
Vol 74 (10) ◽  
pp. 1612-1627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Bret ◽  
Hervé Capra ◽  
Véronique Gouraud ◽  
Nicolas Lamouroux ◽  
Jérémy Piffady ◽  
...  

Successful management and protection of wild animal populations relies on good understanding of their life cycles. Because population dynamics depends on intricate interactions of biological and ecological processes at various scales, new approaches are needed that account for the variability of demographic processes and associated parameters in a hierarchy of spatial scales. A hierarchical Bayesian model for the resident brown trout (Salmo trutta) life cycle was built to assess the relative influence of local and general determinants of mortality. The model was fitted to an extensive data set collected in 40 river reaches, combining abundance and environmental data (hydraulics, water temperature). Density-dependent mortality of juveniles increased at low water temperatures and decreased with shelter availability. High water temperature increased density-dependent mortality in adults. The model could help to predict monthly juvenile and adult mortality under scenarios of global warming and changes in shelter availability due to habitat degradation or restoration.


1991 ◽  
Vol 48 (10) ◽  
pp. 1838-1845 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bror Jonsson ◽  
Jan Henning L'Abée-Lund ◽  
Tor G. Heggberget ◽  
Arne J. Jensen ◽  
Bjørn O. Johnsen ◽  
...  

Longevity in 25 populations of anadromous brown trout (Salmo trutta) showed a significant trend with increasing life span at latitudes of 58–70°N in Norway, with the largest change from 58 to 60°N. Moreover, longevity was negatively correlated with temperature and growth rate in freshwater and at sea. Body size was negatively correlated with water temperature and growth rate in freshwater, but not with latitude or water temperature and growth rate at sea. Thus, conditions influencing development and metabolic rates in fresh water seem more important than conditions in the sea in determining variation in longevity and body size of anadromous brown trout. Our results support the hypothesis that interpopulation variation in longevity and body size is influenced by rate of metabolism, chiefly influenced by ambient water temperature.


2007 ◽  
Vol 97 (3) ◽  
pp. 522-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Luis Balcázar ◽  
Ignacio de Blas ◽  
Imanol Ruiz-Zarzuela ◽  
Daniel Vendrell ◽  
Ana Cristina Calvo ◽  
...  

We studied the effect of several lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on the humoral response of brown trout (Salmo trutta). LAB groups (Lactococcus(Lc.)lactisssp.lactis,Lactobacillus(Lb.)sakeiandLeuconostoc(Leu.)mesenteroides) were administered orally at 106colony-forming units/g feed to brown trout for 2 weeks, after which fish were switched to an unsupplemented feed. Blood and intestinal samples were taken from the onset of feeding supplemented diets at 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks. During the LAB-feeding period,Lc. lactisssp.lactis,Lb. sakeiandLeu. mesenteroidespersisted in the fish intestines, but the number of LAB slowly decreased in the intestines after changing to the unsupplemented diet. OnlyLb. lactisssp.lactisandLeu. mesenteroideswere detected at levels above 1 × 102colony-forming units/g at the end of the fourth week. In comparison to untreated control fish, the alternative complement activity in the serum was found to be significantly greater in all LAB groups at the end of the second week. Groups supplemented withLc. lactisssp.lactisandLeu. mesenteroidesexhibited an elevated level of lysozyme activity at the end of the third week, but the group supplemented withLb. sakeidid not exhibit any significant change in lysozyme activity. Serum immunoglobulin levels were higher compared with the control group, but there was no significant difference between the LAB and control groups.


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