Distribution of Fish Species in Great Bear Lake, Northwest Territories, with Reference to Zooplankton, Benthic Invertebrates, and Environmental Conditions

1975 ◽  
Vol 32 (11) ◽  
pp. 1989-2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lionel Johnson

Benthic invertebrates in Great Bear Lake are most highly concentrated in the upper 20 m. Densities between 20 and 100 m are low; below 100 m only Mysis relicta and Myoxocephalus quadricornis exist at measurable densities. All benthic organisms exhibit a high degree of patchiness.Lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush, and M. quadricornis are two species that inhabit the lake at all depths (3–400 m) and temperatures (13.2 C for M. quadricornis and 15 C for S. namaycush).Whitefish, Coregonus clupeaformis, inhabit only the bays, seldom being caught in water over 20 m deep. The distribution of whitefish is considered to be restricted mainly by the density of benthic organisms.Three species are confined to the periphery of the lake, Stizostedion vitreum, Lota lota, and Catostomus catostomus. Two species, Couesius plumbeus and Percopsis omiscomaycus, are present in the headwaters and Great Bear River but have not been able to establish themselves in Great Bear Lake. Extreme oligotrophy is considered to have had the effect of reducing species diversity.


1976 ◽  
Vol 33 (11) ◽  
pp. 2459-2488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lionel Johnson

The available data on the fish populations of 35 lakes in the Northwest Territories are examined. The lakes range in size from Great Bear Lake (31, 156 km2) to Keyhole Lake (46 ha); they are situated between lat. 60 and 75° N, east from the Mackenzie River to the west coast of Hudson Bay. Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) form the main populations of the mainland lakes and together make up to 95% of the total catch. There is a trend toward increasing importance of whitefish with decreasing severity of conditions. Most populations show a uni, bi-, or trimodal length distribution; age distributions are unimodal. No change in these distributions was observed over a large number of years in certain lakes. These populations are considered to have reached a climax condition comparable with a vegetational climax, and are therefore in equilibrium with their environment. All incoming energy is ultimately used in respiration to support a high biomass of fish.



1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (10) ◽  
pp. 1860-1877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Claude DesLandes ◽  
Sylvie Guénette ◽  
Yves Prairie ◽  
Réjean Fortin ◽  
Dominique Roy ◽  
...  

Catches per unit of effort (CPUE) with experimental gill nets, recruitment, growth, and condition were monitored between 1977 and 1992 to evaluate the impact of impoundment on the main fish species of La Grande 2, Opinaca, and Caniapiscau reservoirs and the Boyd–Sakami diversion. CPUE and recruitment of northern pike (Esox lucius) and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) increased markedly at most stations after impoundment and decreased at the end of the series. The lake whitefish and cisco (Coregonus artedii) showed their most striking rise in CPUE at two bay stations of La Grande 2 and Opinaca reservoirs. CPUE and recruitment of the longnose sucker (Catostomus catostomus), white sucker (Catostomus commersoni), and lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) (Caniapiscau) showed a general decrease following impoundment. CPUE for the walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) also decreased at several stations; however, the two most southerly stations in La Grande 2 reservoir and the Boyd–Sakami station showed high CPUE during the series. Concentration–redistribution phenomena explain part of the observed variations in CPUE. Correlation analyses showed that walleyes and white suckers were attracted to the warmer, more turbid stations, and that the high primary and secondary productivity of bay stations attracted the coregonines. Growth and condition of the main species increased during variable time intervals after impoundment and decreased at the end of the series.







1978 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 945-950 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Healey

This report considers the possibility that exploited populations of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) and lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) may show increased individual fecundity. Average fecundity of both species in three exploited lakes varied significantly between 1972 and 1976, while fecundity in an adjacent unexploited lake did not vary. Changes in the fecundity of whitefish and trout in the exploited lakes were not clearly related to the pattern and intensity of exploitation, but fecundity of both species increased in all exploited lakes after exploitation, with trout showing the greater response. Key words: fecundity, lake whitefish, lake trout, exploitation, northern Canada



2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin P. Gallagher ◽  
Matthew M. Guzzo ◽  
Terry A. Dick

We conducted a multi-year acoustic telemetry study of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush (Walbaum, 1792)) in a small subarctic lake to investigate depth and temperature occupancy, and vertical activity across seasons (summer, fall, and winter), diel periods (day, twilight, and night), and during summer periods of 24 h light (day and twilight). Analyses using generalized additive mixed models revealed a high degree of individual variation in depth occupancy independent of the factors hour of day, season, and diel period, whereas temperature occupancy and vertical activity were explained using the three combined factors. Habitats occupied were typically 9–20 m and 6–9.5 °C in summer, 1–3 m and 2–15 °C in fall during presumed spawning, and ≤6 m and <3 °C in winter. Lake trout exhibited partial diel migration where individuals displayed a variety of vertical migratory directions within and among seasons or diel period, including during periods of 24 h light. Fish were most vertically active during periods of daylight and in fall. During 24 h light, some lake trout performed crepuscular movements, whereas individual behaviour best explained modelled depth and temperature occupancy and vertical activity. The variety of vertical patterns among individuals and seasons suggests multifactor proximate causes of partial diel migration and crepuscular movements.



1970 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. V. Martin

From 1936 to 1965 food content was examined in 17,171 Lake Opeongo lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush). The diet is analysed from the point of view of frequency of occurrence of foods, their weight, feeding activity of trout, size of trout and size of food, and seasonal and annual changes in food habits.In the late 1940's and early 1950's perch, Perca flavescens, largely disappeared from the diet. The lake trout initially turned to lake whitefish, Coregonus clupeaformis, and then to the cisco, Coregonus artedii, introduced into Lake Opeongo in 1948.As a result of these dietary changes lake trout are now heavier and rate of growth has improved. Age and size at maturity is later and there are fewer infertile fish. Egg counts, egg size, and ovary weights are now greater, particularly in the medium-sized lake trout.In the fishery the average weight of individual trout taken has almost doubled. About 25% more of the immature stock is exploited by the recent fishery. The harvest and catchability of lake trout has remained generally constant on a numerical basis but show an improvement on a poundage basis in the more recent years. The possible effects of these changes on the character of the fishery are discussed.



1966 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 1599-1606 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Tsuyuki ◽  
J. F. Uthe ◽  
E. Roberts ◽  
L. W. Clarke

Zone electropherograms of muscle myogens and blood proteins of members of the family Salmonidae revealed in addition to species specificity, marked similarities at the genus and family levels. In genera investigated, other than the Oncorhynchus, intraspecies polymorphisms were found. Two general hemoglobin patterns were uncovered from specimens of Coregonus clupeaformis from Great Slave Lake while their muscle myogen patterns were specifically uniform. Salvelinus namaycush from Lake Superior and Cayuga Lake were readily distinguishable by differences in their multiple hemoglobin patterns as well as by plasma proteins as revealed by polyacrylamide disc electrophoresis. Muscle myogen electropherograms of S. namaycush, S. alpinus, and S. malma showed striking similarities, the latter two being almost superimposable while the patterns of Salvelinus fontinalis were more closely allied to that of the genus Salmo. The value of muscle myogens in phylogenetic studies and in intraspecies protein variations as diagnostic characters in stock analyses is discussed.



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