Predation by Freshwater Seals on the Fish Community of Lower Seal Lake, Quebec

1978 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 844-850 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Power ◽  
Jean Gregoire

The presence of freshwater harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) in Lower Seal Lake, Quebec, has drastically modified the lake's fish community. Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) are the most affected; they are small (rarely exceed 55 cm fork length), their growth rate is faster than in neighboring lakes, their longevity is greatly reduced, the age at sexual maturity has been halved, and individual fecundity per unit weight has increased at the expense of egg diameter. Brook trout (S. fontinalis), the dominant fish species in the lake, show evidence of high mortality rates in the lake, but are protected during the vulnerable spawning period because their spawning sites are dispersed in tributary streams. Rough calculation suggests the seal population is small and that it consumes the lake's potential yield of fish annually. Key words: predation, freshwater seals, Phoca vitulina, Salvelinus namaycush, Salvelinus fontinalis

1972 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Fraser

Recoveries of hatchery-reared brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), splake (Salvelinus namaycush × S. fontinalis), and rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri), planted in lakes having different resident fishes, were highest (9–30%) in a lake in which minnows and the brook stickleback were the only other fishes. Recoveries, by angling and gillnetting, were considerably lower (2–15%) in two lakes containing the white sucker and minnows, and still lower (0.5–5%,) in two lakes containing spiny-rayed species as well. Recoveries were lowest (< 0.5%) in a lake having a complex fish community that included native brook and lake trout. Planted splake and rainbow trout generally yielded higher returns, in weight, than brook trout in comparable situations.The low survival of planted fish was apparently due to the low fertility of the waters and to competition with, or predation by, resident fish species. Predation by fish-eating birds and mammals may also have had an effect.The weight of the catch of salmonids exceeded the weight planted in only one lake. Here, the mean yield of planted salmonids was 8.4 kg/ha per year in comparison with 2.6 to < 0.5 kg/ha per year in the five other study lakes.


1987 ◽  
Vol 44 (S2) ◽  
pp. s239-s248 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. I. Goddard ◽  
D. H. Loftus ◽  
J. A. MacLean ◽  
C. H. Olver ◽  
B. J. Shuter

Creel and lake survey data from 87 Ontario lakes with self-sustaining lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) populations were analysed to determine the effect of intrinsic factors, such as fish community structure, and extrinsic factors, such as angling-effort, on the observed yields of lake trout. Multiple regression analyses showed that angling-effort and lake area, in order of importance, explained almost 82% of the variation in annual catches. Analyses of covariance were used to test a variety of hypotheses about how community structure — the presence of forage, competitors, or alternate sports species — affected the catch of lake trout. No significant differences among groups were detected, which suggests that fish community structure has little or no effect on actual yield of lake trout. The difficulties inherent in using catch and effort data alone to evaluate the importance of factors affecting productivity (or potential yield) are discussed.


1990 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 440-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Keller ◽  
Lewis A. Molot ◽  
Ronald W. Griffiths ◽  
N. D. Yan

The zoobenthos of Bowland Lake is described prior to, and for 2 yr after, neutralization of the lake from pH 4.9 to > 6.0 and reintroduction of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush). Observed changes in the total abundance, biomass, and size structure of shallow and profundal zoobenthos assemblages were attributable to changes in the fish community, not to improvements in water quality. A shift toward increased importance of oligochaetes, more representative of nonacidic conditions, occurred. However, many common, acid-sensitive taxa of zoobenthos which were absent prior to neutralization had not appeared within 2 yr after treatment, indicating insufficient time for recolonization.


2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 429-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas S. Johnson ◽  
Dennis Higgs ◽  
Thomas R. Binder ◽  
J. Ellen Marsden ◽  
Tyler Buchinger ◽  
...  

Two sounds associated with spawning lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in lakes Huron and Champlain were characterized by comparing sound recordings with behavioral data collected using acoustic telemetry and video. These sounds were named “growls” and “snaps” and were heard on lake trout spawning reefs, but not on a nonspawning reef, and were more common at night than during the day. Growls also occurred more often during the spawning period than the prespawning period, while the trend for snaps was reversed. In a laboratory flume, sounds occurred when male lake trout were displaying spawning behaviors: growls when males were quivering and parallel swimming and snaps when males moved their jaw. Combining our results with the observation of possible sound production by spawning splake (Salvelinus fontinalis × Salvelinus namaycush hybrid) provides rare evidence for spawning-related sound production by a salmonid or any other fish in the superorder Protacanthopterygii. Further characterization of these sounds could be useful for lake trout assessment, restoration, and control.


1974 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 1351-1354 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Ihssen ◽  
J. S. Tait

Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) derived from two populations differed in retention of swimbladder gas. The two reciprocal interpopulation crosses were intermediate to the parent populations. The two F1 hybrids obtained by crossing fish from each lake trout population with brook trout (S. fontinalis) were also found different in retention. Gas retention was correlated with depth distribution of the parent populations, high retention being associated with deeper distribution.


1989 ◽  
Vol 46 (9) ◽  
pp. 1531-1538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward A. Trippel ◽  
F. William H. Beamish

Trophic dynamics between lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and cisco (Coregonus artedii) were examined in a set of 10 northwestern Ontario lakes that ranged in conductivity by nearly an order of magnitude. Diets revealed the possibility of interspecific competition for invertebrate prey prior to initiation of piscivory by lake trout at approximately 200 mm fork length (FL). Von Bertalanffy growth equations (based on otolith ages) were used to estimate time to attain this length (1.4–3.0 yr). Contrary to anticipated results, lake trout reached this size more rapidly in lakes with high cisco abundance. Presumably, this relationship was caused by improved food conditions for young trout in some of the more productive waterbodies. However, after removing the collinearity between lake conductivity and nonpiscivorous growth by regression analysis, there was no relationship between the time for lake trout to reach 200 mm and cisco abundance. Piscivorous growth varied (L∞ = 508 to 740 mm) extensively among the 10 populations and was likely a function of growth efficiency from different food sources. Using stepwise multiple regression, 81% of the L∞ variation among lakes was explained by cisco abundance and mean size. Linear regression between L∞ and mean size of trout (but not trout abundance) on conductivity generated significant positive relationships.


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