Use of Variation in Biological Characters for the Classification of Anadromous Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) Groups

1983 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 718-727 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Fréchet ◽  
J. J. Dodson ◽  
H. Powles
Keyword(s):  
Open Water ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Osmerus Mordax ◽  
Rainbow Smelt ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Saguenay Fjord ◽  
South Shore ◽  
Lower North Shore ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary

Analysis of meristics, growth patterns, and fecundity to somatic weight relationships of spawning anadromous rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) in Quebec waters demonstrated the existence of three geographical groups (Chaleur Bay, south shore of the St. Lawrence Estuary, and Saguenay Fjord). Although homing to spawning rivers does not appear to occur, the degree of heterogeneity of spawning smelt of different geographical areas is less at the extremes of their Quebec distribution. Classification of smelt from the commercial fishery catch indicates limited mixing of these groups during open-water migration. The existence of a fourth group is suggested by classification analysis of smelt caught along the lower north shore of the St. Lawrence Estuary.

Les parasites de l'éperlan d'amérique (Osmerus mordax) anadrome du Québec et leur utilité comme étiquettes biologiques

1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 621-626 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Fréchet ◽  
J. J. Dodson ◽  
H. Powles
Keyword(s):  
Osmerus Mordax ◽  
The South ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Fourth Group ◽  
Saguenay Fjord ◽  
South Shore ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary

Distribution of smelt parasites Glugea hertwigi, Diphyllobothrium sebago, and Echinorhynchus salmonis support previous hypotheses that three groups of anadromous smelt occur in Quebec waters. These groups are associated with three geographical areas: the Saguenay fjord, the south shore of the St. Lawrence estuary, and Chaleur Bay. Furthermore, the presence of two parasites almost exclusive to the smelt sampled in Forestville and Baie Comeau confirms the existence of a fourth group.

Tidal Exchange of Anadromous Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) Larvae Between a Shallow Spawning Tributary and the St, Lawrence Estuary

1985 ◽  
Vol 42 (8) ◽  
pp. 1352-1358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Ouellet ◽  
Julian J. Dodson
Keyword(s):  
Vertical Distribution ◽  
Yolk Sac ◽  
Osmerus Mordax ◽  
Estuarine Water ◽  
Tidal Exchange ◽  
Rainbow Smelt ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Sampling Series ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Riverine Transport

The factors involved in the riverine transport and tidal exchange of yolk-sac rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) larvae between Ouelle River and the St. Lawrence estuary were documented. A 72-h sampling series provided evidence of synchronous nighttime hatching of larvae independent of water temperature and river hydrodynamics. Although light conditions influence the vertical distribution of yolk-sac larvae at the river's mouth, the influence of current speed on larval vertical distribution appears to be a more important element in the dynamics of riverine drift and tidal exchange. Yolk-sac larvae sink to the bottom as water currents decrease prior to low slack water. With the intrusion of estuarine water along the bottom during the flood, yolk-sac larvae drifting from the river appear to be mixed with larger post yolk-sac larvae of estuarine origin resulting in temporary retention at the mouth of Ouelle River. However, longer ebb phases in the river result in a net transport of smelt larvae towards the St. Lawrence estuary. We conclude that the riverine transport and mixing of yolk-sac larvae with the estuarine water mass is controlled principally by the hydrodynamics of the system and the nighttime hatching and specific gravity of yolk-sac larvae.

Abundance of Larval Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) in Relation to the Maximum Turbidity Zone and Associated Macroplanktonic Fauna of the Middle St. Lawrence Estuary

Estuaries ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian J. Dodson ◽  
Jean-Claude Dauvin ◽  
R. Grant Ingram ◽  
B. d' Anglejan
Keyword(s):  
Osmerus Mordax ◽  
Rainbow Smelt ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Maximum Turbidity Zone ◽  
Maximum Turbidity

Planktivory by alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) on microcrustacean zooplankton and dreissenid (Bivalvia: Dreissenidae) veligers in southern Lake Ontario

1995 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 925-935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward L. Mills ◽  
Connie Adams ◽  
Robert O'Gorman ◽  
Randall W. Owens ◽  
Edward F. Roseman
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Lake Ontario ◽  
Osmerus Mordax ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Alosa Pseudoharengus ◽  
Rainbow Smelt ◽  
Consumption Rates ◽  
South Shore ◽  
Young Of The Year ◽  
Veliger Larvae

The objective of this study was to describe the diet of young-of-the-year and adult alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) in nearshore waters coincident with the colonization of Lake Ontario by Dreissena. Laboratory experiments and field observations indicated that alewife and rainbow smelt consumed dreissenid veligers and that the veligers remained intact and identifiable in the digestive tract for several hours. Dreissenid larvae were found in field-caught alewife and rainbow smelt in August 1992, even though veliger densities were low (<0.1/L). Zooplankton dominated the diet of all fish and veliger larvae were <0.1% of the biomass of prey eaten by these fish. Density of veligers and the distribution of settled dreissenids declined from west to east along the south shore of Lake Ontario. Based on veliger consumption rates we measured and the abundance of veligers and planktivores, we conclude that planktivory by alewife and smelt in the nearshore waters of Lake Ontario did not substantially reduce the number of veligers during 1991–1993. However, our results indicate that if the density of veligers in Lake Ontario decreases, and if planktivores remain abundant, planktivory on veliger populations could be significant.

New records of the mysids Boreomysis nobilis G. O. Sars and Mysis litoralis (Banner) in the Saguenay fjord (St. Lawrence estuary)

1974 ◽  
Vol 52 (8) ◽  
pp. 1087-1090 ◽  
Author(s):  
David C. Judkins ◽  
Robert Wright
Keyword(s):  
New Records ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Glacial Period ◽  
Isolated Populations ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Midwater Trawl ◽  
Boreal Region ◽  
Saguenay Fjord ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary

The arctic–subarctic mysids Boreomysis nobilis and Mysis litoralis were abundant in midwater trawl collections from the Saguenay fjord but were almost absent in collections from the confluent St. Lawrence estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. Collections from the estuary and Gulf contained boreal mysids more typical of the latitude. The presence of apparently isolated populations of B. nobilis and M. litoralis in the fjord is further evidence that it is an arctic enclave within a boreal region. The hypothesis that populations of arctic and subarctic species in the Saguenay fjord are relicts from a previous glacial period is questioned in view of the possibility of more recent faunal exchange between the Arctic and the fjord via intermediate arctic enclaves on the eastern Canadian coast.

Dispersion and Retention of Anadromous Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) Larvae in the Middle Estuary of the St. Lawrence River

1985 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 332-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Quellet ◽  
Julian J. Dodson
Keyword(s):  
Water Mass ◽  
High Tide ◽  
Horizontal Distribution ◽  
Circulation System ◽  
Larval Abundance ◽  
Osmerus Mordax ◽  
Rainbow Smelt ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Middle Estuary ◽  
St Lawrence River

The vertical and horizontal distribution of anadromous rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) larvae from hatching in their natal river to their occupation of nursery areas in the middle estuary of the St. Lawrence River was documented to describe the mechanism responsible for the retention of smelt larvae in this area. Peaks of larval abundance observed downstream of the spawning grounds indicate a 24-h periodicity in hatching and the introduction of larvae into the riverine circulation. No retention of larvae was observed between the spawning ground and the downstream portion of the natal river. Our evidence indicates daytime accumulation of larvae at the mouth of the natal river, possibly resulting from the negative phototaxis exhibited by small smelt larvae. Patches of smelt larvae were incorporated into the St. Lawrence estuarine water mass once every 24 h at night following high tide. The subsequent downstream transport of larvae in the St. Lawrence estuary appears slower than the advection of the water mass due to the tendency of larvae to remain deeper in the water column during ebb tides and to concentrate near the surface during flood tides. Smelt larvae are transported from the south shore to the partially mixed northern portion of the middle estuary which represents the principal zone of larval smelt accumulation. We propose that the vertical displacements exhibited by smelt larvae in combination with the two-layer circulation system of the northern middle estuary results in the retention of smelt larvae in this region.

scholarly journals Spatial variations in CO<sub>2</sub> fluxes in the Saguenay Fjord (Quebec, Canada) and results of a water mixing model

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 547-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Delaigue ◽  
Helmuth Thomas ◽  
Alfonso Mucci
Keyword(s):  
Surface Waters ◽  
Brackish Water ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Mixing Model ◽  
Isotopic Tracers ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Saguenay Fjord ◽  
Spring Freshet ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary

Abstract. The Saguenay Fjord is a major tributary of the St. Lawrence Estuary and is strongly stratified. A 6–8 m wedge of brackish water typically overlies up to 270 m of seawater. Relative to the St. Lawrence River, the surface waters of the Saguenay Fjord are less alkaline and host higher dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. In view of the latter, surface waters of the fjord are expected to be a net source of CO2 to the atmosphere, as they partly originate from the flushing of organic-rich soil porewaters. Nonetheless, the CO2 dynamics in the fjord are modulated with the rising tide by the intrusion, at the surface, of brackish water from the Upper St. Lawrence Estuary, as well as an overflow of mixed seawater over the shallow sill from the Lower St. Lawrence Estuary. Using geochemical and isotopic tracers, in combination with an optimization multiparameter algorithm (OMP), we determined the relative contribution of known source waters to the water column in the Saguenay Fjord, including waters that originate from the Lower St. Lawrence Estuary and replenish the fjord's deep basins. These results, when included in a conservative mixing model and compared to field measurements, serve to identify the dominant factors, other than physical mixing, such as biological activity (photosynthesis, respiration) and gas exchange at the air–water interface, that impact the water properties (e.g., pH, pCO2) of the fjord. Results indicate that the fjord's surface waters are a net source of CO2 to the atmosphere during periods of high freshwater discharge (e.g., spring freshet), whereas they serve as a net sink of atmospheric CO2 when their practical salinity exceeds ∼5–10.

Le Panache du Saguenay

1983 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Lebel ◽  
E. Pelletier ◽  
M. Bergeron ◽  
N. Belzile ◽  
G. Marquis
Keyword(s):  
Surface Layer ◽  
Deep Water ◽  
High Tide ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Fresh Waters ◽  
Saguenay Fjord ◽  
Region Data ◽  
Saguenay River ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary ◽  
St Lawrence River

The large difference between the alkalinity of the fresh waters of the St. Lawrence River (1.475 mmol∙kg−1) and the Saguenay River (0.134 mmol∙kg−1) was used to locate the region on the St. Lawrence estuary which is under the influence of the Saguenay River. This method has the advantage over classical measurements such as salinity and temperature that it is independent of the upwelling of deep water in this region. Data was obtained in the St. Lawrence estuary near the mouth of the Saguenay fjord using a network of 33 stations at slack low tide and 23 stations at slack high tide. The results show that, at low tide, Saguenay water forms a plume which extends more than 10 km from the mouth of the fjord into the estuary. At high tide the plume is restricted to the surface layer as the Saguenay waters are pushed back into the fjord.

Distribution des spectres de taille des particules en suspension dans le fjord du Saguenay

1979 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 240-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Chanut ◽  
S. A. Poulet
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Water Mass ◽  
Layer Structure ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Water Masses ◽  
Size Spectra ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Saguenay Fjord ◽  
Bottom Waters ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary

The spatial distribution of particle size spectra shows a two-layer stratification in May but reveals three-layer structure in September, both in the Saguenay fjord and in the adjacent waters of the St. Lawrence estuary, near the sill. In May, the particle size spectra in the surface layer show considerable variability whereas, in the bottom waters, they appear to be relatively homogeneous. In September, the deeper, more homogeneous water mass is less extensive. It is apparently eroded by diffusion and advection during summer months and becomes restricted to intermediate depths towards the head of the fjord. During the same period, a water mass with physical and particulate properties different from the upper layers occupies the bottom of the fjord. Principal component analysis shows that variations in particle size spectra are independent from one layer to another. Water masses with identical physical and particulate properties located in both sides of the sill illustrate the influence of the St. Lawrence estuary on the Saguenay fjord. These water masses, generally located below the sill depth, indicate the existence of powerful advective mechanisms in this region.

Régime alimentaire et principaux facteurs influençant l'alimentation des larves de capelan (Mallotus villosus), d'éperlan (Osmerus mordax) et de hareng (Clupea harengus harengus) dans un estuaire partiellement mélangé

1986 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 968-979 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Courtois ◽  
J. J. Dodson
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Rate ◽  
Water Masses ◽  
Clupea Harengus ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Osmerus Mordax ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Daily Cycles ◽  
Food And Feeding ◽  
Clupea Harengus Harengus ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary

The food and feeding rate periodicity of larvae of capelin (Mallotus villiosus), smelt (Osmerus mordax), and herring (Clupea harengus harengus) were studied to determine the existence of potential interactions between the larvae of these three species. Analyses of the gut contents showed that larvae of capelin started to feed before yolk sac absorption but that the feeding rate was low (<20%) in the lower St. Lawrence estuary; the small size of capelin larvae restricted their feeding to tintinnids. Larvae of the two other species feed at a greater rate than capelin larvae and their food is more diverse. The temporal sequence of feeding incidences showed daily cycles for the three species and semidiurnal cycles for larvae of capelin and herring. The importance of light for feeding of larvae was confirmed by the daily cycles and by the greater abundance of larvae with gut contents in surface waters (0–20 m). From the absence of a relation between biotic factors (density of larvae) and the temporal evolution of feeding incidences, we suggest that semidiurnal cycles are mainly related to temperature changes associated with advection of water masses at the sampling stations. Even though similar reactions to certain environmental variables were observed, we concluded that interspecific competition is minimal between larvae of the three species. Although present at the same stations, larvae of different species mainly occurred in distinct water masses; they are also mainly of different size. Those characteristics force them to exploit organisms of different size and mainly of different species.

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