Comparative Developmental Biology of Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) from the Fraser River, British Columbia

1986 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 252-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry D. Beacham ◽  
Clyde B. Murray

Eggs and alevins from 32 families of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) from seven Fraser River stocks spawning at different times or in different tributaries were incubated in controlled water temperatures of 4, 8, and 12 °C. There were significant differences in egg and alevin survival among stocks and among families within stocks in the different incubation temperatures. Highest egg survival for a late-spawning Vedder River stock occurred at 4 °C, while egg survival from other stocks was highest at 8 °C. Late-spawning stocks had smaller eggs and earlier times of fry emergence than did early-spawning ones. There was no effect of spawning time on alevin hatching time. Alevins hatching at 8 °C were larger than those hatching at 4 or 12 °C, but there were no stock differences in alevin length or tissue weight. Stocks with greater egg sizes produced alevins of greater total weight. Fry emerging at 8 °C were larger than those emerging at 4 or 12 °C, and fry from early-spawning stocks were longer and had greater tissue weight than those from late-spawning ones. There were significant differences among families within stocks in size of alevins and fry, and family differences should be accounted for in studies of salmonid developmental biology.

1987 ◽  
Vol 44 (10) ◽  
pp. 1702-1713 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. D. Beacham ◽  
A. P. Gould ◽  
R. E. Withler ◽  
C. B. Murray ◽  
L. W. Barner

We examined genetic variability using electrophoretic analysis of 83 chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) stocks in British Columbia and used regional differences in genotypic frequencies of seven polymorphic loci to estimate stock compositions in a number of commercial and experimental test fisheries. Chum salmon from five regions could be discriminated: Queen Charlotte islands, north and central coast, west coast of Vancouver Island, the Fraser River and its tributaries, and the south coast (rivers draining into Johnstone Strait and the Strait of Georgia). Allelic frequencies from 33 stocks were generally stable over a period of 2 yr or more. South coast chum salmon was the dominant run migrating through upper Johnstone Strait in October 1982–85. The genetic method of stock identification provided managers with the relative proportions of Fraser River and other groups of chum salmon in a number of fisheries and allowed managers to regulate more effectively the exploitation rate of Fraser River chum salmon.


1985 ◽  
Vol 42 (11) ◽  
pp. 1755-1765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry D. Beacham ◽  
Clyde B. Murray

We incubated eggs and alevins for five chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) families in each of three female size classes under controlled water temperatures of 4, 8, and 12 °C. Egg survival from fertilization to hatching was highest for eggs from small females and lowest for eggs from large females at all three incubation temperatures. Egg survival was highest at 8 °C, and at 4 °C survival rates were largely determined from fertilization to epiboly, but at 12 °C the lowest egg survival rates were recorded from eye pigmentation to hatching. There were marked differences in egg survival rates among families. Overall survival rates from egg fertilization to fry emergence were most divergent between the large and small female size class at 12 °C. Hatching time of the alevins and emergence time of the fry were similar among the three female size classes at each incubation temperature. Alevins hatching at 4 °C were the longest, but those hatching at 12 °C were the heaviest. Larger females produced alevins with both more yolk reserves and more body tissue at hatching than those from smaller females. The relation between egg weight and subsequent alevin size was dependent upon incubation temperature. At emergence, the longest and heaviest fry were produced by the largest female size class.


1985 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 437-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry D. Beacham ◽  
Ruth E. Withler ◽  
Allan P. Gould

We used electrophoresis to examine genetic variability of 33 chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) stocks in southern British Columbia and used differences in genotypic frequencies among these stocks for estimating stock compositions in a weekly fishery in upper Johnstone Strait. Seven polymorphic loci were used for stock identification. Chum salmon from the Fraser River, Bute and Toba inlets, Vancouver Island, and the southern Mainland had significantly different allelic frequencies, but there was also significant heterogeneity in allelic frequencies at some loci within each region. Allelic frequencies were generally stable over a 2-yr period in nine stocks for which consecutive annual sampling was conducted. There was no significant two-locus linkage disequilibrium for the chum salmon stocks surveyed. Cluster analysis indicated that Fraser River and Bute and Toba Inlet stocks were distinctive, but Vancouver Island and Mainland stocks were not. The timing and relative abundance of Fraser River chum salmon in upper Johnstone Strait as estimated by electrophoretic analysis was confirmed by an in-river test fishery in the Fraser River.


2014 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAISEI ANDO ◽  
YOSHIHITO SHINRIKI ◽  
KAZUTAKA SHIMODA ◽  
RYOHEI YASUTOMI ◽  
YOSHITAKA SASAKI ◽  
...  

1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. 1270-1274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry D. Beacham

Pink (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) fry have the potential for significant interactions in estuarine and nearshore waters of the Fraser River. Potential competitive effects were investigated by rearing both species for 60 d from fry emergence in monoculture and five duoculture environments (0, 10, 25, 50, 75, 90, and 100% pink salmon, and 100, 90, 75, 50, 25, 10, and 0% chum salmon, respectively), with the total number of fish in each environment constant. As the relative abundance of chum salmon increased, the mean weight of both pink and chum salmon declined, and reduced phenotypic variation in weight was observed. No marked trends in survival were observed in either species, but there was some indication that pink salmon survival was higher at intermediate relative densities of pink and chum salmon. Pink salmon biomass increased from 0.8 to 1.8%/d depending on the environment, and chum salmon biomass increased from 3.2 to 3.8%/d.


1997 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 599-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
CD. Levings ◽  
D.J.H. Nishimura

Abstract Ecological comparisons of transplanted, natural (reference) and disrupted (unvegetated) marsh sites on the Fraser River estuary, British Columbia, were conducted between 1991 and 1994. The study examined vegetative biomass and cover, invertebrate abundance, fish abundance, fish residency, fish food, and submergence time for the three habitats. Standing crop biomass at three transplant sites was within the range of values for reference sites, but was much lower at an unstable site where sediment slumping had occurred. The percent cover of Lyngbyei's sedge (Carex lyngbyei) in eight transplant sites was 0.05) was observed among marsh sites when chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) and chinook salmon (O. tschawytscha) fry abundance were compared. However, chinook and sockeye smolt catches were significantly different (p>0.05) was observed among marsh sites when chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) and chinook salmon (O. tschawytscha) fry abundance were compared. However, chinook and sockeye smolt catches were significantly different (p<0.05) among marsh sites and were usually higher at disrupted sites. In nine sites in the North Arm and Deas Slough area chum fry residency was examined. At one transplant site (DEI) marked chum fry were caught up to 48 h after release. No fry were caught 1 h after release at a transplant site (Dll) and a disrupted site (DE4). At the remaining sites, fry were caught up to 1 and 3 h after release. At all sites, over 80% of the total number of food organisms examined in chum fry stomachs were harpacticoid copepods. Mean submergence time for reference marshes ranged from 33.2 to 50.7%, but for transplanted sites the value ranged from 26.4 to 60.1%. Our study shows that numerous factors need to be examined in determining if restored marshes will function as natural habitats. The development of a standardized set of reference criteria would assist in evaluating whether or not transplanted marshes are functioning as designed.


1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. D. Beacham ◽  
C. B. Murray

Variability in the number of dorsal, anal, caudal, pectoral, and pelvic fin rays, vertebrae, and gill rakers of early and late spawning stocks of Chehalis River chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) incubated under controlled water temperatures of 4, 8, and 12 °C was examined. The early spawning stock had fewer dorsal fin rays, more anal fin rays, fewer pectoral and pelvic fin rays, and fewer gill rakers than did the late spawning stock. Chum salmon originally incubated at 4 °C had the lowest number of dorsal fin rays, but the highest number of vertebrae and gill rakers. Chum salmon originally incubated at 8 °C had the highest number of anal fin rays, and those incubated at 12 °C had the highest number of pectoral fin rays. Meristic phenotypes had both a genetic and an environmental component.


1987 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. D. Beacham ◽  
C. B. Murray

Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) stocks in British Columbia spawning from August through January and in rivers of different size were surveyed for variation in sex ratios, age composition, meristic characters, morphology, and developmental biology. Males were more abundant than females at the younger (2 and 3 yr of age) and older (5 and 6 yr of age) age-classes. Males had larger heads, thicker caudal peduncles, and larger dorsal fins than did females, but females had larger anal fins than did males. Stocks from large rivers had larger heads, thicker caudal peduncles, and larger fins than did those from small rivers. Chum salmon in an area characterized by a lower number of gillrakers also had a lower number of branchiostegal rays. At the same incubation temperature, alevin hatching time was similar for all stocks examined except those from the Queen Charlotte Islands, which was later than the other stocks. Early-spawning stocks had older fish, larger eggs, and later times of fry emergence than did late-spawning stocks. Late-spawning stocks had higher survival rates of embryos at 4 °C than did early-spawning ones. Stocks had different trends in alevin and fry length and weight with respect to incubation temperature. Northern stocks were more efficient than southern stocks at converting egg yolk to fry body weight at low incubation temperatures (4 °C). Selection has produced stocks adapted to the various environments that they encounter in their natal streams, allowing chum salmon to exploit a wide variety of spawning habitats in British Columbia.


1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 847-850 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. D. Beacham ◽  
F. C. Withler ◽  
R. B. Morley

Variability in hatching time, time of exogenous yolk absorption ("button up") of alevins, alevin size, and fry size was investigated with respect to initial egg size for chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) and coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). There was no significant difference with respect to egg size in hatching time of the alevins (stage between hatching and emergence from the redd) or time of exogenous yolk absorption for either species. For both species, alevins hatching from large eggs were longer and had greater amounts of yolk than those hatching from small eggs. Tissue weights of the alevins were not different. The differences in size between these two groups of alevins were maintained throughout the alevin stage and were greater at exogenous yolk absorption than at hatching. Fry (newly emerged, free-swimming young) derived from large eggs had greater tissue weight at exogenous yolk absorption than those derived from small eggs.


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