Extensive use of the Fraser River basin as winter habitat by juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (7) ◽  
pp. 1759-1767 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. D. Levings ◽  
R. B. Lauzier
Keyword(s):  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Water Channel ◽  
Fraser River ◽  
Winter Habitat ◽  
Mean Size ◽  
System Data ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Juvenile Chinook ◽  
Stream Type

Habitat in the low-water channel of the mainstem Fraser River and larger tributaries during winter may be an unappreciated factor influencing production of stream-type chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in this system. Data from electrofishing surveys showed that shorelines were used by juvenile chinook from river km 110 to km 770. Almost the entire mainstem was therefore probably winter habitat, and major tributaries such as the Thompson, Quesnel, and Nechako rivers were also used. Estimated chinook density on the mainstem Fraser increased with distance upstream (maximum 0.30 m−2 at km 750 (Prince George)), but the highest density (0.99 m−2) in the surveys was observed on the Thompson River at Spences Bridge. The mean size of juvenile chinook decreased with distance upstream on the Fraser, ranging from 97 mm at km 110 to 65 mm at km 770. Chinook juveniles were feeding on Diptera, Trichoptera, and Plecoptera in winter. Some apparent growth was observed in the lower Fraser in early winter.

Individual variation in dispersal behaviour of newly emerged chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) from the Upper Fraser River, British Columbia

1997 ◽  
Vol 54 (7) ◽  
pp. 1585-1592 ◽  
Author(s):  
M J Bradford ◽  
G C Taylor
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Population Variation ◽  
Fraser River ◽  
Movement Behaviour ◽  
Spawning Areas ◽  
Dispersal Distances ◽  
Stream Type ◽  
Downstream Movement

Immediately after emergence from spawning gravels, fry of stream-type chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) populations from tributaries of the upper Fraser River, British Columbia, distribute themselves downstream from the spawning areas, throughout the natal stream, and into the Fraser River. We tested the hypothesis that this range in dispersal distances is caused by innate differences in nocturnal migratory tendency among individuals. Using an experimental stream channel, we found repeatable differences in downstream movement behaviour among newly emerged chinook fry. Fish that moved downstream were larger than those that held position in the channel. However, the incidence of downstream movement behaviours decreased over the first 2 weeks after emergence. We propose that the variation among individuals in downstream movement behaviour we observed leads to the dispersal of newly emerged fry throughout all available rearing habitats. Thus, between- and within-population variation in the freshwater life history observed in these populations may be caused by small differences in the behaviour of individuals.

Differential Use of the Campbell River Estuary, British Columbia by Wild and Hatchery-Reared Juvenile Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

1986 ◽  
Vol 43 (7) ◽  
pp. 1386-1397 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. D. Levings ◽  
C. D. McAllister ◽  
B. D. Chang
Keyword(s):  
Transition Zone ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
River Estuary ◽  
Transition Zones ◽  
Juvenile Chinook Salmon ◽  
Hatchery Fish ◽  
Mean Size ◽  
Juvenile Chinook ◽  
Marine Zone

From March 1982 to December 1983, juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) were sampled by beach-seine in the Campbell River estuary and adjacent waters of Discovery Passage in order to examine estuarine use by wild and hatchery stocks. Wild juvenile chinook entered the estuary as migrant fry and were present in the estuarine zone mainly in late April to June, in the transition zone in mid-May to July, and in the marine zone in July. Hatchery fish were released from early May to early July. Maximum catches of wild stocks were similar in the estuarine and transition zones, while the maximum catches of most hatchery stocks were higher in the transition zone. For both wild and hatchery chinook, catches in the marine zone were much lower than in the estuarine and transition zones. Wild fry resided in the estuary for 40–60 d, while most hatchery fish used the estuary for about one-half this period. Wild stocks showed a relatively constant rate of increase in mean size from May to September. Higher rates of increase in the mean size of hatchery fish were shown by groups with earlier release dates and smaller mean sizes. Residency time and growth rates for wild fish were comparable with those observed in an estuary without hatchery fish. Potential for interaction between wild and hatchery stocks was greatest in the transition zone, where hatchery fish were most abundant and because hatchery releases occurred when catches of wild fish were highest in this foreshore area.

Bioconcentration of Chlorophenols by Juvenile Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Overwintering in the Upper Fraser River: Field and Laboratory Tests

1988 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. H. Rogers ◽  
J. A. Servizi ◽  
C. D. Levings
Keyword(s):  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Pulp Mill ◽  
Wood Preservative ◽  
Fraser River ◽  
Reference Sites ◽  
Juvenile Chinook Salmon ◽  
Juvenile Chinook ◽  
River Fish

Abstract Juvenile chinook salmon were sampled from August 1986 to March 1987 at stations near Prince George and Quesnel, influenced by sewage and pulp mill discharges. Maximum densities of 0.2 fish·mࢤ2 were recorded. Salmon were collected at reference sites in November 1986 and at Agassiz in April 1987. Fingerling chinook were exposed at 0.7°C to a commercial wood preservative containing 2,3,4,6 - tetrachlorophenol (TeCP) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) in the laboratory to simulate winter conditions in the upper Fraser River. Fish exposed for 62 days to 2 ug·Lࢤ1 contained a mean of 224 ng·gࢤ1 TeCP and 431 ng·gࢤ1 PCP. Chlorophenol uptake in feral fish was low. However, 3,4,5-trichloro-guaiacol levels to 304 ng·gࢤ1 and tetrachloroguaiacol values to 136 ng·gࢤ1 were measured in March. Fish from Agassiz, 518 km downstream of Quesnel, also contained these two substances. Thus chinook salmon can bioconcentrate persistent chlorophenols and chloroguaiacols directly from cold water (< 1°C). The biological consequences are uncertain.

Cytochrome P450 1A and related measurements in juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) from the Fraser River

2000 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 405-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Y Wilson ◽  
R F Addison ◽  
D Martens ◽  
R Gordon ◽  
B Glickman
Keyword(s):  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Erod Activity ◽  
Dna Adduct ◽  
Clear Correlation ◽  
Fraser River ◽  
Juvenile Chinook Salmon ◽  
Liver Histopathology ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Juvenile Chinook

Juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) were captured at six sites on the upper Fraser, Nechako, and Thompson rivers, British Columbia, Canada. Biological responses were measured in the liver to assess the effects of contaminants on the fish before they began migration downstream. Both ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity and CYP 1A concentrations were significantly enhanced, being two- to three-fold higher in Fraser River samples compared with those fish from reference sites on the Nechako River. DNA adduct concentrations were two- to four-fold higher in Fraser River fish, although liver histopathology appeared unaffected. Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the carcasses contributed to total contaminant burdens of less than 1 pg·g-1. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites were undetectable in nearly all samples of bile. There were strong correlations between EROD activity, CYP 1A induction, and DNA adduct concentrations but no clear correlation between these responses and PCDD, PCDF, or PCB concentrations.

Current Response and Agonistic Behavior in Newly Emerged Fry of Chinook Salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, from Ocean- and Stream- Type Populations

1986 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 565-573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric B. Taylor ◽  
P. A. Larkin
Keyword(s):  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Coho Salmon ◽  
River Estuary ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Mirror Image ◽  
Current Response ◽  
Fraser River ◽  
Life History Pattern ◽  
Stream Type

In Slim Creek, a tributary to the upper Fraser River east of Prince George, B.C., chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) fry summer and overwinter in their natal stream before migrating seaward as yearlings; they are "stream-type" in juvenile life history pattern. From the Harrison River, a tributary to the lower Fraser River, chinook fry migrate to the Fraser River estuary sometime during their first spring or early summer; they are "ocean-type." Newly emerged chinook fry from Slim Creek showed a stronger positive current response, were more aggressive in mirror image stimulation tests and intra- and inter-specific (with coho salmon (O. kisutch) fry) stream tank tests, and had larger and more brightly colored median fins than chinook fry from the Harrison River. These differences between Slim Creek and Harrison River chinook fry are in a direction consistent with their different patterns of length of freshwater residence as juveniles, since aggressive behavior, positive rheotaxis, and bright fin coloration are important components of extended stream residence in salmonids.

Ecology of juvenile chinook salmon in a small non-natal stream of the Yukon River drainage and the role of ice conditions on their distribution and survival

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (11) ◽  
pp. 2043-2054 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J Bradford ◽  
Jeff A Grout ◽  
Sue Moodie
Keyword(s):  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Thick Layer ◽  
Average Density ◽  
Yukon River ◽  
Small Streams ◽  
Mean Size ◽  
Ice Conditions ◽  
Stream Type

We investigated the ecology of juvenile stream-type chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in Croucher Creek, a small non-natal tributary of the upper Yukon River, in 1998 and 1999. Underyearling (age 0+) salmon enter Croucher Creek from the Yukon River in June, and by midsummer reached an average density of >0.5/m2. Fish were most commonly found in small pools. Their mean size increased until the end of August, but growth virtually ceased after that, when water temperatures fell. Juveniles remained in the stream through winter, and their distribution and survival were strongly influenced by aufeis, a thick layer of ice that develops from the freezing of groundwater. Over-winter survival was not dependent on fish size. Those fish that survived the winter grew rapidly and doubled in body mass in the spring. About 900 yearling fish emigrated from Croucher Creek in late June and early July at a mean length of 89 mm and mass of 7.2 g. Most of the migrants overwintered in a 700 m long reach of the creek that was downstream from groundwater sources and did not experience severe icing conditions. We suggest that small streams may be important habitats for juvenile salmon in the Yukon drainage, especially if there is a year-round source of groundwater flow that creates conditions suitable for overwintering.

Ceratomyxa shasta (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) in juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): experimental transmission and natural infections in the Fraser River, British Columbia

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (7) ◽  
pp. 1737-1740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan M. Bower
Keyword(s):  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Sockeye Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
River Estuary ◽  
Fraser River ◽  
Experimental Transmission ◽  
Juvenile Chinook Salmon ◽  
Juvenile Chinook ◽  
Intraperitoneal Inoculation

Ceratomyxa shasta (mainly trophozoites) from the intestinal tract of a naturally infected juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) developed in the coelom of laboratory-reared chinook salmon when inoculated intraperitoneally. All developmental stages were observed. Successful subpassages were accomplished by intraperitoneal inoculation of trophozoites and sporoblasts, but an infection did not develop when these stages were pipetted into the esophagus of susceptible fish. Heavy infections, including the presence of C. shasta sporoblasts or spores, were observed in 2 of 28 feral juvenile chinook salmon seined from the Fraser River estuary in late July and early August. Trophozoite-like cells were observed in six other chinook salmon from this group. No C. shasta were observed in 15 juvenile sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) caught in the estuary along with the chinook salmon.

Assessment of the Impact of the Myxosporean Parasite Ceratomyxa shasta on Survival of Seaward Migrating Juvenile Chinook Salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, from the Fraser River, British Columbia

1992 ◽  
Vol 49 (9) ◽  
pp. 1883-1889 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Margolis ◽  
T. E. McDonald ◽  
D. J. Whitaker
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Infected Fish ◽  
Migration Route ◽  
Fraser River ◽  
Juvenile Chinook Salmon ◽  
Myxosporean Parasite ◽  
Juvenile Chinook ◽  
The Impact

Approximately 3.3% of more than 3500 seaward migrating juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) collected from the lower reaches and off the mouth of the Fraser River, British Columbia, between March and August 1985–87 were infected with Ceratomyxa shasta (Protozoa: Myxosporea). The fish were held live for up to 151 d before examination to allow the infections to become patent. The first infected fish were detected in samples taken in late May to early June, approximately 4 wk after the river water temperature had reached 10 °C. By this time, 40–65% of the fish had been collected, indicating that the majority of the juvenile chinook salmon had left the Fraser River before the infective stage of the parasite was present. Significant differences in prevalence of C. shasta were associated with both the migration route chosen by the fish and their age. Fish that used the lower flow rate North Arm had a greater prevalence (6.8%) of infection than those that migrated down the Main Arm (2.1%). Age 0 fish had a significantly higher prevalence (5.2%) of C. shasta than the age 1 group (1.5%). It is concluded that C. shasta is not a major cause of mortality of downstream migrating juvenile Fraser River chinook salmon.

scholarly journals Managed Wetlands Can Benefit Juvenile Chinook Salmon in a Tidal Marsh

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole M. Aha ◽  
Peter B. Moyle ◽  
Nann A. Fangue ◽  
Andrew L. Rypel ◽  
John R. Durand
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Nursery Habitat ◽  
San Francisco Estuary ◽  
Rice Fields ◽  
Fish Growth ◽  
Juvenile Chinook Salmon ◽  
Juvenile Chinook

AbstractLoss of estuarine and coastal habitats worldwide has reduced nursery habitat and function for diverse fishes, including juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Underutilized off-channel habitats such as flooded rice fields and managed ponds present opportunities for improving rearing conditions and increasing habitat diversity along migratory corridors. While experiments in rice fields have shown enhanced growth rates of juvenile fishes, managed ponds are less studied. To evaluate the potential of these ponds as a nursery habitat, juvenile Chinook salmon (~ 2.8 g, 63 mm FL) were reared in cages in four contrasting locations within Suisun Marsh, a large wetland in the San Francisco Estuary. The locations included a natural tidal slough, a leveed tidal slough, and the inlet and outlet of a tidally muted managed pond established for waterfowl hunting. Fish growth rates differed significantly among locations, with the fastest growth occurring near the outlet in the managed pond. High zooplankton biomass at the managed pond outlet was the best correlate of salmon growth. Water temperatures in the managed pond were also cooler and less variable compared to sloughs, reducing thermal stress. The stress of low dissolved oxygen concentrations within the managed pond was likely mediated by high concentrations of zooplankton and favorable temperatures. Our findings suggest that muted tidal habitats in the San Francisco Estuary and elsewhere could be managed to promote growth and survival of juvenile salmon and other native fishes.

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