Spatial and quantitative patterns of movement in large bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) from a watershed in north-western British Columbia, Canada, are due to habitat selection and not differences in life history

Abstract –  Movement and habitat use by bull trout ( Salvelinus confluentus ) was examined using radio telemetry in the Morice River watershed, north-western British Columbia, between April 2000 and November 2001. Bull trout principally utilised mainstem habitat. Throughout the watershed, little movement was observed during the winter months. From June to September, movement increased and was correlated with migration into tributaries. We directly observed spawning bull trout only in tributaries of the Morice River and never in the mainstem. Many of the fish ( N  = 48) migrated to the nearest potential spawning sites, but a few fish ( N  = 7) made extensive migrations to other regions of the watershed to spawn. Fish that spawned in both years of the study returned to the same spawning location. Variation in spatial and movement data, therefore, appears to be linked to availability of suitable habitat and not differences in life history that have been observed in large bull trout.     

Distinct fluvial and adfluvial migration patterns of a relict charr, Salvelinus confluentus, stock in a mountainous watershed, Idaho, USA

Abstract –  Sixty-five large (>385 mm fork length) bull trout ( Salvelinus confluentus ), a threatened relict charr (Family Salmonidae), were captured in the upper East Fork South Fork Salmon River (EFSFSR), Idaho, USA and implanted with radio tags to investigate their spatial and temporal movements and distribution throughout the South Fork Salmon River (SFSR) basin and beyond. All radio-tagged fish were migratory. Most fish displayed a fluvial migration pattern. They typically overwintered in the larger rivers downriver of the EFSFSR (SFSR and the Salmon River further downstream), migrated upriver to the EFSFSR in June and further upriver into small (<2 m wide) tributaries to spawn in August and September. Both consecutive-year and nonconsecutive-year spawners were found. A typical migration distance between the overwintering habitat and the spawning habitat was 100 km. A minor fraction (<10%) of the fish displayed an adfluvial life history pattern, overwintering in a small (2 ha) 60-year-old flooded mine pit in the EFSFSR upstream of the spawning tributaries. The stock exhibited distinct site fidelity for spawning and overwintering. Similar fluvial and adfluvial migration patterns have been reported for bull trout in the region as well as for other charr species worldwide. Effective management of this and other migratory charr stocks will require protection of a wide range of habitats, from large rivers to the smallest tributaries.     

Movements by adult cutthroat trout in a lotic system: implications for watershed-scale management

Abstract  Movements by adult cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarkii (Richardson), were assessed from autumn to summer in the Salt River watershed, Wyoming-Idaho, USA by radio telemetry. Adult cutthroat trout were captured during September and October 2005 in the main stem of the Salt River, surgically implanted with radio transmitters, and tracked through to August 2006. Adult cutthroat trout were relatively sedentary and resided primarily in pools from October to March, but their movement rates increased during April. Higher movement rates were observed among tagged fish during May and early June. Among 43 fish residing in the Salt River during April 2006, 44% remained in the river, 37% moved into mountain tributaries and 19% moved into spring streams during the spawning season. Fish did not use segments of mountain tributaries or the upstream Salt River where fish passage was blocked by anthropogenic barriers or the channel was dewatered during summer. Almost all the fish that moved into spring streams used spring streams where pools and gravel–cobble riffles had been constructed by landowners. The results suggest that adult Snake River cutthroat move widely during May and early June to use spawning habitat in mountain tributaries and improved spring streams. Maintaining the ability of adult fish to move into mountain streams with spawning habitat, preserving spawning habitat in accessible mountain tributaries and removing barriers to upstream movements, and re-establishing summer stream flows in mountain tributaries affected by dams appear to be habitat management alternatives to preserve the Snake River cutthroat trout fishery in the Salt River.     

Adfluvial and fluvial life history variations and migratory patterns of a relict charr, Salvelinus confluentus, stock in west-central Idaho, USA

Abstract –  Life history strategies and migratory patterns of 71 adult radio-tagged bull trout, Salvelinus confluentus , were studied in the Secesh River watershed within the South Fork Salmon River (SFSR) sub-basin in west-central Idaho, USA during 2003 and 2004. In both years, upstream migrations occurred during late June and early July, migrations into two spawning tributaries during late July and early August, spawning from mid-August through mid-September, and rapid downstream (postspawning) migrations from late August to mid-September. Primary over-wintering areas were Loon Lake, the lower Secesh River (downstream of Loon Creek), and the lower SFSR (downstream of the confluence with the Secesh River). Loon Lake evidently provides sufficient production to allow the adfluvial life history strategy to persist and predominate in the Secesh River, while the fluvial life history strategy was previously found to predominate in the nearby East Fork SFSR. Adfluvial, nonconsecutive-year migrations were the predominant life history strategy. Only seven fish made consecutive-year migrations to Lake Creek; however, only one of these fish, a female, utilised a spawning tributary in both years and showed spawning tributary fidelity. Three consecutive-year migrants and three in-season migrants showed over-wintering site fidelity by returning to Loon Lake in September, 2004. The life history variations observed for bull trout in the Secesh River watershed are similar to those observed for bull trout throughout their range and to those of other charr species worldwide, yet the development of distinct migration patterns demonstrate the adaptability of the species to a range of available habitats.     

Life history plasticity: migration ceased in response to environmental change?

Fish often migrate between habitats, and by that, fitness is improved. We estimated population parameters and studied possible migration of brown trout Salmo trutta between a Norwegian river and a tributary under two different regulated water flow regimes. In the 1970s, the main stem had high winter flows and reduced summer flows. Since 1981, the river has reduced minimum flow regime: 2.5 m³·s^?1 in winter and 6 m³·s^?1 in summer; the tributary has a natural flow regime. The growth of trout in the main stem was reduced from 1975 to 2013, with significantly lower mean lengths in all age groups. In the tributary, a similar reduction was observed in juvenile fish (age‐0 and age‐1). Mean length (mm) was unchanged in ≥age‐2 fish, while body length variation among fish ≥age‐4 was greatly reduced. The condition factor (Fulton's K) declined in both main stem and tributary. While it appears that sexual maturation was delayed in the tributary, the difference was not significant. In the 1970s, juveniles from the tributary migrated into the main stem to feed and grow, before returning to the tributary to spawn. PIT tagging of fish in the tributary in 2012 and subsequent surveys for recapture (in 2012 and 2013) indicated residency among fish in the tributary and no migration into the main stem. Thus, the migratory behaviour appears adaptive, and reduced habitat quality in terms of food and shelter due to reduced flow appears to have removed the growth benefit previously associated with the migration.     

Migration of landlocked brown trout in two Scandinavian streams as revealed from trap data

Abstract –  Anthropogenic barriers that may interfere or prevent fish migration are commonly found in streams throughout the distribution of salmonids. Construction of fish passages in streams is a common solution to this problem. However, the goal with fish passages is often, at least in Scandinavia, to allow Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar L.) and migratory brown trout ( S. trutta L.) to get access to spawning areas above these barriers. Hence, the fish passages may often only be open during the spawning migration of salmonids (late summer to autumn). We present data, on wild brown trout migration, from two trapping systems in two Scandinavian streams showing that intra- and interstream migrations are common throughout the summer and autumn. Moreover, differences in size were found between trap-caught trout and electrofished trout where trapped trout were generally larger than electrofished trout. We suggest that the current regime with fish passages only open parts of the year can have negative effects on populations by depriving trout from the possibility to perform migrations throughout the year.     

High variability in spawning migration of sea trout,Salmo trutta,in two northern Swedish rivers

Abstract Telemetry was used to examine spawning migration of sea trout, Salmo trutta L. (n = 126), in two rivers in northern Sweden. The spawning areas defined by radio‐tagged fish differed between the river systems. In the River Vindelälven, sea trout spawned in the main stem and 80% of tagged individuals returned to areas where hatchery‐reared juveniles had been previously stocked. In the River Piteälven, 74% of tagged sea trout ascended tributaries for spawning. Tagged fish were categorised into three groups of migratory pattern. cart (classification and regression tree) analysis indicated that distance from tagging location to spawning site (S_dist) explained the migratory patterns. Large S_dist separated fish with stepwise upstream migration from those with up‐ and downstream migrations and one‐directional direct migration. Fish tagged early in the season migrated the longest distance to spawning areas. Stocking locations and sex explained the large search behaviour up‐ and downstream in the rivers. The findings are important for the sustainable management of sea trout in the Gulf of Bothnia.     

The critical importance of an undammed river segment to the reproductive cycle of a migratory Neotropical fish

Biotelemetry, ichthyoplankton and genetic data can provide detailed information about the migratory dynamics and reproductive cycle of freshwater fishes. However, few studies have combined these techniques in Neotropical systems. The objective of this study was to examine the migratory and reproductive dynamics of Prochilodus costatus in the São Francisco River watershed, south‐east Brazil, by comparing the ecological importance of two rivers to the species, an undammed segment of the São Francisco River and a dammed segment of one of its main tributaries, the Pará River. In total, 215 fish were radio‐tagged over three years (2014–16). Eggs and larvae were sampled at seven locations and analysed by PCR to identify Prochilodus spp. ichthyoplankton. Most radio‐tagged individuals (97%) used the undammed segment of the São Francisco River as spawning migration route, even those captured and released in the Pará River. Fish migrated to spawn from late September to late November with the arrival of the rains and returned to feeding sites from December to May after spawning. The highest densities of fish eggs and larvae were recorded in the upper reaches of the São Francisco River during months of peak river discharge. Returning fish showed high fidelity to sites occupied before spawning migration. Fish spent roughly 71% of the year at feeding sites, 25% at spawning sites and 4% moving between them. This study provides novel information about the migratory dynamics of Neotropical fishes and underscores the key role of undammed river segments for the conservation of Neotropical migratory fish species.     

论恢复鱼类洄游通道规划方法

由于鱼类洄游是大尺度的水生动物迁徙运动，恢复鱼类洄游通道规划应在流域尺度进行。本文讨论了恢复鱼类洄游通道规划要点，包括河流鱼类调查及评价方法、规划范围和流域恢复洄游通道目标量化方法，提出了恢复鱼类洄游鱼类通道项目的优先排序方法，并以保护和恢复多瑙河鲟鱼规划作为典型案例进行了分析。恢复鱼类洄游鱼类通道项目的优先排序方法中，应根据工程性质、特点和当地自然条件确定优先排序准则，从而选择重点河段和重点工程，解决洄游通道中的关键问题。优先排序准则包括有效性、栖息地适宜性、效益/投资分析、自然保护区范围、预期物种多样性、鱼类生产力和栖息地面积等。在保护和恢复多瑙河鲟鱼规划案例中，确定了多瑙河鱼类洄游障碍物的5个等级划分标准和评分等级，采用改进的多准则多权重分级计分法计算了各障碍物的排序指标。在671处障碍物中，29处为最优先排序，99处为中等排序，543处为低等级排序。其中，位于多瑙河中游和下游的铁门水电站Ⅰ、Ⅱ级是流域内的主要障碍物。优先级排序方法为恢复鱼类洄游通道提供了指导意见。     

Stocking of native Mediterranean brown trout (Salmo trutta) into French tributaries of Lake Geneva does not contribute to lake-migratory spawners

Abstract –  We studied the contribution of stocking with Mediterranean autochthonous brown trout ( Salmo trutta ) to the lake-migratory spawners in French tributaries of Lake Geneva. This singular lake system is inhabited by both the resident and the migratory life-history form, and by trout of Atlantic and Mediterranean origins. Using two discriminatory microsatellite loci between the Atlantic and Mediterranean alleles, we compared the genetic composition of the migratory Atlantic populations of the four main tributaries before (1999; N  = 113) and after (2004, 2005 and 2006; N  = 137) recent introductions of native Mediterranean trout. No significant modification of the genetic composition was detected in all four populations over time and only two individuals were statistically assigned to the Mediterranean strain by the Bayesian method implemented in the structure program. These results suggest a negligible contribution of the stockings with autochthonous Mediterranean trout to the lake-migratory spawners migrating into the four tributaries.