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.     

Effect of habitat fragmentation on spawning migration of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.)

Abstract –  Human-induced habitat alteration is one of the main causes of the decline of freshwater fish populations. The watershed of the River Bidasoa (Spain) is an example of heavily fragmented habitat. The local brown trout ( Salmo trutta L.) population is disturbed, with evidence of poor recruitment as well as low adult densities in the main stem. Forty male and female adult migratory trout were tagged with external or internal radio transmitters and released. Fixed stations with data loggers and mobile antennae were used with daily surveys to track fish movements during the migration and spawning period (3 months). Migration distances did not exceed 10 km, and half of the fish never entered a tributary in the study area. Fragmentation because of weirs on the main stem apparently prevented fish from reaching their spawning destination. Fish that entered the tributaries were first confronted with an accessibility problem because of low discharge. However, each fish chose one tributary, without making attempts to run up in other tributaries. Once in the tributary, fish were restrained in their upstream movements by dams. The study area appeared to be isolated from the vast upper part of the watershed. Within the study area, upper parts of tributaries also seemed strongly disconnected from the main stem. This study illustrates the negative impact of river fragmentation on S. trutta migration pattern. Population sustainability can be directly affected through the low availability of spawning grounds for migratory fish. Long-term effects of fragmentation may cause reproductive isolation within watersheds, which in the case of trout also means isolated phenotypic population units.     

Relationships between water temperatures and upstream migration, cold water refuge use, and spawning of adult bull trout from the Lostine River, Oregon, USA

Howell PJ, Dunham JB, Sankovich PM. Relationships between water temperatures and upstream migration, cold water refuge use, and spawning of adult bull trout from the Lostine River, Oregon, USA.
Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2010: 19: 96–106. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA Abstract – Understanding thermal habitat use by migratory fish has been limited by difficulties in matching fish locations with water temperatures. To describe spatial and temporal patterns of thermal habitat use by migratory adult bull trout, Salvelinus confluentus, that spawn in the Lostine River, Oregon, we employed a combination of archival temperature tags, radio tags, and thermographs. We also compared temperatures of the tagged fish to ambient water temperatures to determine if the fish were using thermal refuges. The timing and temperatures at which fish moved upstream from overwintering areas to spawning locations varied considerably among individuals. The annual maximum 7‐day average daily maximum (7DADM) temperatures of tagged fish were 16–18 °C and potentially as high as 21 °C. Maximum 7DADM ambient water temperatures within the range of tagged fish during summer were 18–25 °C. However, there was no evidence of the tagged fish using localized cold water refuges. Tagged fish appeared to spawn at 7DADM temperatures of 7–14 °C. Maximum 7DADM temperatures of tagged fish and ambient temperatures at the onset of the spawning period in late August were 11–18 °C. Water temperatures in most of the upper Lostine River used for spawning and rearing appear to be largely natural since there has been little development, whereas downstream reaches used by migratory bull trout are heavily diverted for irrigation. Although the population effects of these temperatures are unknown, summer temperatures and the higher temperatures observed for spawning fish appear to be at or above the upper range of suitability reported for the species.     

Season-specific survival rates and densities of coastal cutthroat trout across stream sizes in southwestern British Columbia

Variation in seasonal survival rates, densities and growth rates of coastal cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii) were assessed across a size gradient of small, forested streams in the Pacific Northwest. We used a robust, mark-recapture study, stratified seasonally to estimate monthly survival rates of trout in coastal British Columbia (not including young-of-the-year). Survival estimates showed that the summer season had the lowest monthly survival rates (0.907) across all streams in our study (0.927 remainder of year). Within the size range of the seven small streams studied, low-flow habitat availability (defined by residual pool depth in summer) was the best predictor of mean monthly survival rates, supporting the hypothesis that trout survival increases with the quantity of aquatic habitat, particularly depths of residual pools. In addition, there was an asymptotic relation between water depth and survival rates, where beyond ~20 cm of residual pool depth, greater depth did not confer greater rates of trout survival. Growth rates in all but the largest stream were also lowest during summer. While densities tended to be higher in streams with greater residual depth, this was not significant. Body mass in a given season was a good predictor of survival to the next sampling period. The distribution and success of resident cutthroat trout populations in small streams appear to be constrained by summer low-flow periods and specific geomorphologies that support deeper pools.     

Diel and seasonal movements by adult Sacramento pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus grandis) in the Eel River, northwestern California

Abstract– In late summer and fall, radio-tagged adult Sacramento pikeminnow ( Ptychocheilus grandis ) at three sites in the Eel River of northwestern California moved more at night than during the day. Fish moved up to 535 m at night and returned to their original positions the following morning. Adult Sacramento pikeminnow at all sites occupied only pools during the day, but at one site moved through high gradient riffles and occupied fast water habitats at night. Adult Sacramento pikeminnow at the upstream limit of their range in one Eel River tributary moved downstream up to 23 km during the winter and tended to return to their original position the following spring, where they remained through the summer. Fish radio tagged at downstream sites exhibited more variable behavior, moving 2-92 km over >393 days. Our observations suggest that the most appropriate scale of consideration for attempts to manage this species or estimate population size includes entire river drainages.     

Factors affecting habitat selection by a small spawning charr population, bull trout, Salvelinus confluentus: implications for recovery of an endangered species

Bull trout, Salvelinus confluentus (Suckley), populations are declining in many streams of North America and are listed under the Endangered Species Act in the United States. Many small populations are isolated in fragmented habitats where spawning conditions and success are not well understood. Factors affecting habitats selected for redds by spawning bull trout and redd habitat characteristics within Gold Creek, a headwater stream in the Yakima River within the Columbia River basin, Washington State, USA, were evaluated. Most spawning (>80% of the redds) occurred in upstream habitats after dewatering of downstream channels isolated fish. Habitats were selected or avoided in proportions different to their availability. For example, most bull trout selected pools and glides and avoided riffles despite the latter being more readily available. Although preferences suggest influences of prolonged fish entrapment, site fidelity could be important. A habitat with redds commonly contained abundant cover, gravel substratum and higher stream flows. The major factors influencing habitat selection by spawning fish and their persistence in streams of the Yakima and Columbia River regions include entrapment of fish by dewatering of channels and geographical isolation by dams. The goal of the US Government's recovery plan is ‘to ensure the long‐term persistence of self‐sustaining bull trout populations’. Recovery plans linked to provisions for protecting and conserving bull trout populations and their habitats were recommended. Landscape approaches are needed that provide networks of refuge habitats and greater connectivity between populations. Concurrent recovery efforts are encouraged to focus on protecting small populations and minimizing dangers of hybridization.     

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.     

Temporal segregation in spawning between native Yellowstone cutthroat trout and introduced rainbow trout

Hybridisation with introduced taxa poses a threat to native fish populations. Mechanisms of reproductive isolation can limit or prevent hybridisation between closely related species. Understanding how these mechanisms interact between the same species across geographically distinct occurrences of secondary contact, and how regional factors influence them, can inform our understanding of hybridisation as a threat and management actions to mitigate this threat. We used data collected on adult fish migration timing and approximate emergence timing of subsequent juvenile fish paired with genomic data to assess whether temporal isolation in the timing of spawning exists between Yellowstone cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and hybrids in the North Fork Shoshone River drainage in northwest Wyoming. We found evidence that Yellowstone cutthroat trout spawn, on average, two to four weeks later than rainbow trout and hybrids and two environmental covariates related to water temperature and discharge were associated with differences in spawning migration timing. Despite statistical support for Yellowstone cutthroat trout spawning later, disproportionately high numbers of rainbow trout and hybrids, paired with extended spawning seasons, lead to substantial overlap between all genotypes. Our results provide further evidence of temporal segregation in the timing of spawning as a mechanism of reproductive isolation between closely related species, but substantial spawning overlap suggests temporal segregation alone will not be enough to curtail hybridisation in conservation populations.     

Incidence of spinal injuries in migratory Yellowstone cutthroat trout captured at electric and waterfall‐velocity weirs

The South Fork Snake River (Idaho, USA) supports a native Yellowstone cutthroat trout (YCT) population Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri (Richardson) threatened by non‐native rainbow trout O. mykiss (Walbaum). Electric weirs prevent rainbow trout passage into YCT spawning tributaries but may cause spinal injuries. YCT captured at electric weirs on Palisades and Pine Creeks and a control waterfall‐velocity weir on Burns Creek were X‐rayed in 2012 and 2013 to estimate spinal injury rates. Electrical pulse frequency was increased from 2012 to 2013 at the Palisades (from 11.5 to 20 Hz) and Pine weirs (13–20 Hz), and spinal injury rates were found to increase from 11.3 to 21.3% at Palisades and from 6.5 to 14.7% at Pine, while Burns injury rates remained constant (4.5% in 2012 and 6.0% in 2013), suggesting the electric weirs caused spinal injuries in YCT. Lower pulse frequencies may minimise YCT spinal injury but still prevent rainbow trout from accessing YCT spawning tributaries.     

Restoration of dead wood in Basque stream channels: effects on brown trout population

Abstract – Streams in the Aiako Harria Natural Park (Basque Country, Spain) have excellent water quality, but are physically impoverished after centuries of snagging. In an attempt to restore channel complexity and ecosystem functioning, especially in‐channel retention of sediments and organic matter, large woody debris (LWD) was introduced into four mountain streams (channel width 3–13 m) following a before/after, control/impact (BACI) design. Logs were introduced by means of hand‐held machinery and located uncabled, mimicking the natural amount and disposition of LWD in streams. Floods disrupted most of the structures at the large stream, but caused little damage to those in the small ones. Only minnow and brown trout inhabit in the area. Before wood addition, trout densities were fairly high in the small streams, low in the large one, where recruitment seemed very poor. In the small tributaries, trout populations showed a strong imbalance towards young fish, adults being only found in the spawning season. Wood addition produced some interesting trends in trout, although statistical significance was low as a result of large environmental variability. Fish densities showed small changes, but biomass increased, especially in the spawning season. Also, there was a trend towards more aged 2⁺ or larger, thus suggesting wood addition improved adult habitat. Although restoring LWD is extremely unusual in Spain, the changes in physical habitat and the trends in fish populations detected in the present project suggest it is worth making more experiments, at least in safe settings where there is no risk of flooding or damaging properties.     

Microsatellite DNA analysis of overwintering bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) and its implications for harvest regulation and habitat management

A mixed-stock fishery occurs when multiple populations of a fish species are exploited together in a common area where they aggregate outside the breeding season (e.g. for feeding or overwintering), and the aggregation is known as a mixture. Recreational fishing often exploits such mixtures, and estimating the proportional contributions of populations to fisheries promotes more sustainable resource use. Ten DNA microsatellites were assayed in a mixture of bull trout Salvelinus confluentus Suckley overwintering in the Nechako River, upper Fraser River, British Columbia, and in baseline population samples from 14 tributaries putatively contributing to the overwintering mixture. A DNA microsatellite-based mixed-stock fishery analysis suggested that five populations together contributed 0.80 to the mixture. Most of the errors associated with the mixture estimates were attributable to uncertainty in baseline allele frequencies. Radiotracking data confirmed that tributary populations contributing to the mixture estimated by genetic analysis also contained individuals that moved between spawning tributaries and overwintering sites. The results better resolve habitat use by potadromous bull trout in the upper Fraser River and, in combination with assessments of baseline population-specific spawning abundances and productivity, will better inform a decision of whether or not allowing some harvest within the current catch-and-release fishery is biologically sustainable.     

A comparative study of juvenile salmon density in 20 streams throughout a very large river system in northern Norway

Abstract – The objective was to compare juvenile salmon density in 20 streams throughout the very large River Tana, northern Norway, and to relate variation in density to a suite of environmental factors. Four sampling sites were electrofished in each stream (one at the mouth of the stream and three within the stream) in August and October 2000, 2001, 2002. 0+ salmon parr were absent from seven streams, present at the mouth of 11 streams, and present within only two streams, both of which were probably spawning streams. Older parr migrated upstream into most streams and their highest densities were usually found in streams flowing directly into the spawning habitat in the three largest tributaries of the Tana or the river itself. Juvenile salmon were sparse or absent in streams flowing into smaller tributaries. Most streams with high parr densities were those of dense riparian vegetation that provided terrestrial invertebrates as drift food for the salmon parr, cover for fish, cooler stream temperatures in summer, and food for benthic stream invertebrates that were also a source of food for the parr.     

Seasonal movement patterns of Credit River brown trout (Salmo trutta)

Zimmer M, Schreer JF, Power M. Seasonal movement patterns of Credit River brown trout (Salmo trutta).
Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2010: 19: 290–299. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract – Movement habits in riverine populations of brown trout vary among watersheds. Thus it is important to identify factors influencing differences in individual behaviour so as to improve the information resource base available for the design of river‐specific management strategies. Such information is particularly needed in the rapidly urbanising watersheds of eastern North America where relatively little is known about anthropogenic influences on brown trout populations. In this study, we examined the influence of water temperature on brown trout behaviour in the Credit River in south‐central Ontario, Canada with respect to seasonal movement patterns. Observed patterns of movement were also correlated with variations in river discharge and habitat quality. Forty‐three radio‐tagged, adult brown trout were tracked in a confined 39.8 km portion of the Credit River from 15 May 2002 to 28 July 2003. Fish were captured in three sections of the river that differed in distance downstream and habitat quality. Fish size had little impact on movement patterns. However, there was considerable variation in seasonal movement with upstream movements to summer positions, maintenance of summer positions, downstream and often extensive movements in fall. Also observed was maintenance of winter positions and repeated upstream movements in late spring‐early summer to previously used summer positions. The elaborate movement behaviour in the Credit River population was attributed to seasonal changes in thermal habitat quality. Fish tagged in less suitable thermal habitats moved significantly more than fish from more suitable thermal habitats.     

Movement of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) in four small subalpine streams in northern Colorado

We studied the movement of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) in four small streams in northern Colorado using mark-recapture methods and weirs. The recapture rates of marked adult trout were low for all streams, and large numbers of unmarked adult trout, apparently immigrants, were found each year. Significantly more trout, immigrated into sections that were experimentally modified by installing low log dams, which increased depth, pool volume and the amount of overhead cover. The number of immigrant and resident trout was significantly related to the amount of cover in the sections. Resident trout were larger than immigrants in all streams in the last year of sampling. Most mobile brook trout moved upstream during summer on the two streams where weirs were operated, and upstream migrants were significantly larger than downstream migrants on both streams. We suggest that a high degree of movement may be an adaptive response by brook trout to the heterogeneous nature of small mountain streams.     

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.     

Comparative ecologies of domestic and naturalised rainbow trout in northern Lake Huron

Northern Lake Huron (Ontario, Canada) supports the largest concentration of freshwater salmonid cage culture farms in Canada and receives inputs of domestic‐strain rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) through escapement. We assessed the potential effects of these domestic fish on the naturalised rainbow trout of this ecosystem by comparing their respective ecologies. Mature adults were sampled from spawning tributaries, primarily in spring, and to a lesser extent in fall. Fish of domestic origin comprised ~80% of rainbow trout sampled from sites near cage culture facilities but <20% of rainbow trout sampled from more distant sites. Domestic adults in spawning condition (gametes free‐flowing) were present in the spawning tributaries in both spring and fall sampling seasons, whereas naturalised fish in spawning condition were only observed in the spring. Domestic adults were younger and smaller (in length), appeared to have shorter lifespan and had a higher male to female ratio compared with their naturalised counterparts. Growth rates (change in length with age) of naturalised and domestic females in the wild were similar, but domestic males grew more slowly than naturalised males. Domestic females also produced smaller eggs than naturalised females. Food web positions (inferred from δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) of domestic and naturalised fish were very similar but varied more strongly with body size in the former. Domestic‐strain rainbow trout of cage culture origin can survive, grow and attempt to spawn in northern Lake Huron and have the potential to compete for food, mates and spawning habitat with naturalised rainbow trout.     

Effects of oxygen supersaturation on the culture of cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarki Richardson, and rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss Richardson

Abstract. Two studies were conducted to determine the effects of rearing Snake River cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarki Richardson, and Eagle Lake rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss Richardson, in oxygen supersaturated water. The performance of cutthroat trout held at oxygen saturation as high as 172% was compared with that of control fish held in water at or below saturation. At an oxygen saturation level of 172%, total gas pressure reached 117% in late afternoon, and nitrogen saturation was reduced to 93%. The rainbow trout were held at a maximum of 150% oxygen saturation; total gas pressure did not exceed 112% in late afternoon and nitrogen saturation was reduced to 99%. Fish growth, fin quality and feed conversions were not significantly affected in either species. At the termination of the study gas bubble disease was observed in 94% of the cutthroat trout held in oxygen supersaturated water. Gas bubble disease was not observed in rainbow trout.     

Evidence of concealment behavior by adult rainbow trout and brook trout in winter

Abstract – There has been little investigation of the winter ecology of adult trout during winter, especially in regard to concealment behavior. We compared day vs night underwater counts of adult rainbow trout and brook trout from four streams. At water temperatures between 1°C and 9°C, daytime counts accounted for 44% and 16% of nighttime snorkeling counts for rainbow trout and brook trout adults, respectively. As winter progressed, nighttime counts declined more so for brook trout than rainbow trout, but the decline was not significant for either species. Nocturnalism of both species was higher in streams with colder water temperatures. We observed few fish within concealment structure; however, by electrofishing concealment habitat during the day, we captured 10 times more adult trout than we counted immediately beforehand by snorkeling. Adult trout were concealed in cobble-boulder substrate and woody debris during the day. ^Note     

Competitive exclusion of brown trout Salmo trutta L., by rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum, in lake tributaries, New Zealand

Spawning runs of brown trout Salmo trutta L., and rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum, were compared in three tributaries of two lakes for timing, numbers and redd characteristics. Redd characteristics for the two species in four other streams were examined. No significant differences in redd characteristics between the two species were observed, but in all lake tributaries the possibilities of superimposition of spring spawning rainbow trout on redds of brown trout were examined. A common feature was the high ratio of numbers of spawners to the area of preferred spawning gravel, and it was concluded that in the lake tributaries, superimposition resulted in increased mortality of brown trout eggs, and in one case elimination of the brown trout population. Management possibilities for control of the species proportions in comparable situations are discussed.     

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.