Karyological analysis of endangered Caspian salmon, Salmo trutta caspius (Kessler, 1877)

The karyotype and chromosomal characteristics of endangered Caspian salmon, Salmo trutta caspius, in the southern part of the Caspian Sea were investigated. From the total of 60 mitotic metaphases achieved from 15 individuals, 15, 9 and 36 metaphases were with the mode <76, 76 and 80 representing 25%, 15% and 60% of metaphases respectively. So, the most common pattern of chromosome number was 80 (36 metaphases, 60%) and the number of diploid chromosomes was thus confirmed as (2n=80) of this subspecies. The karyotype consists of seven metacentric, five submetacentric and 28 telocentric pairs. The karyological parameters of the Caspian salmon, the centromic index, arm ratio, relative length and length variation range of chromosomes, were 0–0.5, 1–∞, 0.011–0.045 and 0.507–2.028 μm respectively. The total length of chromosomes in haploid series was 44.776 μm and fundamental number of chromosome arms was 104. This study may provide the first knowledge on chromosome analysis in Caspian salmon and add basic information useful for its chromosomal manipulations.     

Effects of predation and intraspecific interactions on habitat use and foraging by brown trout in artificial streams

Abstract— We studied habitat use, foraging rates and behavior of 10 cm and 12 cm long brown trout, Salmo trutta , at two densities, 1.5 and 3.0 fish. m⁻², in artificial streams that contained either the amphipod, Gammarus pulex , alone or G. pulex together with the piscivore, northern pike, Esox lucius. Gammarus were stocked in and largely restricted to the pools at a density of 128 Gammurus. m⁻² . pool⁻¹ Large trout (12 cm) used pools more and riffles less when small trout (10 cm) were present than when small trout were absent. Small trout consumed fewer Gammarus when together with large trout than when alone, but showed no difference in habitat use in the presence and abscnce of large trout. Habitat use and number of Gammarus consumed per trout were not affected by trout density for either size-class when alone. For both size-classes of trout, use of pools and foraging rates were higher in the absence than in the presence of pike, and pike primarily resided in the pools. The number of aggressive interactions by both size-classes of trout decreased when pike was present. Our results indicate that for habitats that differ in food resources and predation risk, size structure may affect habitat use and foraging by brown trout.     

Survival of Atlantic salmon captured in and released from a commercial trap-net: Potential for selective harvesting of stocked salmon

The major wild Atlantic salmon stocks in the Baltic Sea began to recover in the late 1990s. This recovery has been partly due to strict regulations in the Gulf of Bothnia that effectively prevent salmon fisheries during the peak migration. About half of the migrating salmon, however, are reared fish that could be harvested. We simulated a limited trap-net fishery that selectively harvested reared salmon and released wild fish, and studied the survival and migration of the released salmon. We tagged and released 1970 salmon caught in the trap-nets along the coast in 2001 and 2002. The mean maximum capture and release induced mortality of salmon was 11%, ranging between 4% and 21% in different release groups by year, sea age and number of releases. The cumulative mortality for the total salmon population on their spawning migration in the Gulf of Bothnia was below 5%, and it would not increase considerably after the first capture and release events, provided fishing effort is not excessive and fish are handled properly. Survival of trap-net captured and released Baltic salmon appears high and their migration behavior is not altered due to this handling. Several preconditions, however, should be considered before selective fishing is introduced in the Gulf of Bothnia salmon fishery.     

The Irish sea trout enhancement programme: a review of the broodstock and ova production programmes

The Irish sea trout, Salmo trutta L., broodstock programme was instigated in response to the collapse of sea trout stocks in the west coast of Ireland in 1989 and 1990. Wild sea trout kelts and post-smolts were successfully reconditioned and used as broodstock to produce eyed ova for distribution to affected fisheries. From 1991 to 1999, a total of 8.2 million green ova from four separate stocks were produced. The number of females stripped increased from 34 in 1991 to a peak of 1435 in 1997. Green ova survival to the eyed ova stage ranged from 65 to 96%. The eyed ova produced were distributed to 23 affected fisheries along the west coast. The average cost per eyed ova decreased from €2.02 at the start of the programme to €0.04 at the end. The growth rates recorded for broodstock held in captivity were comparable with those recorded for wild sea trout. Relationships between fish size, egg size and number of eggs produced were examined for each stock and for each stock in each year. Significant positive relationships were found between fish size and egg number and fish size and egg size, with the exception of the first year in which fish were stripped, when a negative correlation between fish size and egg size was found.     

Is there lipostatic regulation of feed intake in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L.?

High‐energy feeds, with increased fat concentrations, are often used in salmon farming to improve feed:gain ratio. However, fish are thought to regulate ingestion to meet their energy and nutrient intake requirements. Further, feeds with excessive fat content will lead to increased adiposity, which is thought to exert a negative feedback on feed intake via lipostatic regulation mechanisms. A test of the lipostatic model of feed intake regulation was carried out on juvenile Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. (c. 165 g) in which body fat content (5.6% and 9.4% body fat) had been manipulated by feeding feeds with different fat concentrations. Thereafter, the fish were offered the high‐ and low‐fat feeds (15.6% and 26.5% dietary fat content) simultaneously, and our hypothesis was that feed preference and intake would reflect the state of fat storage. Thus, we predicted that, when given a choice of feeds, the lean fish would eat more, and that the body fat status of the groups would converge over time. The results indicated a general preference for the leaner feed irrespective of adiposity level, but leaner fish consumed more feed, grew faster and deposited more body fat than their fatter counterparts. Over time, body compositions converged among treatments, and differences in feed intake ablated. These findings seem to provide supportive evidence for a lipostatic regulation of feed intake in fish.     

Feed intake of Atlantic salmon parr Salmo salar L. in relation to temperature and feed composition

The design and testing of a feed intake monitoring system based on feed waste collection is described. The system was used in a study of feed intake and growth of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. parr in relation to temperature (2 °C or 8 °C) and feed composition (21% fat, 50% protein and 22.5 MJ kg^?1 or 34% fat, 40% protein and 24.8 MJ kg^?1). Fish had lower feed intake and slower growth at the lower temperature, but temperature‐corrected growth (TGC) was better in fish held at the lower temperature. There was an increase in TGC over time at low temperature, probably as a result of long‐term thermal acclimation. Feed conversion for an increase in body size from 19 to 38 g was better for the fish held at low temperature. Feed consumption of low‐fat feed was higher than that of high‐fat feed, and growth of the fish fed the low‐fat feed was better at the higher temperature. These data are consistent with the ideas that the fish compensated for differences in feed energy densities to maintain energy and nutrient intakes, and that lipostatic factors may be operating to regulate feed intake and growth.     

Behaviour and growth of juvenile brown trout exposed to fluctuating flow

Abstract –  Parr of brown trout ( Salmo trutta L.) were exposed to constant or fluctuating water level and flow in artificial outdoor stream channels during 21 days in three consecutive runs, and their individual behaviour and social interactions were monitored. Despite the large variation in flow, no clear differences in growth, which was generally poor, and behaviour were found between treatments. The signs of a social structure in the stream channels were very subtle and there were no clear relation between growth rate and aggressive/dominant behaviour in any of the treatments in accordance with findings in studies of growth and dominance in the wild. Thus, in regulated rivers, daily fluctuations in flow and water level (hydropeaking) are not likely to alter the behaviour of juvenile brown trout or affect their energy turnover negatively. Several studies now indicate that if stranding can be avoided, hydropeaking has relatively small direct effects on stream salmonids. Therefore, future research should focus on cascading ecological effects that may influence the productivity of the ecosystems in regulated rivers.     

Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, utilizes wax ester-rich oil from Calanus finmarchicus effectively

Against a background of decreasing availability of fish oils for use in aquaculture, the present study was undertaken to examine whether a wax ester-rich oil derived from the calanoid copepod Calanus finmarchicus, could be used effectively by Atlantic salmon when supplied in their diet. Individually tagged Atlantic salmon of initial weight around 500 g were divided into replicate tanks of two dietary groups and fed either a fish oil supplemented diet, or an experimental diet coated with Calanus oil. Wax esters accounted for 37.5% of the lipids in the Calanus oil diet but were absent from the fish oil diet in which triacylglycerols (TAG) were the major lipid class. Over the feeding period (140 days) the salmon fed fish oil displayed a greater increase in length, but there was no significant difference between the two groups in weight gained. The specific growth rates (0.75) and the feed conversion ratio of fish fed the two diets were similar throughout the study. No differences were observed in the apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) of fish fed Calanus oil or fish oil. The ADC of fatty acids decreased with chain length and increased with unsaturation. Long-chain alcohol utilization showed a similar tendency although there was a notable difference in that saturated long-chain alcohols were utilized better than the comparable fatty acid homologue. In fecal lipid of fish fed Calanus oil, the content of 16:0 alcohol decreased in both the free long-chain alcohol and wax ester fractions, while the corresponding fatty acid increased in the feces of both dietary groups of fish. In contrast, the proportion of the 22:1n−11 alcohol increased in both fecal wax esters and free long-chain alcohol fractions whereas 22:1n−11 fatty acid displayed no accumulation. The observed patterns of fatty acid and long-chain alcohol compositions in fecal lipid compared to those of the initial dietary lipid are consistent with the digestive lipases of salmon preferentially hydrolyzing esters containing polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) moieties. The wax esters of Calanus oil contained substantial amounts of the n−3 PUFA, 20:5n−3 and 22:6n−3, that were effectively deposited in muscle and liver tissues. No major differences were seen in either lipid content/lipid classes or in gross fatty acid composition of these tissues between the two dietary groups. It is concluded that that Atlantic salmon in seawater can effectively utilize diets in which a major lipid component is derived from zooplankton rich in wax ester without any detrimental change in growth or body lipid composition. This finding gives support to the use of lipid from zooplankton from high latitudes as an alternative or as a supplement to fish oil and a provider of long-chain n−3 PUFA in diets for use in salmon aquaculture.     

Genetic characterization of populations of the ectoparasitic caligid, Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Krøyer 1837) using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA

Genetic variability within salmon louse, Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Caligidae: Copepoda), populations parasitizing farmed and wild Scottish Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) was investigated using analysis of randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fragments. Seven individual decamer primers were used to analyse samples of salmon lice collected from 15 different locations in Scotland. The polymerase chain reaction products were separated using agarose gel electrophoresis and the resulting band patterns were analysed using a semi‐automated analytical scoring system. Dendrograms were produced using the unweighted pair‐group average (UPGMA) method using Dice similarity values. The summary dendrogram of the analysis of all RAPD bands showed two separate clusters of salmon lice, the larger being sub‐divided into a further two sections. The collections of lice occupying each of these sub‐divisions, however, were a mix of sites, which did not exhibit a structured geographical pattern.