Littoral spawning habitats of three southern Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus L.) populations

Abstract Arctic charr populations in southern latitudes are nonmigratory, with all life‐stages limited to freshwater lakes and in‐ or out‐flowing tributaries. Although many of these populations are reported to also spawn in lake littorals, little is known about the physical characteristics of putative spawning grounds. A total of 23 discrete spawning sites within three Irish lakes were located by fyke netting of spawning adults and snorkelling in littoral habitats. Spawning sites were found to be long, narrow strips running parallel to the shore at a maximum depth of 124 cm. Spawning sites were limited to areas of coarse mineral substrate with an adequate (c. 8 cm) depth of clean interstitial spaces. In individual lakes, combined areas of spawning sites made up 0.4–0.7% of available littoral. Egg densities varied considerably between sites (33–900·eggs m^?2) and were significantly correlated with gradient and width of spawning sites. No evidence of redd digging was found. The shallow, localised and restricted nature of spawning grounds makes such populations vulnerable to anthropogenically induced postoviposition changes in surface water level, eutrophication processes such as increased lake sedimentation and elevated nutrient status.     

Muscle carotenoid concentrations in sexually maturing and immature Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.)

Muscle carotenoid concentrations were measured in immature and maturing 2+ Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), sampled from April until ovulation started in November. In immature fish, muscle carotenoid concentration increased steadily and had reached about 10 mg kg^?1 by the end of the experiment. In mature fish of both sexes, pigment concentrations decreased during the autumn and muscle carotenoid concentrations were significantly lower than in the immature fish during the latter stages of the trial. No significant difference in muscle pigmentation was observed between sexes. Carotenoid concentrations were lowest in the cranial region of the fillet, but decreased in all parts of the fillet when the charr became mature. In females, the decrease seemed to be most marked in the caudal region. At the termination of the experiment, fillets accounted for about one-half of the carotenoid content in mature fish of both sexes. High concentrations of pigment were recorded in the skin and fins of mature males. In mature female charr, pigment was almost equally distributed among skin, fins and ovaries     

Amino acid composition of Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.) and the prediction of dietary requirements for essential amino acids

Embryo somatic tissues, non‐somatic yolk‐sac materials, and whole, individual fingerlings (age 0+) of Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), as well as a commercial trout diet, were analysed for a wide spectrum of amino acids. Analytical material consisted of prefeeding swim‐up fry that were separated into discrete yolk sac and somatic embryo tissue samples. Amino acid concentrations in fry somatic tissue and whole fingerlings were generally very similar to each other, but were lower than those measured in yolk materials. Higher correlations were observed between the majority of specific amino acid concentrations in the trout diet when compared with fingerling data (r² = 0.91) and fry somatic tissue data (r² = 0.89), than when correlated with fry yolk sac material (r² = 0.76). These results indicate that the essential amino acid profiles of fry somatic tissue and whole fingerlings are closer to that of a commercial feed than they are to the endogenous profiles found in the embryonic yolk sac material itself. The dietary ratios of individual essential amino acids were also compared with the total essential amino acid concentrations (A/E ratios) in whole fingerling tissues, and these ratios could be used to accurately estimate the apparent essential amino acid requirements of Arctic charr. The rationale for using carcass amino acid composition data to estimate the dietary essential amino acid requirements of Arctic charr is discussed.     

Influence of feeding frequency on growth and size dispersion in Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (L.)

Abstract Dominance hierarchy formation in groups of fish is thought to be a major reason for the development of size heterogeneity. The objective of the current experiment was to examine the influence of different feeding frequencies on growth and changes in size distribution in groups of Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (L.). The fish were fed equivalent excess rations continuously for 24 h a day, for 2 h twice a day (early morning and evening), for 2 h once a day in the morning or for 2 h once every other day also in the morning. Growth was measured by individual weighing of fish four times during the 130‐day experiment. Coefficient of variation in size within rearing groups was used to assess size dispersion and the possible development of hierarchies within the groups. Feeding frequency did not influence variation in size within groups, and there were no signs of hierarchy formation.     

Optimal protein requirements of young Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) fed practical diets

Young Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), mean weight 2.56 ± 0.02 g, were fed nine isoenergetic (?16.6 MJ digestible energy (DE) kg^?1) practical diets formulated to supply digestible crude protein (DCP) at 40g kg^?1 increments from 230 to 550g kg^?1, for 84 days. Mean weight gain (MWG) and specific growth rate (SGR) were determined every 14 days while carcass composition was determined at the start and end of the experiment. Growth responses attained the highest values in the fish fed the diet with 350 g kg^?1 DCP. Carcass moisture gain, protein gain and apparent net lipid accumulation increased as DCP levels increased to a maximum at 350 g kg^?1 after which there were no differences among treatments. Total carcass lipid and lipid gain decreased as dietary DCP increased up to 470 g kg^?1 with no differences thereafter. Apparent net protein accretion decreased with increasing DCP levels up to 350 g kg^?1 after which there were few differences among treaments. Protein requirements were estimated by fitting MWG and SGR data to broken line regression, quadratic and saturation kinetics models. Results from these analyses suggest that dietary DCP should be provided at between 340 and 392 g kg^?1 (equivalent to ?370 and 420g kg^?1 crude protein) for optimal growth of young Arctic charr reared in similar conditions.     

Lipid dynamics in anadromous Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.): seasonal variations in lipid storage depots and lipid class composition

Changes in lipid class composition of tissues of anadromous Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus, were studied in relation to seasonal patterns of lipid deposition and lipid mobilisation. Charr of a north Norwegian population were collected in late May when fish were migrating towards the sea, and in mid-July when the fish re-entered fresh water. Some maturing fish captured in mid-July were held in captivity until late September to assess lipid dynamics associated with maturation. The carcass (head, fins, skeleton and skin) accounted for approx. 50% of the total body lipid content when the fish re-entered fresh water from the sea. Triacylglycerols (TAG) comprised 75-80% of the carcass lipid in ascending charr, confirming that the carcass is a major lipid depot. The skeletal muscle also represented a major lipid store: muscle of ascending charr contained 35-40% of the body lipids, with TAG being dominant (approx. 75% of muscle lipid). The gut (gastrointestinal tract and visceral lipid) and liver of ascending charr each held only 4-5%; of the body lipid, TAG being the dominant lipid class in both of these depots (Gut TAG: 60-65%; Liver TAG: 50-55%). Body lipid decreased 30-40% during maturation: lipids were depleted from all depots, but mobilisation of from the carcass and muscle was quantitatively the most important. In mature females, the ovaries held almost 25% of the body lipid, with the proportion of TAG exceeding that of polar lipids (PL)(TAG: 62%; PL 12.4%). In the mature males, the testes accounted for less than 3% of the total lipids. TAG tended to dominate the testis lipids (TAG: 29.5%), but there were also quite high proportions of free fatty acids, cholesterol and polar lipids (FFA: 23.5%; C: 15%; PL 9.7%). Females lost approx. 80% of their body lipid during spawning and overwintering, the majority of this being TAG. Males also lost large amounts of TAG during the winter, but in contrast to the females lipid depletion amounted to only 50-55% of that present at the time of ascent into fresh water.     

Feed intake and growth of Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), fed diets supplemented with oxytetracycline and squid extract

This study examined the long-term effects of a potential feeding deterrent, oxytetracycline (OTC), and a putative feeding stimulant, squid extract, on feed intake, growth and dry matter (DM) digestibility in Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.). Fish were fed one of four diets for 9 weeks: 1. commercial feed formulation (basic); 2. BM (basic plus 20 g kg⁻¹ OTC); 3. BMS (BM plus 10 g kg⁻¹ squid extract); 4. BS (basic plus 10 g kg⁻¹ squid extract). The feed intake of Arctic charr was not reduced by the addition of OTC to the basic feed, and addition of squid extract to the medicated feed did not enhance feed consumption. DM digestibility and growth tended to be reduced in groups of fish fed diets supplemented with the antibiotic (BM and BMS). This suggests that OTC may have interfered with nutrient digestion and absorption. OTC does not seem to be a feeding deterrent for Arctic charr, possibly indicating that the charr is a rather unselective feeder. Because the medicated feeds were readily accepted, there may be little to be gained by addition of feeding stimulants to these types of feeds for charr.     

Genetic divergence among broodstocks of Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus in eastern Canada derived from the same founding populations

We examined the amount and distribution of molecular variation at microsatellite loci in 21 broodstocks of Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus derived from the Fraser River, Labrador and the Nauyuk Lake, Nunavut, Canada. Our goal was to assess the amount of genetic diversity and differentiation as broodstocks are subdivided and propagated in different hatcheries and grow‐out facilities. We observed significant heterogeneity across pairs of ancestral and descendant broodstocks in the mean numbers of alleles at microsatellite loci. We detected a significant decrease in the observed heterozygosity between ancestors and descendants but the amount of decrease did not depend on either the degree of removal from the wild (number of sequential transfers) or the strain (Fraser vs. Nauyuk). Based on allele frequency distributions, there was little genetic evidence of bottlenecks during the creation of subsequent broodstock populations after the initial founding events. All broodstock samples were significantly differentiated from each other but those within the same strain were more similar to each other than to broodstocks from different strains. Broodstocks from the Nauyuk Lake broodstocks showed greater differentiation from each other than did Fraser River broodstocks, which could be attributed to differences in the number of founders.     

Evidence for the recent extinction of two Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (L.) populations in the West of Ireland

1. This paper highlights the recent extinctions of two native Arctic charr populations in the West of Ireland, one population from the Lough Conn catchment, and a second from the Lough Corrib catchment, respectively. 2. The distribution of charr populations in the two catchments is reviewed. The current distribution information is drawn from recent fish stock surveys (Lough Corrib in 1996, and Lough Conn in 1997 and 1998). Previous records of charr in the literature and unpublished data are described to place the current distribution of charr within these catchments into a historical perspective. 3. The importance of the charr population in Lough Mask (Lough Corrib catchment) is emphasized, as it is one of the last extant examples of charr from a large Irish alkaline lake. 4. Impacts on charr populations in both catchments are discussed and conservation measures proposed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An experimental test of the genetic component of the ontogenetic habitat shift in Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus)

Abstract— Fry of the Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus , were experimentally stocked into a small fish-free lake to test the hypothesis that the size-dependent habitat shift from the epibenthic to the pelagic habitat is genetically determined. The charr originated from a nearby lake inhabiting predatory brown trout Salmo trutta. The cohort of stocked charr was investigated for three years. The Arctic charr started to exploit the pelagic habitat in their first summer at a size of 7–9 cm in contrast to about 15 cm in the donor lake. In the next two summers, the pelagic fraction of the cohort increased. The main fraction lived in epibenthic areas, utilizing the same prey as pelagic charr. Water temperature moderated the habitat use of juveniles such that they avoided warm (>16°C) waters and resided in cool, deep areas. The result was consistent with the hypothesis of a tradeoff between feeding benefit and the predation risk producing spatial segregation of Arctic charr and demonstrated that the fish can facultatively respond to predation risk and adjust the size at which they migrate to the pelagic zone to feed on zooplankton.     

Conservation and management of the Arctic charr: a forward view

Abstract –  In this study, we synthesised the views of 34 participants in a workshop to consider the status and future conservation and management of the Arctic charr ( Salvelinus alpinus L.). These are expressed as a series of resolutions deriving from a conference on Arctic charr conservation held in Perth, Scotland in June 2004. Agreed resolutions from the conference were as follows. (i) The unique diversity of Arctic charr should be recognised for the contribution it makes to biodiversity of northern aquatic communities. (ii) The recognition by the public, nongovernmental organisations and national governments of the importance of Arctic charr in northern ecosystems is an important step to the management and protection that should be pursued. (iii) The taxonomic status of highly variable charr populations requires to be reviewed. (iv) There should be a separate system, complementary to the taxonomic one, which systematically catalogues the biological diversity of S. alpinus . (v) The Arctic charr provides a unique natural resource to study the process of evolution and this requires the highest level of protection from anthropogenic effects. (vi) The status of conservation policy for Arctic charr needs to be urgently reviewed to take account of its unique position in the fauna.     

The influence of physical watercourse parameters on the degree of anadromy in different lake populations of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus (L.)) in northern Norway

The influence of physical watercourse parameters on the degree of anadromy was studied in 15 lake populations of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus (L.)) in northern Norway. The anadromy of the different populations was scored based on the following criteria; marine parasites. fish length and length at maturity. There were significant negative correlations between the anadromy scores and both the length of the outlet rivers of the different lakes and a migration barrier index for the different watercourses (combining migration distance and water velocity). It is hypothsized that these correlations were due to differences in energy expenditure for charr during upstream migration and/or differences in predation pressure on charr during river migration. Short rivers with relatively high water velocity seem to be the most preferable conditions for the anadromous life-history strategy. There were no correlations between the degree of anadromy and mean river slope or minimum summer water discharge.     

Production and predation rates in a cannibalistic Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus L.) population

Abstract – Production of cannibalistic Arctic char ( Salvelinus alpinus (L.)) and their prey conspecifics were estimated in an allopatric population, situated in an alpine ultraoligotrophic lake in central Norway. Estimates of population abundance were obtained by mark recapture and successive removal experiments. Assuming stable age distribution, we estimated mean yearly biomass (±95% CL) of char in sampled size groups vulnerable to predation (60 to 150 mm) to 7.93 (5.11–14.30) kg · ha⁻¹. Similarly, mean yearly biomass (±95% CL) of cannibalistic char (> 250 mm) was estimated to 0.62 (0.50–1.06) kg · ha⁻¹. Annual production (±95% CL) of char in length groups 60 to 150 mm was estimated to be 4.31 (2.74–8.03) kg · ha⁻¹ · year⁻¹, and production (±95% CL) of cannibalistic char to 0.19 (0.15–0.33) kg · ha⁻¹ · year⁻¹. Depending on the food conversion factor (set to vary from 0.1 to 0.4), the cannibalistic char removed from 10% to 40% of the production of char in sampled size-classes vulnerable to predation yearly. The overall ecological efficiency in energy transfer between the prey and predator population was 4.4%.     

Brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) and Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus (L.)) as predators on three sympatric whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus (L.)) forms in the subarctic Lake Muddusjärvi

Abstract  – Brown trout ( Salmo trutta L.) and Arctic charr ( Salvelinus alpinus (L.)) use whitefish ( Coregonus lavaretus (L.)) as their main prey in the subarctic Lake Muddusjärvi. Brown trout dwelled in littoral and pelagic habitat, whereas Arctic charr lived only in epibenthic habitat. Both species shifted to whitefish predation at a length of 20–30 cm. At this size, brown trout fed on larger whitefish than Arctic charr. Whitefish occur in three sympatric forms, differing in their habitat, ecology and morphology. Both the predators preyed primarily upon the small-sized, densely rakered whitefish form (DR), which was the most numerous whitefish form in the lake. DR used both epibenthic and pelagic habitat, whereas two sparsely rakered whitefish forms dwelled (LSR and SSR) only in epibenthic habitat: LSR in littoral and SSR in profundal areas. Sparsely rakered whitefish forms had minor importance in predator diet.     

Dietary plasticity in Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) in response to long‐term environmental change

Corrigan LJ, Winfield IJ, Hoelzel AR, Lucas MC. Dietary plasticity in Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) in response to long‐term environmental change.
Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2011: 20: 5–13. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract –  In the face of widespread environmental change impacts, there is a need to better understand mechanisms promoting flexibility and resilience of ecosystem components to such change to inform strategies for conservation. Glacial relict species are especially vulnerable to such changes. We investigated the behavioural responses of a native, glacial relict species, Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) to long‐term environmental changes. It was hypothesised that changes in feeding behaviour would occur as a key intermediary to reduction in habitat availability (through climate change and eutrophication) or competitive interactions [with introduced roach (Rutilus rutilus)]. Stomach content analysis was used to assess the diet of 199 charr caught from Windermere, United Kingdom, in the months of March, June, September and November 2003–2007. The results were compared to data from 1940 to 1951 prior to the environmental changes and revealed a marked increase in the contribution of benthic invertebrates in the present diet. Stable isotope analysis confirms the results of the stomach analysis, suggesting that the charr have switched their diet from zooplanktivory towards benthivory. We discuss the possibility that habitat modification and roach population expansion in Windermere have contributed to changes in charr diet. Complementary studies suggest that this diet shift is more likely to be a response to the increasing roach population than to habitat modification; however, further study in Windermere would be required to elucidate the exact mechanism. Long‐term data sets such as these provide information that is useful for determining the directivity of ecological change and the capability of species to respond to change.     

REVIEW Cultivation of Arctic charr: an update

There has been interest in farming Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus, since the 1970s, but expansion of the industry has not been as rapid as originally predicted due to problems experienced with obtaining supplies of viable eggs and juveniles, variable growth and flesh pigmentation during grow-out, problems with year-round culture in sea water, early maturation, and problems related to the marketing of portion-size fish. Several of these problems are probably a manifestation of a mismatch between the environmental requirements of the fish and the rearing environment. For example, variable rates of broodstock maturation and poor survival of eggs are probably the result of holding broodstock charr at temperatures that are unsuitable for optimal reproduction. Poor and heterogeneous rates of growth during grow-out may be the result of rearing the fish at sub-optimal stocking densities. Further, variable fillet pigmentation may be a manifestation of variable growth rates, rather than being a true reflection of the ability of charr to deposit carotenoids in their flesh. Provided that the fish are held under conditions that promote good rates of growth, charr appear to be able to deposit adequate amounts of pigment in their flesh when fed diets that contain 50–70 mg pigment per kg diet. © Rapid Science Ltd. 1998     

Effects of stocking of piscivorous brown trout, Salmo trutta L., on stunted Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.)

To study the effects on a stunted freshwater population of Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), two groups of large (26–45 cm) individually tagged brown trout, Salmo trutta L., were released and recaptured with gillnets after 1, 7, 11 and 63 weeks. One group of trout was trained on a fish diet before release, and the other, reared on commercial dry pellets, served as a control. Specific growth rates in both groups were negative 1 week after release and approached zero after 63 weeks. Condition factor and internal fat content decreased during the experiment. Although only 11% of the trout stomachs examined contained fish prey, charr represented 79% of the total stomach weight content. Gillnet samples of charr before and 63 weeks after the release of trout indicated a decreasing population size of charr. Individual growth and mean length of charr increased after release of trout, especially for charr at age 4 years. After the release of trout, 35% of the charr were longer than 20 cm as compared with 6% before the release.     

Divergent, genetically based feeding behaviour of two sympatric Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), morphs

Abstract –  Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), is one of the several northern fishes that show resource polymorphisms in postglacial lakes. Two reproductively isolated morphs of Arctic charr coexist in distinct ecological niches in the subarctic lake Fjellfrøsvatn, North Norway. Offspring of the two morphs (termed littoral charr and profundal charr) were reared separately but under identical conditions. Their feeding behaviour was compared experimentally using different kinds of live prey. The fishes had no experience with natural prey before the experiments. The littoral morph were more effective in eating live plankton ( Daphnia ) and littoral benthos ( Gammarus ), and had a higher attack rate against pleuston (surface prey, Gerris ) compared with the profundal morph. The two morphs behaved in accordance with expectations from their in situ niche utilisation towards the three prey types. This indicates a case of incipient ecological speciation where divergence in resource utilisation in contrasting niches has evolved adaptations in feeding behaviour by natural selection.     

The effect of dietary inulin on aerobic bacteria associated with hindgut of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus L.)

The primary aim of the present study was to evaluate the population level of adherent (autochthonous) aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria in the hindgut of healthy Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus L.) fed dextrin or inulin. This was assessed by the dilution plate technique, and visualized using both transmission and scanning electron microscopy. A population level of 4.8 × 10⁵ adherent bacteria per gram wet mass was found in the hindgut of fish fed a casein‐based diet supplemented with 15% dextrin. However, substituting dextrin with 15% inulin reduced the bacterial population level in the hindgut (3.56 × 10⁴). A total of 217 bacterial isolates were identified by key phenotypical and biochemical characteristics. In addition, 22 strains were also identified by partial sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The composition of bacteria colonizing the hindgut of Arctic charr fed dextrin was dominated by the genera Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Micrococcus, Psychrobacter glacincola and Streptococcus. However, bacteria colonizing the hindgut of fish fed inulin were dominated by Gram‐positive bacteria of the genera Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Carnobacterium and Bacillus. While Carnobacterium divergens‐like strains were isolated from charr fed dextrin, Carnobacterium maltaromicus‐like strains were isolated from the hindgut of fish fed inulin. Electron microscopical analysis of hindgut regions confirmed traditional culture‐based microbial analysis as fewer bacterial cells were observed between microvilli and associated with the surfaces of enterocytes of fish fed inulin rather than dextrin.     

Seasonal variability in the abundance of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus (L.)) recorded using hydroacoustics in Windermere, UK and its implications for survey design

Abstract –  Hydroacoustic surveys are an important tool for assessing the abundance of Arctic charr ( Salvelinus alpinus (L.)) in lakes, the requirement for which is increasing because of new environmental legislation. Consequently, survey demand is now such that assessments must be undertaken with the minimum of effort compatible with scientific validity. One major complication is seasonal variability in abundance, with which surveyors have attempted to deal by defining somewhat arbitrary seasonal sampling windows. The definition of more objective windows was pursued by analysing variations in the seasonal abundance of Arctic charr in Windermere, UK, recorded using day and night hydroacoustic surveys at monthly intervals from 1991 to 2001. Two alternative sampling windows for night surveys free of significant internal seasonal effects were revealed, i.e., December to September and September to December. It was also found that day surveys gave a useful, although lower, estimate of abundance as compared with night surveys.