Recaptures and resource use of native and non-native brown trout, Salmo trutta L., released in a Norwegian lake

Abstract Rate of recapture (gill netting), habitat use, and diet of three strains of stocked brown trout, Salmo trutta L., were compared with resident brown trout in a Norwegian lake. The strains originated from an alpine lake, from a boreal lake, and from the native brown trout population in the lake. Overall recapture rate was 5–8% for all strains. The low recapture rate could be due to the relatively small size at stocking; mean fish length varied between 13.1 and 14.5 cm with strain and stocking method. Two years after release, the frequency of the different strains decreased from about 12% in the first year to stabilize at about 1%. The alpine strain showed the highest overall recapture rate, whereas the native strain was recaptured at an intermediate rate. The overall recapture rate of scatter-planted brown trout was higher than that of spot-planted brown trout. Immediately after being stocked, introduced fish ate less and had a less-varied diet than resident trout; however, stocked fish adopted a natural diet within the first summer. The distribution of trout between the pelagic and the upper epibenthic habitat was similar for both the resident and the stocked brown trout. Results indicate that the habitat use of stocked brown trout is adaptive and becomes similar to that of indigenous fish.     

Resource use, growth and effects of stocking in alpine brown trout, Salmo trutta L.

Abstract. Wild and stocked brown trout, Salmo trutta L., were sampled in the alpine Norwegian Lake Bjornesfjorden by standard net gangs and commercial fishery. Stocked fish comprised about 30% of the total stock. There was no significant difference in spatial distribution and diet between native and stocked fish. Both groups used the littoral zone, and Gammarus lacustris and Lepidurus arcticus were the main food items. Stocked brown trout reached a specific length one year younger than corresponding wild fish. Therefore stocked brown trout entered the commercial catch one year younger than the native fish.     

Predation on native sculpin by exotic brown trout exceeds that by native cutthroat trout within a mountain watershed (Logan,UT, USA)

We explored potential negative effects of exotic brown trout (Salmo trutta) on native sculpin (Cottus sp.) on the Logan River, Utah, USA by (i) examining factors most strongly correlated with sculpin abundance (e.g., abiotic conditions or piscivory?), (ii) contrasting the extent of brown trout predation on sculpin with that by native cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii utah) and (iii) estimating the number of sculpin consumed by brown trout along an elevational gradient using bioenergetics. Abundance of sculpin across reaches showed a strong (r ≥ 0.40) and significant (P < 0.05) correlation with physical variables describing width (positive) and gradient (negative), but not with abundance of piscivorous brown trout or cutthroat trout. In mainstem reaches containing sculpin, we found fish in 0% of age‐1, 10% of age‐2 and 33% of age‐3 and older brown trout diets. Approximately 81% of fish consumed by brown trout were sculpin. Despite a similar length–gape relationship for native cutthroat trout, we found only two fish (one sculpin and one unknown) in the diets of native cutthroat trout similar in size to age‐3 brown trout. Based on bioenergetics, we estimate that an average large (> 260 mm) brown trout consumes as many as 34 sculpin per year. Nevertheless, results suggest that sculpin abundance in this system is controlled by abiotic factors and not brown trout predation. Additional research is needed to better understand how piscivory influences brown trout invasion success, including in‐stream experiments exploring trophic dynamics and interactions between brown trout and native prey under different environmental conditions.     

Food composition, habitat use and growth of stocked and native Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus, in Lake Muddusjärvi, Finland

Habitat use, growth and food composition of native and stocked Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), were studied in the subarctic Lake Muddusjärvi, northern Finland, to investigate reasons for poor stocking success. Samples were collected with pelagic and epibenthic gill nets. Stocked and native charr occurred in similar epibethic habitats, whereas pelagic habitat was avoided. Native charr grew fast after shifting to piscivory. Growth rate of stocked charr was slow because only a small proportion of stocked fish became piscivorous during the first year after stocking. During the first lake year, stocked charr divided into slow-growing planktivores and fast-growing piscivores. Piscivorous stocked and native charr consumed only whitefish, Coregonus lavaretus (L.), as their prey. Small-sized (<10 cm) whitefish were preferred when shifting to piscivory.     

Post-stocking Movements and Recapture of Hatchery-reared Trout Released into Flowing Waters - Effect of a Resident Wild Population

The post-stocking movements and survival of hatchery-reared brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) (length 18–19 cm) stocked into depopulated and control stretches of the Afon Clettwr, South Wales, were investigated. Data were obtained from electrofishing surveys and rewarded tag returns. Recapture rates ranged from 67–76% for both stretches. The resident population of wild brown trout had no significant effect on the dispersion of the stocked fish, the majority of which remained close to the point of stocking. No stocked fish were recovered from the experimental stretches in the year following their introduction. Within one year the depopulated stretch had been recolonized by wild trout. The implications upon restocking after a fish kill are discussed.     

Stocking of sea trout, Salmo trutta, in Lake Veere, south-west Netherlands

Lake Veere (1750–2050 ha), a brackish water lake in south‐west Netherlands, is a former branch of the Oosterschelde. The lake was closed off by the construction of two dams in 1961. Since the early 1970s Lake Veere has been regularly stocked for recreational and commercial fisheries with rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), brown trout, Salmo trutta L., and glass eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.). Between May and September 1996 an experimental stocking of 18 054 trout of sea trout parentage (15–16 cm; 776 kg) was carried out to study their potential for recreational fisheries. The growth and mortality of the stocked trout were estimated from recaptures in eel fyke nets. The production and consumption of the stocked trout were estimated with a bioenergetics model. After 3.5 years (May 1996–November 1999) the stocked trout measured between 50 and 70 cm. The estimated annual total mortality was 84%. During the winter of 1996–1997, the biomass of the stocked trout reached a maximum of about 1800 kg. By November 1999 the biomass was estimated to be 100 kg. The maximum daily consumption by the trout population was 60 g ha^?1 in October 1996 and in June 1997. The total consumption of the stocked trout population over the 3.5‐year period was estimated as 54 244 kg. The analysis suggested that the stocked trout used about 0.2% of the average annual primary production of the lake system. Although the growth and initial production of the population are attractive from the perspective of a recreational fishery, the high mortality and infestation with the salmon louse, Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Krøyer), are serious drawbacks for a future stocking programme with trout in Lake Veere.     

Predation on wild and hatchery salmon by non‐native brown trout (Salmo trutta) in the Trinity River,California

Non‐native predators may interfere with conservation efforts for native species. For example, fisheries managers have recently become concerned that non‐native brown trout may impede efforts to restore native salmon and trout in California's Trinity River. However, the extent of brown trout predation on these species is unknown. We quantified brown trout predation on wild and hatchery‐produced salmon and trout in the Trinity River in 2015. We first estimated the total biomass of prey consumed annually by brown trout using a bioenergetics model and measurements of brown trout growth and abundance over a 64‐km study reach. Then, we used stable isotope analysis and gastric lavage to allocate total consumption to specific prey taxa. Although hatchery‐produced fish are primarily released in the spring, hatchery fish accounted for most of the annual consumption by large, piscivorous brown trout (>40 cm long). In all, the 1579 (95% CI 1,279–1,878) brown trout >20 cm long in the study reach ate 5,930 kg (95% CI 3,800–8,805 kg) of hatchery fish in 2015. Brown trout predation on hatchery fish was ca. 7% of the total biomass released from the hatchery. Brown trout only ate 924 kg (95% CI 60–3,526 kg) of wild fish in 2015, but this was potentially a large proportion of wild salmon production because wild fish were relatively small. As large brown trout rely heavily on hatchery‐produced fish, modifying hatchery practices to minimise predation may enhance survival of hatchery fish and potentially reduce the abundance of predatory brown trout.     

Potential population and assemblage influences of non‐native trout on native nongame fish in Nebraska headwater streams

Non‐native trout are currently stocked to support recreational fisheries in headwater streams throughout Nebraska. The influence of non‐native trout introductions on native fish populations and their role in structuring fish assemblages in these systems is unknown. The objectives of this study were to determine (i) if the size structure or relative abundance of native fish differs in the presence and absence of non‐native trout, (ii) if native fish‐assemblage structure differs in the presence and absence of non‐native trout and (iii) if native fish‐assemblage structure differs across a gradient in abundances of non‐native trout. Longnose dace Rhinichthys cataractae were larger in the presence of brown trout Salmo trutta and smaller in the presence of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss compared to sites without trout. There was also a greater proportion of larger white suckers Catostomus commersonii in the presence of brown trout. Creek chub Semotilus atromaculatus and fathead minnow Pimephales promelas size structures were similar in the presence and absence of trout. Relative abundances of longnose dace, white sucker, creek chub and fathead minnow were similar in the presence and absence of trout, but there was greater distinction in native fish‐assemblage structure between sites with trout compared to sites without trout as trout abundances increased. These results suggest increased risk to native fish assemblages in sites with high abundances of trout. However, more research is needed to determine the role of non‐native trout in structuring native fish assemblages in streams, and the mechanisms through which introduced trout may influence native fish populations.     

Effects of stocked trout on native fish communities in boreal foothills lakes

Nasmith LE, Tonn WM, Paszkowski CA, Scrimgeour GJ. Effects of stocked trout on native fish communities in boreal foothills lakes.
Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2010: 19: 279–289. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract – Ecological effects of stocking nonnative trout into lakes are receiving increased attention, especially in alpine environments. We assessed effects of stocked trout on native forage fishes in the boreal foothills of Alberta (Canada) by comparing fish density, population size structure and spatial and temporal activities in stocked and unstocked lakes over 3 years (2005–2007). The numerically dominant dace (primarily Phoxinus spp.) were larger in stocked lakes, consistent with size‐limited predation. Dace were also more crepuscular and concentrated on the lake‐bottom in stocked lakes, compared to more daytime activity in the water column in unstocked lakes. There were, however, no demonstrable effects of trout on the abundance of forage fish. The lack of major population‐level impacts of stocked trout suggests that current stocking practices, characteristics of boreal foothill lakes (e.g. thermal structure, abundant invertebrates, dense macrophytes) and/or behavioural adjustments of forage fish contribute to healthy native fish populations in our stocked lakes.     

Parallelism in thermal growth response in otoliths and scales of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) from alpine lakes independent of genetic background

Low density in natural populations of salmonids has predominantly been managed by stocking of non‐native conspecifics. Due partly to domestication, introduced non‐native fish may be maladapted under natural conditions. Interbreeding between introduced and wild individuals may therefore impair local adaptation and potentially population viability. Brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) from three headwaters (with stocked fish) and three interconnected lakes (with native fish) on the Hardangervidda mountain plateau, southern Norway, were tested for differences in thermal effects on scale and otolith growth. Otolith and scale annuli widths from immature brown trout showed positive correlation with mean annual summer temperature for all six sampled populations. In mature individuals, a similar positive thermal correlation was evident for the otoliths only. Interannuli width measurements from scales indicate a halt in somatic growth for brown trout in this alpine environment when reaching ages between 7 and 9 winters, coinciding with age at maturity. Our study indicates that otolith growth follows summer temperature even when individuals do not respond with somatic growth in these populations and that introduced brown trout and introgressed populations have similar thermal growth responses. Due to the continued otolith growth after stagnation in somatic growth and the impact of fluctuations in summer temperature, the utilisation of otolith annuli widths for back calculation of length at age should be treated with caution.     

Long-term variation in piscivory in a brown trout population: effect of changes in available prey organisms

Abstract – The piscivorous behaviour in a brown trout ( Salmo trutta L.) population was studied in four discrete periods over seven decades (1917–94) in the hydroelectric reservoir Tunhovdfjord in Norway established in 1919. Piscivorous brown trout were extremely scarce prior to the introduction of two fish species Arctic charr ( Salvelinus alpinus L.) and European minnow ( Phoxinus phoxinus L.) in the 1920s. Brown trout started eating minnow at 17 cm and Arctic charr at 22 cm of length. In the 1950s, the brown trout predated extensively (60% of analysed trout) on Arctic charr and minnow. During the next four decades, the incidence of piscivorous brown trout declined to 15%, whereas the frequency of brown trout eating Arctic charr remained constant at 10%. The growth pattern, expressed as back-calculated length, demonstrated similarity in three periods (1920s, 1960s and 1990s) and improved growth in the 1950s. The improvement was addressed the impoundment of a reservoir upstream. We did not find any marked change in growth rate due to piscivority, but coefficient of variance of back-calculated lengths indicated significant variation in individual growth in age group ≥6 years from 1950 onwards. We accredit this variation to the rise of piscivorous brown trout.     

Alternative routes to piscivory: Contrasting growth trajectories in brown trout (Salmo trutta) ecotypes exhibiting contrasting life history strategies

Large and long‐lived piscivorous brown trout, Salmo trutta, colloquially known as ferox trout, have been described from a number of oligotrophic lakes in Britain and Ireland. The “ferox” life history strategy is associated with accelerated growth following an ontogenetic switch to piscivory and extended longevity (up to 23 years in the UK). Thus, ferox trout often reach much larger sizes and older ages than sympatric lacustrine invertebrate‐feeding trout. Conventional models suggest that S. trutta adopting this life history strategy grow slowly before a size threshold is reached, after which, this gape‐limited predator undergoes a diet switch to a highly nutritional prey source (fish) resulting in a measurable growth acceleration. This conventional model of ferox trout growth was tested by comparing growth trajectories and age structures of ferox trout and sympatric invertebrate‐feeding trout in multiple lake systems in Scotland. In two of the three lakes examined, fish displaying alternative life history strategies, but living in sympatry, exhibited distinctly different growth trajectories. In the third lake, a similar pattern of growth was observed between trophic groups. Piscivorous trout were significantly older than sympatric invertebrate‐feeding trout at all sites, but ultimate body size was greater in only two of three sites. This study demonstrates that there are multiple ontogenetic growth pathways to achieving piscivory in S. trutta and that the adoption of a piscivorous diet may be a factor contributing to the extension of lifespan.     

Trophic interactions between introduced lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and native Arctic charr (S. alpinus) in a large Fennoscandian subarctic lake

Introduced fishes may have major impacts on community structure and ecosystem function due to competitive and predatory interactions with native species. For example, introduced lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) has been shown to replace native salmonids and induce major trophic cascades in some North American lakes, but few studies have investigated trophic interactions between lake trout and closely related native Arctic charr (S. alpinus) outside the natural distribution of the former species. We used stomach content and stable isotope analyses to investigate trophic interactions between introduced lake trout and native Arctic charr in large subarctic Lake Inarijärvi in northern Finland. Both salmonids had predominantly piscivorous diets at >280 mm total length and were mainly caught from the deep profundal zone. However, lake trout had a more generalist diet and showed higher reliance on littoral prey fish than Arctic charr, whose diet consisted mainly of pelagic planktivorous coregonids. According to length at age and condition data, lake trout showed slightly faster growth but lower condition than Arctic charr. The results indicate that introduced lake trout may to some extent compete with and prey upon native Arctic charr, but currently have only a minor if any impact on native fishes and food web structure in Inarijärvi. Future monitoring is essential to observe potential changes in trophic interactions between lake trout and Arctic charr in Inarijärvi, as well as in other European lakes where the two salmonids currently coexist.     

Lake survival of hatchery and pre-stocked pond brown trout, Salmo trutta L.

Abstract. A comparison was made of lake survival, after 2 years, of hatchery and pre-stocked pond brown trout, Salmo trutta L., (age 0+) in two small mountain lakes in south-central Norway, one which contained a resident population of brown trout. There was a significantly higher recapture of pond fish in both lakes. The mortality rate for the stocked fish was significantly higher in the lake which contained a resident population of brown trout. The competitiveness of the stocked fish is discussed in relation to foraging success, predation and stress.     

Food consumption rates of piscivorous brown trout (Salmo trutta) foraging on contrasting coregonid prey

Knowledge of predator–prey dynamics is essential to understand ecosystem functioning. Quantification of such interactions is important for fisheries management, in particular in the case of stocking programmes. Here, food consumption rates (FCR) were quantified for wild and stocked piscivorous brown trout, Salmo trutta L., in three subarctic lakes with contrasting coregonid (Coregonus spp.) prey communities, using the Wisconsin and the Elliott–Hurley bioenergetic models. FCR was highest for stocked brown trout in lakes with the lowest predator densities, and lowest for wild brown trout. Although FCR estimate may vary somewhat depending on the specific model used, such tools are imperative for the proper impact assessment of brown trout stocking programmes and for the provision of advice on optimal stocking densities.     

Trophic ecology of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) in subarctic lakes

In subarctic lake systems, fish species like brown trout are often important predators, and their niche performance is a key characteristic for understanding trophic interactions and food web functioning at upper trophic levels. Here, we studied summer habitat use and stomach contents of brown trout under both allopatric and sympatric conditions in six subarctic lakes to reveal its trophic role, and population‐ and individual‐level niche plasticity. In allopatry, brown trout mainly used the littoral habitat, but also less commonly used the pelagic zone. In sympatry with stickleback, there was always a considerable habitat overlap between the two species. In contrast, sympatric populations of brown trout and Arctic charr generally revealed a distinct habitat segregation. In the sympatric systems, in general, there was a distinct resource partitioning between the trout and charr, whereas the observed diet overlap between trout and stickleback was much larger. Trout modified their individual dietary specialisation between the littoral and pelagic zone, always being lower in the pelagic. Piscivorous behaviour of trout was only found in sympatric systems, possibly contributing to a competitive advantage of trout over charr and stickleback. Hence, the trophic level of trout was strongly related to the fish community composition, with a higher trophic level in sympatric systems where piscivorous behaviour was frequent. These changes in the trophic level of trout linked with the observed food resource partitioning might be an important mechanism in the ecosystem functioning of subarctic lakes to allow coexistence among sympatric‐living fish species.     

Post-stocking Movements and Recapture of Hatchery-reared Trout Released into Flowing Waters: Effect of Time and Method of Stocking

Hatchery-reared brown trout Salmo trutta L. (length 23–26 cm) were stocked in the Afon Taf, South Wales. The effects of ‘spot-’ and ‘scatter-planting’ and of stocking at 1 and 4 weeks prior to the start of the angling season were investigated. Data on the percentage recapture and post-stocking movements of the trout were obtained from tag returns. Higher percentage recaptures were recorded for ‘spot-plantings’ (65% and 31%) than for ‘scatter-planting’ (16%). Stockings made 1 week before the start of the angling season yielded better returns (17.1%) than those made 3 weeks earlier (2.2%). Neither ‘spot-’ nor ‘scatter-planting’ resulted in stocked fish contributing to the catch for an appreciably longer period of time. The majority of trout stocked were caught in the area of stocking irrespective of the method or time of planting.     

Quantitative estimates of freshwater fish stocking practices by recreational angling clubs in France

Although freshwater fish stocking is widely used by managers, quantitative assessments of stocking practices are lacking in many countries. The general objective of the present study was to determine the quantity and characteristics of fish stocking in metropolitan France. Using a survey-based approach, stocking practices for 2013 by recreational angling clubs in France were quantified, which represented the bulk of fish stocking undertaken in that year. Stocking was found to be practiced by 88.6% of angling clubs in France, representing, on average, 65% of their annual budget. Overall, 22 species were stocked, including 13 native and nine non-native species, with strong variations among species in terms of life stages and body sizes used for stocking. Using Bayesian modelling, a total biomass of 2.029 t, representing approximately 90 million fishes, was estimated to be stocked in France in 2013. In terms of biomass, the most widely stocked species were rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), brown trout Salmo trutta L., roach Rutilus rutilus (L.), common carp Cyprinus carpio L. and northern pike Esox lucius L. A stocking volume of approximately 60 fishes or 1.5 kg of fish biomass per angler per year seems commonplace in industrialised countries for which data are available.     

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.     

The residence time of stocked hatchery-reared brown trout, Salmo trutta L., and rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), in Lake Trawsfynydd, and their accumulation of radioactive caesium

Abstract Small amounts of radioactivity in liquid effluent are discharged under authorization into Lake Trawsfynydd in north Wales. MAFF inspectors from the Directorate of Fisheries Research (DFR) advise the Welsh Office on the terms of authorization and on the power station operators' compliance with them. DFR also has the responsibility for environmental monitoring, including fish caught for consumption. Trout angling is particularly popular in Lake Trawsfynydd, and because of angling pressure, additional brown trout, Salmo trutta L., and rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), need to be introduced. An important factor in determining the concentration of radionuclides in these fish is the length of time that they spend at liberty. During the fishing season, samples of these stocked trout were tagged and released to assess the average residence time. This was found to be 6 days for rainbow trout and 10 days for brown trout. Less than 7% of the recaptured stocked trout of either species had a residence time of more than 20 days. Radiocaesium concentrations in recaptured trout were very low. Trout which avoided recapture and overwintered in the lake were found to have radiocaesium concentrations similar to those of indigenous trout sampled at the same time.