Seasonal variation in habitat use by salmon, Salmo salar, trout, Salmo trutta and grayling, Thymallus thymallus, in a chalk stream

Abstract A portable multi‐point decoder system deployed in a tributary of the River Itchen, a southern English chalk stream, recorded the habitats used by PIT‐tagged juvenile salmon, Salmo salar L., trout, Salmo trutta L. and grayling, Thymallus thymallus L., with a high degree of spatial and temporal resolution. The fishes’ use of habitat was monitored at 350 locations throughout the stream during September/October 2001 (feeding period) and January/February 2002 (over‐wintering period). Salmon parr tended to occupy water 25–55 cm deep with a velocity between 0.4 and 1.0 m s^?1. During both autumn and winter, first year salmon (0+ group) were associated with gravel substrate during the daytime and aquatic weed at night. In autumn, 1+ salmon were strongly associated with hard mud substrates during the day and with marginal tree roots at night. In winter, they were located on gravel substrate by day and gravel and mud at night. Trout were associated with a greater range of habitats than salmon, generally occupying deeper and faster water with increasing age. During the autumn, 0+ trout were located along shallow (5–10 cm) and slow (?0.1–0.4 m s^?1) margins of the stream, amongst tree roots by day and on silty substrates at night. During winter the 0+ trout occupied silty substrates at all times. As age increased, trout increasingly used coarse substrates; hard mud, gravel and chalk, and weed at night. All age groups of grayling (0+, 1+ and 2+) tended to occupy hard gravel substrate at all times and used deeper and faster water with increasing age. The 1+ and 2+ groups were generally found in water 40–70 cm deep with a velocity between 0.3 and 0.5 ms^?1, whilst the 0+ groups showed a preference for shallower water with reduced velocity at night, particularly in the winter. There were greater differences in the habitats used between species and age groups than between the autumn and winter periods, and the distribution of fish was more strongly influenced by substrate type than water depth or velocity. The results are discussed in relation to the habitat requirements of mixed salmonid populations and habitat management.     

A patch perspective on summer habitat use by brown trout Salmo trutta in a high plains stream in Wyoming, USA

Abstract –  We quantified the use of habitat patches by brown trout, Salmo trutta , during summer conditions in a plains stream in the western United States. A Global Positioning System was used to map discrete habitat patches (2–420 m²) consisting of macrophytes, wood accumulation, or deep water. Habitat use by brown trout was monitored by radio telemetry. Brown trout used habitat in a nonrandom manner with 99% of all daytime observations and 91% of all nighttime observations occurring in patches that consisted of combinations of deep water, wood accumulations or macrophytes even though such patches constituted only 9.8% of the available habitat. Brown trout used deep water almost exclusively during the day but broadened their habitat use at night. Most fish stayed within a large plunge pool created by a low-head dam. This pool supplemented the deep-water habitat that was naturally rare in our study area and illustrates how human modifications can sometimes create habitat patches important for stream fishes.     

The movement of wild sea trout, Salmo trutta L., smolts through a river estuary

Abstract  The movement of sea trout. Salmo trutta L., smolts through the estuary of the River Avon, southern England was studied using miniature 300 kHz acoustic transmitters and an array of strategically placed acoustic sonar buoys. Sea trout smolts were trapped 3.25 km above the head of tide as they moved downstream and the transmitters were surgically implanted into the peritoneal cavity of the fish. Subsequent movement of the smolts through the estuary was predominantly nocturnal and occurred mainly during an ebb tide or the period of slack water between two high waters. During the hours of darkness the ground speed of the smolts through the estuary was similar to that of passively drifting objects. However, where movement did occur during daylight hours ground speeds of smolts were significantly slower. Vertical salinity profile measurements of the estuary indicated that individual smolts may have experienced salinities ranging from fresh to 100% sea water during their migration. The behaviour of the smolts is discussed in relation to the possible environmental and physiological cues controlling the estuarine migration.     

Marine migrations in anadromous brown trout (Salmo trutta). Fjord residency as a possible alternative in the continuum of migration to the open sea

Partial migration is a common phenomenon in many fish species. Trout (Salmo trutta) is a partially migratory species where some part of the population migrate to the marine environment, while another remains in freshwater. In the years 2008 and 2009, a total of 159 wild sea trout smolts were tagged with acoustic and PIT‐tags in the river Villestrup (Denmark) to study the initial postsmolt marine behaviour within a fjord system. We found that the strategies of the sea migrants vary: some stay in the fjord, while others migrate to the sea, suggesting that partial migration occurs even in the marine environments. Overall, a total of 53% of the tagged smolts migrated from the fjord to the sea, and 47% stayed (or potentially died) in the fjord. The ratios of fjord‐resident versus sea‐migrating postsmolts were consistent at the study times, and no differences between the early and late migration periods of the smolts were observed. The individual's size or body condition at the time of tagging did not affect survival or the migratory decisions in the fjord. High overall initial survival (74%) was found 30 days after the fjord entry. We suggest that within a continuum of migration to sea, there is a migratory decision point when sea trout postsmolts encounter a fjord system. At this point, postsmolts will assess the possibility of migration versus the alternative of fjord residency.     

Seasonal movements of non‐native lake trout in a connected lake and river system

Abstract Non‐native lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush (Walbaum), threaten native salmonid populations in the western United States. Effective management of lake trout requires understanding movements within connected lake and river systems. This study determined the seasonal movements of subadult lake trout in the Flathead River upstream of Flathead Lake, Montana, USA using radio telemetry. The spatiotemporal distribution of lake trout in the river was related to water temperature. Lake trout were detected in the river primarily during autumn, winter and spring, when water temperatures were cool. By contrast, fewer were detected when temperatures were warmest during summer and during high spring flows. Downriver movements to Flathead Lake occurred throughout autumn and winter when water temperature decreased below 5 °C, and in late spring as water temperature rose towards 15 °C and river discharge declined following spring runoff. Upriver movements occurred primarily in October, which coincided with migrations of prey fishes. These results suggest that lake trout are capable of moving throughout connected river and lake systems (up to 230 km) and that warm water temperatures function as an impediment to occupancy of the river during summer. Controlling source populations and maintaining natural water temperatures may be effective management strategies for reducing the spread of non‐native lake trout.     

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.     

Observations on the spawning behaviour of male and female adult sea trout, Salmo trutta L., using radio-telemetry

Abstract  The spawning behaviour of adult sea trout, Salmo trutta L., was studied using 174 MHz radio transmitters inserted into the stomachs. Sea trout were captured near the spawning beds and tracked prior to, during and after spawning. Ascent into the spawning river was shown to be linked to increases in flow for some fish but not others; the latter fish tended to move at night. Female sea trout were shown to spawn over 1–3 days, with preference for spawning during darkness, before leaving rapidly as kelts. Size was shown to be important in determining dominance among males, with up to 10 males accompanying one female. Males were shown to spawn with more than one female, and to leave and re-enter the river on a number of occasions.     

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.     

Large-scale, differential summer habitat use of three anadromous salmonids in a large river basin in Oregon, USA

The summer distribution of three juvenile anadromous salmonid species was compared in the mainstem sections and nine tributaries of the Upper South Umpqua River Basin, Oregon, USA. Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum), was found at highest densities in the mainstem and mid-elevation tributaries. Coho salmon, O . kisutch (Walbaum), was essentially absent from the mainstem, but was found at high densities in the low-elevation tributaries. Steelhead trout, O . mykiss (Walbaum), was found in the mainstem and all nine tributaries; the highest densities of this species were in the upper mainstem reaches and high-elevation tributaries. No significant correlations were found between ranks of mainstem and tributary densities among the three species (Spearman's rs; P > 0.05). Observed spatial segregation of basin habitat by these species during summer indicated that protection provided at the level of the river basin will be necessary to assure the continued existence of all stocks.     

Testing a model to track fish migrations in polar regions using pop‐up satellite archival tags

The use of pop‐up archival satellite tags (PSATs) to geolocate marine fishes in polar regions is challenging due to the brevity of periods during which there is a defined sunrise and sunset. Models using other environmental parameters are thus required to supplement geolocation data in the estimation of marine migratory routes. The objective of this work was to create a simple method that would estimate the migratory pathways of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in polar regions using temperature and depth recordings. Validated geolocations from PSATs were used to test and constrict the model. The model’s predicted migratory routes were within 100 km of the light‐based geolocations calculated by the tags. By constraining the trajectories through the geolocations, bias was reduced. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that slight alterations of the location and timing of the start and end points did not affect the mean migratory route estimates. This method is a management tool that can determine the primary habitat areas for any surface‐ or bottom‐dwelling marine species – especially in polar regions, where other methods may be impossible.     

Seasonal residency and movement patterns of two co‐occurring catadromous percichthyids within a south‐eastern Australian river

Abstract – Understanding movement patterns and habitat utilisation is critical for the management of diadromous fishes. An acoustic telemetry array was used to monitor 33 estuary perch, Macquaria colonorum and 39 Australian bass, Macquaria novemaculeata in the freshwater and estuarine reaches on the Shoalhaven River, south‐east Australia. On average, tagged M. novemaculeata were detected for a considerably shorter period than M. colonorum, and evidence suggested that fishing pressure may have impacted on their survival. Macquaria colonorum displayed significant shifts in seasonal and size‐related habitat use, with fish predominantly residing in deep (>5 m) areas within the middle (mesohaline) reaches of the estuary during the austral spring to autumn months. In winter, M. colonorum individuals made frequent downstream migrations, often to localised areas, within the lower estuary (LE). In contrast, M. novemaculeata were distributed in shallow (<2 m) habitats throughout the year, within the upper (oligohaline) estuarine reaches of the river, as well as in fresh water. Like M. colonorum, M. novemaculeata made extensive downstream and upstream movements, often coincident with reproductive behaviour, water temperature and increased freshwater inflows. It is postulated that the high site fidelity and repetitive homing displayed by both species is influenced by ontogenetic behaviour and prey availability. Furthermore, the extent of instream distribution by both species, and the lack of observed annual spawning migrations by some M. novemaculeata individuals, indicates the once considered ‘catadromous’ life cycle of these fishes may not be obligatory. A management approach is recommended to ensure that both these species are not over‐exploited within a portion of their instream range, thus maintaining their full reproductive potential.     

Large‐bodied fish migration and residency in a flood basin of the Sacramento River,California, USA

River–floodplain complexes represent some of the most variable and diverse habitats on earth, yet they are among our planet's most threatened ecosystems. Use of these habitats by large‐bodied fishes is especially poorly understood, particularly in temperate regions. To provide insight into the factors that affect floodplain assemblages and migration, we sampled large‐bodied fishes with a fyke trap for 7 years in the Yolo Bypass, the primary flood basin of the Sacramento River, California. We collected a total of 18,336 individual fish comprised of 27 species, only 41% of which were native. Year‐round resident species white catfish Ameiurus catus, channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus and common carp Cyprinus carpio (all alien species) were the most abundant and comprised 74% of the total catch. Splittail Pogonichthys macrolepidotus (3.8%), white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus (2.3%) and Sacramento sucker Catostomus occidentalis (1.1%) were the primary native species. We found that seasonal variation in water temperature and flood stage were important factors affecting the fish assemblage structure and the presence of migratory species. American shad Alosa sapidissima, an alien species, showed highest abundance during the early summer upstream migration, when temperatures were warmer. For native species, the abundances of white sturgeon, splittail, Sacramento pikeminnow Ptychocheilus grandis and Sacramento sucker were all highest during flood pulses. While our results suggest that flow alone is not sufficient to control alien species, the strong linkage between native fish migration and flow pulses highlights the importance of river–floodplain connectivity for the conservation of native fishes.     

Home range and seasonal movement of taimen,Hucho taimen,in Mongolia

Gilroy DJ, Jensen OP, Allen BC, Chandra S, Ganzorig B, Hogan Z, Maxted JT, Vander Zanden MJ. Home range and seasonal movement of taimen, Hucho taimen, in Mongolia.
Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2010: 19: 545–554. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract –  Taimen, Hucho taimen, is the world’s largest salmonid and a prized sport fish. We used radio and acoustic telemetry to characterise movements of adult taimen in an extensive river system, the Eg–Uur, in north‐central Mongolia. Forty‐six taimen were tagged with transmitters (27 radio, 17 acoustic and 2 radio‐acoustic combined) and tracked from 2004 to 2008 using mobile surveys and fixed receivers. The mean home range of individual taimen tracked for an average of 2.4 years was 23 km (N = 41, range = 0.5–93.2 km). Of the fish with over 10 relocations (N = 16), 90% remained within a range of 38 km. Four distinct movement patterns were observed: (i) restricted core home range, (ii) core range with seasonal departures, (iii) core range with separate seasonal range and (iv) home range transfer. Movement was greatest in May and June (spawning and postspawning period) with another peak period of movement in September and October (water temperature cooling).     

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.     

Conservation of endemic landlocked salmonids in regulated rivers: a case‐study from Lake Vänern,Sweden

Conservation of migratory salmonids requires understanding their ecology at multiple scales, combined with assessing anthropogenic impacts. We present a case‐study from over 100 years of data for the endemic landlocked Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, Salmonidae) and brown trout (Salmo trutta, Salmonidae) in Lake Vänern, Sweden. We use this case‐study to develop life history‐based research and monitoring priorities for migratory salmonids. In Vänern, small wild populations of salmon and trout remain only in the heavily regulated Rivers Klar (Klarälven) and Gullspång (Gullspångsälven), and commercial and sport fisheries are maintained by hatchery stocking. These populations represent some of the last remaining large‐bodied (up to 20 kg) landlocked salmon stocks worldwide. We found that one of four stocks of wild fish has increased since 1996; the other three remain critically low. Hatchery return rates for three of four stocks appear stable at roughly 1% and annual fisheries catch is roughly 75 metric tons, with an estimated 7.5% of hatchery smolts being recruited to the fishery; this also appears relatively stable since 1990. Our analysis reveals much uncertainty in key data requirements, including both river return and fisheries catch rates, estimates of wild smolt production and survival, and hatchery breeding and genetics protocols. These uncertainties, coupled with a lack of information on their riverine and lacustrine ecology, preclude effective management of these unique populations. We conclude with a framework for a life history‐based approach to research and monitoring for Vänern salmon and trout, which should be applicable for all endemic, migratory salmonid populations.     

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

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

Seasonal movement,growth and survival of brook trout in sympatry with brown trout in Midwestern US streams

Seasonal patterns in growth, survival and movement of brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis were monitored in two southeastern Minnesota streams divided into study reaches based on brown trout Salmo trutta abundance. We estimated survival and movement while testing for effects of stream reach and time using a multistrata Cormack–Jolly–Seber model in Program MARK. Multistrata models were analysed for three age groups (age‐0, age‐1 and age‐2+) to estimate apparent survival, capture probability and movement. Survival varied by time period, but not brown trout abundance and was lower during flood events. Age‐0 brook trout emigrated from reaches with low brown trout abundance, whereas adult brook trout emigrated from downstream brown trout‐dominated reaches. Growth was highest in spring and summer and did not differ across streams or reaches for the youngest age classes. For age‐2+ brook trout, however, growth was lower in reaches where brown trout were abundant. Interspecific interactions can be age or size dependent; our results show evidence for adult interactions, but not for age‐0. Our results suggest that brook trout can be limited by both environmental and brown trout interactions that can vary by season and life stage.     

Seasonal habitat use by brook trout,Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill), in a second-order stream

Abstract Seasonal habitat use by over-yearling and under-yearling brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill), was examined in a second-order stream in north-central Pennsylvania, USA. The habitat occupied by brook trout and available habitat were determined in a 0.5-km stream reach during the spring, summer and autumn of 1989 and the spring and summer of 1990. Cover, depth, substrate and velocity were quantified from over 2000 observations of individual brook trout. Habitat used by under-yearling brook trout was more uniform between seasons and years than that used by over-yearling brook trout. Over-yearling brook trout occupied areas with more cover and greater depth than did under-yearling brook trout, suggesting ontogenetic shifts in these variables. Differences for velocity and substrate were not as great as those for cover and depth. The selection of areas with low water velocities governed trout habitat use in spring, whereas cover and depth were the most important habitat variables in summer and autumn. Principal component analysis showed that available habitat and trout habitat centroids diverged most in spring, indicating that habitat selection by brook trout may be greatest at this time.     

Seasonal variation in marine growth of sea trout, Salmo trutta, in coastal Skagerrak

Abstract –  Sea trout ( Salmo trutta ) originating from small coastal streams can be found at sea throughout the year, in contrast to conspecifics from larger rivers, which typically spend the autumn and winter in fresh water. Such an extended marine stay has been observed in coastal Skagerrak. We studied the seasonal variation in marine growth of Skagerrak sea trout based on scale increment patterns and body lengths of 563 individuals captured at sea. Growth, measured as increased body length, was rapid during summer while there was no evidence for continued growth during autumn and winter. Growth decreased with increasing age of the fish. Our results suggest that coastal Skagerrak is an important feeding area for sea trout during summer, and that an extended marine stay during autumn and winter may have trade-off benefits other than somatic growth. Alternative benefits might be increased winter survival and decreased migratory costs of juvenile fish.     

Changes in the density and growth of brown trout (Salmo trutta) after intensive removal of sympatric Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) in the sub‐Arctic lake Møkkelandsvatn,Norway

This study tests the basic hypothesis that the removal of charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), would cause an increase in both the growth and density of a sympatric trout population, Salmo trutta L. The charr population was characterised by slow‐growing individuals, with a high proportion of mature fish, that is typical for so‐called overpopulated populations. A total of 31,000 charr was removed from the lake in the period 1990–1992, and the density of younger trout (1+, 2+), but not older trout (3+, 4+), increased. The growth of older trout (3+, 4+) increased, but the evidence for similar growth increases of younger trout (1+, 2+) was limited. From 1989 to 1990, the proportion of trout increased from 30 to only 40% of the total catch, but from 1991 to 1994, it was significantly higher (60–80%) than that of charr. Total trout biomass increased to a maximum in 1992 and then decreased so that the biomass of 1994 was nearly similar to that of 1989, that is before the start of the charr removal. Back‐calculated lengths of trout from otoliths showed that 2+ and 3+ trout caught in the pelagic were growing consistently faster over previous years than those caught in the littoral, while this was not the case for the 4+ fish. Therefore, the hypothesis was partially supported; the growth rate of trout increased (age groups 1+ to 4+), while the density of juvenile trout (1+, 2+), but not the older trout (3+, 4+), increased after the removal of charr.