State-dependent life history plasticity in Sacramento River winter-run chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): interactions among photoperiod and growth modulate smolting and early male maturation

2007 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 256-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian R Beckman ◽  
Brad Gadberry ◽  
Paul Parkins ◽  
Kathleen A Cooper ◽  
Kristen D Arkush
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Life History ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Sacramento River ◽  
High Rate ◽  
State Dependent ◽  
Life History Pattern ◽  
Maturation Rate ◽  
Emergence Date

An experiment was performed to determine the relative effects of photoperiod at emergence and growth rate on smolting pattern and early male maturation rate in Sacramento River (California, USA) winter-run chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) (listed as endangered under the US Endangered Species Act). Fry were ponded on the same day but at three different points in the seasonal photoperiod cycle (using artificial lighting) spanning the natural range of emergence timing in this population. Significant increases in gill Na+,K+-ATPase activity and seawater survival were found during March and April in all treatments, similar to yearling smolting patterns found in many salmonids. Fish that emerged early and grew at a relatively high rate also demonstrated signs of smolting in August–November. Male maturation was growth dependent, with HiFeed groups maturing at a rate double that found in LoFeed groups. Male maturation was also photoperiod dependent with a linear relation found between emergence date and rate of male maturation. These results demonstrate that individual life history pattern was variable and dependent on emergence timing and growth rate.

Inter- and Intra-Population Variation in the Fecundity of Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and its Relevance to Life History Theory

1984 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 476-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Healey ◽  
W. R. Heard
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Population Variation ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Life History Characteristic ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Life History Pattern ◽  
The Mean

Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) varied significantly in fecundity both between years within populations and between populations throughout their range. Generally less than 50% of the variation in fecundity between individuals within populations could be explained by variation in length. A small additional amount of variation could be attributed to racial differences (e.g. red or white fleshed types) but age, seasonal timing of subpopulations, and stream or ocean type life history pattern did not contribute significantly to variation in fecundity beyond their correlation with length. A great deal of individual variation in fecundity remains to be explained in chinook salmon. The slopes of the regression of fecundity on length for all populations were low in comparison with other fishes, indicating that fecundity increases slowly with increasing size in chinook. The mean age of reproducing females varied among populations, and populations that reproduced at an older age were more fecund at a common length than populations that reproduced at a younger age. The increase in fecundity with increasing age of maturity was consistent with theoretical predictions of the trade-off between fecundity and mortality in fish of reproductive age. The mean age of reproduction within a population, however, was considerably older than the predicted optimum age of reproduction based on the trade-off between increasing fecundity with age and natural mortality. These observations suggest that chinook have sacrificed fecundity for increased size in the allocation of surplus energy, a life history characteristic that is consistent with the survival value of size in anadromous salmon.

scholarly journals Process-based model of fish incubation survival for designing reservoir operations: a case study for Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
James J. Anderson ◽  
W. Nicholas Beer ◽  
Joshua A. Israel ◽  
Sheila Greene
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Sacramento River ◽  
Reservoir Operations ◽  
Regulated Rivers ◽  
Egg Hatching ◽  
Critical Window

AbstractAllocating reservoir flows to meet societal and ecosystem needs under increasing demands for water and increasing climatic variability presents challenges to resource managers. Often, regulated rivers have been operated to meet flow and temperature compliance points that mimic historical patterns. Because it is difficult to assess if this approach is efficient or equitable, new more process-based approaches to regulation are being advanced. This paper describes such an approach with a model of egg incubation survival of Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon (SRWRC, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Thermal mortality only occurs in a critical window around egg hatching when the embryo is most sensitive to temperature stress. The duration of the critical window has significant implications for Shasta Reservoir operations that are designed to control temperature during SRWRC incubation. Previous operations sought to maintain a low temperature over the entire incubation period. However, model analysis suggests that targeting cold water directly to the critical egg hatching stage provides higher survival while requiring less cold water resources. The calibrated model is publicly accessible through a web interface connected to real-time river and fish databases and a river temperature forecast model. The system is an example of the next step of river management that integrates databases with hydrological and process-based biological models for real-time analysis and for forecasting effects of river operations on the environment.

Early Life History of Fishes in the San Francisco Estuary and Watershed

2004 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
San Francisco Estuary ◽  
Sacramento River ◽  
Yolo Bypass ◽  
Species Abundances ◽  
Native Fishes ◽  
Rotary Screw

<em>Abstract.</em>—We examined assemblage patterns of early life stages of fishes for two major tributaries of the upper San Francisco Estuary: (1) Sacramento River channel, and (2) Yolo Bypass, the river’s seasonal floodplain. Over four hydrologically diverse years (1999–2002), we collected 15 species in Yolo Bypass egg and larval samples, 18 species in Yolo Bypass rotary screw trap samples, and 10 species in Sacramento River egg and larval samples. Fishes captured included federally listed species (delta smelt <em>Hypomesus transpacificus </em>and splittail <em>Pogonichthys macrolepidotus</em>) and several game species (American shad <em>Alosa sapidissima</em>, striped bass <em>Morone saxatilis</em>, crappie <em>Pomoxis </em>spp., and Chinook salmon <em>Oncorhynchus tshawytscha</em>). As in other regions of the estuary, alien fish comprised a large portion of the individuals collected in Yolo Bypass (40–93% for egg and larval net samples; 84–98% for rotary screw trap samples) and Sacramento River (80–99% for egg and larval net samples). Overall ranks of species abundances were significantly correlated for Yolo Bypass and Sacramento River, suggesting that each assemblage was controlled by similar major environmental factors. However, species diversity and richness were higher in Yolo Bypass, likely because of a wider variety of habitat types and greater hydrologic variation in the floodplain. In both landscapes, we found evidence that timing of occurrence of native fishes was earlier than aliens, consistent with their life history and our data on adult migration patterns. We hypothesize that Yolo Bypass favors native fishes because the inundation of seasonal floodplain typically occurs early in the calendar year, providing access to vast areas of spawning and rearing habitat with an enhanced food web. Conclusions from this analysis have implications for the management of aquatic biodiversity of tributaries to the San Francisco Estuary and perhaps to other lowland rivers.

Precocial male maturation in laboratory-reared populations of chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (7) ◽  
pp. 1665-1669 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric B. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Evolutionary Ecology ◽  
Migration Distance ◽  
Pacific Salmonids

The incidence of precocial male maturation in yearling chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, was examined in four laboratory-reared populations. Slim Creek and Bowron River chinook salmon were about 4 weeks older than Harrison and Nanaimo river chinook salmon when sampled (14 vs. 13 months of age), but were also 20–40 g smaller. Approximately 29, 12, 0, and 0% of all males were precocious in Bowron River, Slim Creek, Harrison River, and Nanaimo River chinook salmon, respectively. Precocial male chinook salmon had gonadosomatic indices of about 5–6%, whereas immature salmon from all populations had indices under 1%. Precocial male chinook salmon were more robust bodied than immature salmon; precocial males had deeper bodies, deeper heads, and larger adipose fins. Variation among the study populations in the incidence of precocial male maturation may be related to differences among the populations in migration distance to the sea or in juvenile freshwater rearing life history. The chinook salmon would probably be a productive species with which to study the evolutionary ecology of precocial maturity in Pacific salmonids.

Genetic, Environmental, and Interaction Effects on Growth and Stress Response of Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Fry

1993 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 435-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel D. Heath ◽  
Nicholas J. Bernier ◽  
John W. Heath ◽  
George K. Iwama
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Relative Growth Rate ◽  
Plasma Glucose ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Plasma Cortisol ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Genotype By Environment Interactions ◽  
Relative Growth ◽  
Genotype By Environment ◽  
Wet Weight

Eight full- and half-sib families of chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) were held during egg development at two temperatures (8.0 and 10.2 °C). As fry, these families were measured for relative growth rate, initial and final wet weight, hematocrit values before and 2 h after a 30-s handling stress, and plasma cortisol and glucose concentrations before and after stress. Significant sire effects were found for all measured traits, and significant dam effects were found for all traits except for the poststress increases in cortisol concentrations. There were significant genotype-by-environment interactions for all traits except unstressed (control) plasma glucose concentrations. Incubation temperature had a significant effect on relative growth rate and final wet weight only. We found a significant correlation between poststress plasma glucose concentration and relative growth rate for all fish, independent of family, while resting plasma cortisol concentration and poststress hematocrit correlated with wet weight only when analyzed within the eight individual families. Genetic contributions to stress-related parameters and genotype-by-environment interactions should be considered as a factor in stress-related research with fish.

Changes in the Average Size and Average Age of Pacific Salmon

1981 ◽  
Vol 38 (12) ◽  
pp. 1636-1656 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. E. Ricker
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Sockeye Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Coho Salmon ◽  
Pacific Salmon ◽  
Gill Nets ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Mean Size ◽  
Average Size

Of the five species of Pacific salmon in British Columbia, chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and coho salmon (O. kisutch) are harvested during their growing seasons, while pink salmon (O. gorbuscha), chum salmon (O. keta), and sockeye salmon (O. nerka) are taken only after practically all of their growth is completed. The size of the fish caught, of all species, has decreased, but to different degrees and over different time periods, and for the most part this results from a size decrease in the population. These decreases do not exhibit significant correlations with available ocean temperature or salinity series, except that for sockeye lower temperature is associated with larger size. Chinook salmon have decreased greatly in both size and age since the 1920s, most importantly because nonmaturing individuals are taken by the troll fishery; hence individuals that mature at older ages are harvested more intensively, which decreases the percentage of older ones available both directly and cumulatively because the spawners include an excess of younger fish. Other species have decreased in size principally since 1950, when the change to payment by the pound rather than by the piece made it profitable for the gill-netters to harvest more of the larger fish. Cohos and pinks exhibit the greatest decreases, these being almost entirely a cumulative genetic effect caused by commercial trolls and gill nets removing fish of larger than average size. However, cohos reared in the Strait of Georgia have not decreased in size, possibly because sport trolling has different selection characteristics or because of the increase in the hatchery-reared component of the catch. The mean size of chum and sockeye salmon caught has changed much less than that of the other species. Chums have the additional peculiarity that gill nets tend to take smaller individuals than seines do and that their mean age has increased, at least between 1957 and 1972. That overall mean size has nevertheless decreased somewhat may be related to the fact that younger-maturing individuals grow much faster than older-maturing ones; hence excess removal of the smaller younger fish tends to depress growth rate. Among sockeye the decrease in size has apparently been retarded by an increase in growth rate related to the gradual cooling of the ocean since 1940. However, selection has had two important effects: an increase in the percentage of age-3 "jacks" in some stocks, these being little harvested, and an increase in the difference in size between sockeye having three and four ocean growing seasons, respectively.Key words: Pacific salmon, age changes, size changes, fishery, environment, selection, heritability

scholarly journals Juvenile life-history diversity and population stability of spring Chinook salmon in the Willamette River basin, Oregon

2016 ◽  
Vol 73 (6) ◽  
pp. 921-934 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Kirk Schroeder ◽  
Luke D. Whitman ◽  
Brian Cannon ◽  
Paul Olmsted
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Chinook Salmon ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Juvenile Salmon ◽  
Population Stability ◽  
Willamette River ◽  
June July ◽  
Willamette River Basin

Migratory and rearing pathways of juvenile spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) were documented in the Willamette River basin to identify life histories and estimate their contribution to smolt production and population stability. We identified six primary life histories that included two phenotypes for early migratory tactics: fry that migrated up to 140–200 km shortly after emergence (movers) and fish that reared for 8–16 months in natal areas (stayers). Peak emigration of juvenile salmon from the Willamette River was in June–July (subyearling smolts), March–May (yearling smolts), and November–December (considered as “autumn smolts”). Alternative migratory behaviors of juvenile salmon were associated with extensive use of diverse habitats that eventually encompassed up to 400 rkm of the basin, including tributaries in natal areas and large rivers. Juvenile salmon that reared in natal reaches and migrated as yearlings were the most prevalent life history and had the lowest temporal variability. However, the total productivity of the basin was increased by the contribution of fish with dispersive life histories, which represented over 50% of the total smolt production. Life-history diversity reduced the variability in the total smolt population by 35% over the weighted mean of individual life histories, providing evidence of a considerable portfolio effect through the asynchronous contributions of life histories. Protecting and restoring a diverse suite of connected habitats in the Willamette River basin will promote the development and expression of juvenile life histories, thereby providing stability and resilience to native salmon populations.

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