scholarly journals Seasonal shift in the effects of predators on juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) energetics

2011 ◽  
Vol 68 (12) ◽  
pp. 2080-2089 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darren M. Ward ◽  
Keith H. Nislow ◽  
Carol L. Folt

Predator effects on prey populations are determined by the number of prey consumed and effects on the traits of surviving prey. Yet the effects of predators on prey traits are rarely evaluated in field studies. We measured the effects of predators on energetic traits (consumption and growth rates) of juvenile Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) in a large-scale field study. Salmon fry were released at 18 sites that encompassed a wide range of predatory slimy sculpin ( Cottus cognatus ) abundance. We sampled salmon after 21 and 140 days to measure salmon growth and estimate consumption using a mass-balance model of methylmercury accumulation. Salmon population density was reduced fivefold at sites with abundant sculpin. Over the early season, salmon consumed less where sculpin were abundant, suggesting that reduced foraging under predation risk contributed to predator-caused mortality. In contrast, over the late season, salmon grew more where sculpin were abundant, suggesting that compensatory growth at reduced salmon population density moderated predator-caused mortality. Predator effects on prey energetics can drive variation in survival and growth, with important consequences for population dynamics.

1984 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 469-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. Rimmer ◽  
U. Paim ◽  
R. L. Saunders

Over three summers we used direct underwater observation to examine the summer to autumn differences in seven microhabitat properties of three age-classes of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the Little Sevogle River of northeastern New Brunswick. Salmon of all three age-classes occupied a wide range of water depths during summer, but were concentrated mainly in depths of 24–36 cm. In autumn, they occurred in this range almost exclusively. The streambed stones most closely associated with the individual positions of all ages were always <20 cm in summer and mostly (84–92%) <10 cm in diameter. In autumn, all ages were associated with home stones up to 40 cm in diameter, with 65–83% of the stones exceeding 20 cm; the size of home stones selected increased with fish age in autumn. There was no apparent relationship between the water depth and home stone size distributions occupied by all age-classes and available in the stream during either summer or autumn. Summer focal water velocity (velocity at the fish's snout) was predominantly 10–30 cm∙s−1 for 0+, 10–40 cm∙s−1 for 1+, and 30–50 cm∙s−1 for 2+ salmon, but during autumn it was almost always <10 cm∙s−1 for all ages. The bottom and surface water velocities as well as the maximum water velocity within 1 m of fish stations increased with fish age during summer and autumn. At the summer–autumn transition, 0+ salmon selected higher bottom, surface, and maximum water velocities, 2+ salmon selected lower velocities, but selection by 1+ salmon remained unchanged. We view substrate size followed by water depth as the primary properties influencing stream suitability for juvenile Atlantic salmon in autumn.


2003 ◽  
Vol 60 (9) ◽  
pp. 1149-1160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva C Enders ◽  
Daniel Boisclair ◽  
André G Roy

Fish activity costs are often estimated by transforming their swimming speed in energy expenditures with respirometry models developed while forcing fish to swim against a flow of constant velocity. Forced swimming models obtained using a procedure that minimizes flow heterogeneity may not represent the costs of swimming in rivers characterized by turbulence and by a wide range of instantaneous flow velocities. We assessed the swimming cost of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in turbulent flows using two means (18 and 23 cm·s–1) and two standard deviations of flow velocity (5 and 8 cm·s–1). Twenty respirometry experiments were conducted at 15 °C with fish averaging 10 g. Our results confirmed that swimming costs are affected by the level of turbulence. For a given mean flow velocity, swimming costs increased 1.3- to 1.6-fold as turbulence increased. Forced swimming models under estimated actual swimming costs in turbulent flow by 1.9- to 4.2-fold. Spontaneous swimming models overestimated the real cost of swimming in turbulent flow by 2.8- to 6.6-fold. Our analyses suggest that models in which both the mean and the standard deviation of flow velocity are explicitly represented are needed to adequately estimate the costs of swimming against turbulent flows.


1989 ◽  
Vol 46 (11) ◽  
pp. 2003-2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilles L. Lacroix

Densities, growth, and production of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were estimated at sites in two acidic rivers of different pH, the Westfield and North rivers, in Nova Scotia, Canada, from 1982 to 1984. Annual production was significantly lower in the more acidic Westfield River (< 0.4 g∙m−2∙yr−1 at pH 4.7–5.4) than in the North River (1.4 g∙m−2∙yr−1 at pH 5.6–6.3). Low production rates in the more acidic river were attributable to the lower densities and poorer survival of juveniles at the lower pH levels. Low densities of parr in the more acidic river were a function of the high initial mortality of postemergent fry, and the mortality of parr during periods of pH minima such as over winter. Marking and recapture information and trapping at a weir for counting migrating fishes indicated that there was little emigration of parr other than in the spring when some movements occurred preceding and during smoltification. Average potential yield of 2-yr smolts was 0.8 smolt/100 m2 in the Westfield River and in the range of 2.7–6.6 smolts/100 m2 at higher pH levels in the North River. Growth was not limiting to production at the lower pH levels. After the first winter, 1-yr-old parr were much larger at the lower pH than they were at less acidic pH levels, the faster growth possibly resulting from the lower density of parr at the lowest pH. A temperature-related biphasic growth of 1-yr-old parr with periods of maximum growth in spring and autumn was recorded. Reduced production, a result of deleterious effects of low pH on survival and density in the Westfield River was probably sufficient to prevent the continued maintenance of a naturally produced salmon population in that river, whereas production at higher pH levels in the North River was comparable to that in near-neutral waters of other areas.


1999 ◽  
Vol 56 (7) ◽  
pp. 1298-1306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tammo P Bult ◽  
Stephen C Riley ◽  
Richard L Haedrich ◽  
R John Gibson ◽  
Jan Heggenes

We investigated habitat use of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) parr in experimental riverine enclosures made up of pool, riffle, and run habitats over a range of densities (0.1-1.25 fish·m-2) to test the implicit assumption in habitat modelling that habitat selection does not change with population density. Results indicated that habitat use changed with population density, with relatively more parr in pools and fewer in runs at higher population densities. Temperature influenced parr distribution, with relatively more parr in runs and fewer in riffles and pools at higher temperatures. Parr distribution was primarily affected by hydromorphological differences among pool, riffle, and run habitats. Effects of population density and temperature on use of pool, riffle, and run habitats were often as large as effects of hydromorphological differences among pool, riffle, and run habitats on fish distributions over the range of temperatures and densities observed. Results varied considerably, despite controlled experimental conditions. We concluded that habitat selection by juvenile Atlantic salmon parr may be density dependent and potentially quite variable.


1995 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 186-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernest R. Keeley ◽  
James W. A. Grant

We observed juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) over a wide range of stream conditions and body sizes to determine the relative importance of environmental factors and body size as predictors of territory size. Defended and foraging areas were virtually identical in size. Eighty-eight percent of the variation in territory size was explained by differences in body size and age; territory size increased with body size, but young-of-the-year salmon had relatively larger territories for their body size than older fish. Territory size was inversely related to food abundance, the only significant environmental correlate of territory size, but food only explained an additional 2% of the variation in territory size. Intruder pressure, visual isolation, and current velocity were not significantly related to territory size. The allometric scaling of territory size was consistent with the hypothesis that Atlantic salmon maintain a maximum daily ration of drift flowing over their territory. Atlantic salmon in Catamaran Brook have larger territories than is reported in the literature for other stream-dwelling salmonids of a similar size.


2015 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 1029-1051 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten O. Hannesson ◽  
Elisabeth Ytteborg ◽  
Harald Takle ◽  
Grethe Enersen ◽  
Grete Bæverfjord ◽  
...  

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