scholarly journals Estimating westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) movements in a river network using strontium isoscapes

2012 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 906-915 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clint C. Muhlfeld ◽  
Simon R. Thorrold ◽  
Thomas E. McMahon ◽  
Brian Marotz
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Large River ◽  
River Network ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Westslope Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Oncorhynchus Clarkii ◽  
Spatial Differences ◽  
Highly Correlated

We used natural variation in the strontium concentration (Sr:Ca) and isotope composition (87Sr:86Sr) of stream waters and corresponding values recorded in otoliths of westslope cutthroat trout ( Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi ) to examine movements during their life history in a large river network. We found significant spatial differences in Sr:Ca and 87Sr:86Sr values (strontium isoscapes) within and among numerous spawning and rearing streams that remained relatively constant seasonally. Both Sr:Ca and 87Sr:86Sr values in the otoliths of juveniles collected from nine natal streams were highly correlated with those values in the ambient water. Strontium isoscapes measured along the axis of otolith growth revealed that almost half of the juveniles had moved at least some distance from their natal streams. Finally, otolith Sr profiles from three spawning adults confirmed homing to natal streams and use of nonoverlapping habitats over their migratory lifetimes. Our study demonstrates that otolith geochemistry records movements of cutthroat trout through Sr isoscapes and therefore provides a method that complements and extends the utility of conventional tagging techniques in understanding life history strategies and conservation needs of freshwater fishes in river networks.

Using nitrogen stable isotopes to detect long-distance movement in a threatened cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii utah)

2009 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 672-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam J. Sepulveda ◽  
Warren T. Colyer ◽  
Winsor H. Lowe ◽  
Mark R. Vinson
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Life History ◽  
Headwater Streams ◽  
Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Nitrogen Stable Isotopes ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Oncorhynchus Clarkii

Interior cutthroat trout occupy small fractions of their historic ranges and existing populations often are relegated to headwater habitats. Conservation requires balancing protection for isolated genetically pure populations with restoration of migratory life histories by reconnecting corridors between headwater and mainstem habitats. Identification of alternative life history strategies within a population is critical to these efforts. We tested the application of nitrogen stable isotopes to discern fluvial from resident Bonneville cutthroat trout (BCT; Oncorhynchus clarkii utah ) in a headwater stream. Fluvial BCT migrate from headwater streams with good water quality to mainstem habitats with impaired water quality. Resident BCT remain in headwater streams. We tested two predictions: (i) fluvial BCT have a higher δ15N than residents, and (ii) fluvial BCT δ15N reflects diet and δ15N enrichment characteristics of mainstem habitats. We found that fluvial δ15N was greater than resident δ15N and that δ15N was a better predictor of life history than fish size. Our data also showed that fluvial and resident BCT had high diet overlap in headwater sites and that δ15N of lower trophic levels was greater in mainstem sites than in headwater sites. We conclude that the high δ15N values of fluvial BCT were acquired in mainstem sites.

Cutthroat Trout: Evolutionary Biology and Taxonomy

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Oncorhynchus Clarkii ◽  
The Past ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Anthropogenic Processes ◽  
Bonneville Basin

<em>Abstract</em>.— Cutthroat Trout <em>Oncorhynchus clarkii </em>of the Yellowstone River, Snake River, and Bonneville Basin exhibit tremendous diversity in the habitats and landscapes in which they are found, diversity in the life-history strategies they employ, and diversity in the coloration and spotting patterns they display. This chapter reviews substantial research conducted over the past 35 years that has described this diversity and the historical and more recent anthropogenic processes that have shaped it and highlights key findings that should be considered during taxonomic reassessments and the writing of conservation management plans.

Hybridization with rainbow trout alters life history traits of native westslope cutthroat trout

2013 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 895-904 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew P. Corsi ◽  
Lisa A. Eby ◽  
Craig A. Barfoot
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Rainbow Trout ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Somatic Growth ◽  
Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Westslope Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Oncorhynchus Clarkii ◽  
Migration Timing ◽  
Linear Relationships ◽  
And Migration

Hybridization with rainbow trout is a primary threat to the conservation of westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi; hereafter cutthroat) across its native range. Cutthroat conservation policy hinges on the degree to which populations are hybridized, yet little is known about differences in the life history of individuals with varying degrees of rainbow trout ancestry. We examined differences in growth, fecundity, and migration timing between cutthroat and hybrid trout in migratory components of populations from 2006 to 2009 in the Jocko River, Montana. We detected positive linear relationships between rainbow trout ancestry and somatic growth and egg size, but a negative relationship with fecundity. US federal policy suggests a threshold of 20% rainbow ancestry for cutthroat conservation. In our study, hybrids with ≥20% rainbow trout ancestry had significantly lower fecundity and larger egg sizes and migrated earlier at lower discharges and stream temperatures than individuals with <20% rainbow trout ancestry. Our results did not indicate threshold changes but rather continuous differences associated with rainbow trout ancestry, suggesting that establishing a biologically relevant cutoff for conservation purposes will be problematic.

Metabolic performance and thermal preference of Westslope Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi and non-native trout across an ecologically relevant range of temperatures

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camille J. Macnaughton ◽  
Travis C. Durhack ◽  
Neil J. Mochnacz ◽  
Eva C. Enders
Keyword(s):  
Brook Trout ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Intermittent Flow ◽  
Performance Curve ◽  
Westslope Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Oncorhynchus Clarkii ◽  
Thermal Niche ◽  
Preferred Temperatures ◽  
Metabolic Performance

The physiology and behaviour of fish are strongly affected by ambient water temperature. Physiological traits related to metabolism, such as aerobic scope (AS), can be measured across temperature gradients and the resulting performance curve reflects the thermal niche that fish can occupy. We measured AS of Westslope Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 22°C and compared temperature preference (Tpref) of the species to non-native Brook Trout, Brown Trout, and Rainbow Trout. Intermittent-flow respirometry experiments demonstrated that metabolic performance of Westslope Cutthroat Trout was optimal at ~15 °C and decreased substantially beyond this temperature, until lethal temperatures at ~25 °C. Adjusted preferred temperatures across species (Tpref) were comparatively high, ranging from 17.8-19.9 °C, with the highest Tpref observed for Westslope Cutthroat Trout. Results suggest that although Westslope Cutthroat Trout is considered a cold-water species, they do not prefer or perform as well in cold water (≤ 10°C), thus, can occupy a warmer thermal niche than previously thought. The metabolic performance curve (AS) can be used to develop species‐specific thermal criteria to delineate important thermal habitats and guide conservation and recovery actions for Westslope Cutthroat Trout.

scholarly journals Ultrasound imaging identifies life history variation in resident Cutthroat Trout

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0246365
Author(s):  
Kellie J. Carim ◽  
Scott Relyea ◽  
Craig Barfoot ◽  
Lisa A. Eby ◽  
John A. Kronenberger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Ultrasound Imaging ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Error Rates ◽  
Reproductive Status ◽  
Lifetime Reproductive Success ◽  
Life History Variation ◽  
Westslope Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Isolated Populations

Human activities that fragment fish habitat have isolated inland salmonid populations. This isolation is associated with loss of migratory life histories and declines in population density and abundance. Isolated populations exhibiting only resident life histories may be more likely to persist if individuals can increase lifetime reproductive success by maturing at smaller sizes or earlier ages. Therefore, accurate estimates of age and size at maturity across resident salmonid populations would improve estimates of population viability. Commonly used methods for assessing maturity such as dissection, endoscopy and hormone analysis are invasive and may disturb vulnerable populations. Ultrasound imaging is a non-invasive method that has been used to measure reproductive status across fish taxa. However, little research has assessed the accuracy of ultrasound for determining maturation status of small-bodied fish, or reproductive potential early in a species’ reproductive cycle. To address these knowledge gaps, we tested whether ultrasound imaging could be used to identify maturing female Westslope Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi). Our methods were accurate at identifying maturing females reared in a hatchery setting up to eight months prior to spawning, with error rates ≤ 4.0%; accuracy was greater for larger fish. We also imaged fish in a field setting to examine variation in the size of maturing females among six wild, resident populations of Westslope Cutthroat Trout in western Montana. The median size of maturing females varied significantly across populations. We observed oocyte development in females as small as 109 mm, which is smaller than previously documented for this species. Methods tested in this study will allow researchers and managers to collect information on reproductive status of small-bodied salmonids without disrupting fish during the breeding season. This information can help elucidate life history traits that promote persistence of isolated salmonid populations.

Cutthroat Trout: Evolutionary Biology and Taxonomy

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Westslope Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Oncorhynchus Clarkii ◽  
Coastal Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Lahontan Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Museum Samples ◽  
Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout ◽  
The 1960S

<em>Abstract</em>.—There has been considerable interest in the systematics and classification of Cutthroat Trout since the 1800s. Cutthroat Trout native to western North America (currently classified as <em>Oncorhynchus clarkii</em>) have historically been grouped or separated using many different classification schemes. Since the 1960s, Robert Behnke has been a leader in these efforts. Introductions of nonnative trout (other forms of Cutthroat Trout, and Rainbow Trout <em>O. mykiss</em>) have obscured some historical patterns of distribution and differentiation. Morphological and meristic analyses have often grouped the various forms of Cutthroat Trout together based on the shared presence of the “cutthroat mark,” high scale counts along the lateral line, and the presence of basibranchial teeth. Spotting patterns and counts of gill rakers and pyloric caeca have in some cases been helpful in differentiation of groups (e.g., Coastal Cutthroat Trout <em>O. c. clarkii</em>, Lahontan Cutthroat Trout <em>O. c. henshawi</em>, and Westslope Cutthroat Trout <em>O. c. lewisi</em>) currently classified as subspecies. The historical genetic methods of allozyme genotyping through protein electrophoresis and chromosome analyses were often helpful in differentiating the various subspecies of Cutthroat Trout. Allozyme genotyping allowed four major groups to be readily recognized (Coastal Cutthroat Trout, Westslope Cutthroat Trout, the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout subspecies complex, and Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout <em>O. c. bouvieri </em>subspecies complex) while chromosome analyses showed similarity between the Lahontan and Yellowstone Cutthroat trout subspecies complex trout (possibly reflecting shared ancestral type) and differentiated the Coastal and Westslope Cutthroat trouts from each other and those two groups. DNA results may yield higher resolution of evolutionary relationships of Cutthroat Trout and allow incorporation of ancient museum samples. Accurate resolution of taxonomic differences among various Cutthroat Trout lineages, and hybridization assessments, requires several approaches and will aid in conservation of these charismatic and increasingly rare native fishes.

Spatial and temporal spawning dynamics of native westslope cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi, introduced rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, and their hybrids

2009 ◽  
Vol 66 (7) ◽  
pp. 1153-1168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clint C. Muhlfeld ◽  
Thomas E. McMahon ◽  
Durae Belcer ◽  
Jeffrey L. Kershner
Keyword(s):  
Rainbow Trout ◽  
Oncorhynchus Mykiss ◽  
Cutthroat Trout ◽  
River System ◽  
Westslope Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Time And Space ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Oncorhynchus Clarkii ◽  
Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus Mykiss ◽  
Spring Runoff

We used radiotelemetry to assess spatial and temporal spawning distributions of native westslope cutthroat trout ( Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi ; WCT), introduced rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ; RBT), and their hybrids in the upper Flathead River system, Montana (USA) and British Columbia (Canada), from 2000 to 2007. Radio-tagged trout (N = 125) moved upriver towards spawning sites as flows increased during spring runoff and spawned in 29 tributaries. WCT migrated greater distances and spawned in headwater streams during peak flows and as flows declined, whereas RBT and RBT hybrids (backcrosses to RBT) spawned earlier during increasing flows and lower in the system. WCT hybrids (backcrosses to WCT) spawned intermediately in time and space to WCT and RBT and RBT hybrids. Both hybrid groups and RBT, however, spawned over time periods that produced temporal overlap with spawning WCT in most years. Our data indicate that hybridization is spreading via long-distance movements of individuals with high amounts of RBT admixture into WCT streams and stepping-stone invasion at small scales by later generation backcrosses. This study provides evidence that hybridization increases the likelihood of reproductive overlap in time and space, promoting extinction by introgression, and that the spread of hybridization is likely to continue if hybrid source populations are not reduced or eliminated.

Genetic variation in westslope cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi: implications for conservation

2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1513-1523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel P. Drinan ◽  
Steven T. Kalinowski ◽  
Ninh V. Vu ◽  
Bradley B. Shepard ◽  
Clint C. Muhlfeld ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Westslope Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Oncorhynchus Clarkii
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