Observations on the Migration of Sockeye Salmon Fry (Oncorhynchus nerka) in the Lower Babine River

1972 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Craig Clarke ◽  
H. D. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Sockeye Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Nerka ◽  
Behavioral Characteristics ◽  
Behavioral Differences ◽  
Spawning Grounds ◽  
Nursery Areas ◽  
Salmon Fry

No distinct length, weight, or behavioral differences associated with place of capture in the river were observed, indicating that all fry are susceptible to downstream displacement. A minimum of 7.5 million (18%) of the fry produced passed through a counting fence below the spawning grounds. Others reached quiet waters inshore, where they progressively developed behavioral characteristics that enabled them to ascend the river and reach lake nursery areas above. Two million fry ascended an improvised ladder spanning an area of turbulence at the base of the fence. Construction of leads and baffles at strategic places below the fence could help fry reach shore sooner and increase numbers reaching the lake.

Biochemical Studies on Sockeye Salmon During Spawning Migration: XI. The Free Histidine Content of the Tissues

1960 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 347-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Wood ◽  
D. W. Duncan ◽  
M. Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Sockeye Salmon ◽  
Alimentary Tract ◽  
Oncorhynchus Nerka ◽  
The Other ◽  
Spawning Migration ◽  
Fraser River ◽  
Initial Value ◽  
Spawning Grounds ◽  
Biochemical Studies

During the first 250 miles (400 km) of spawning migration of Fraser River sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) the free histidine content of the muscle, alimentary tract, and head+skin+bones+tail decreased to a small fraction of the initial value. A further decrease occurred in the levels of this amino acid in the alimentary tract during the subsequent 415-mile (657-km) migration to the spawning grounds, no change being observed with the other tissues. Comparatively small changes in free histidine were found with heart, spleen, liver, kidney and gonads during migration.

Sex-specific differences in cardiac control and hematology of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) approaching their spawning grounds

2009 ◽  
Vol 297 (4) ◽  
pp. R1136-R1143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Sandblom ◽  
Timothy D. Clark ◽  
Scott G. Hinch ◽  
Anthony P. Farrell
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Heart Rate ◽  
Sockeye Salmon ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Oncorhynchus Nerka ◽  
Hemoglobin Concentration ◽  
Spawning Grounds ◽  
Research Fields ◽  
Cardiac Control ◽  
Mechanistic Basis

Some male salmonids (e.g., rainbow trout) display profound cardiovascular adjustments during sexual maturation, including cardiac growth and hypertension, and tachycardia has been observed in free-ranging male salmonids near their spawning grounds. In the present study, we investigated cardiac control, dorsal aortic blood pressure, cardiac morphometrics, and hematological variables in wild, sexually maturing sockeye salmon ( Oncorhynchus nerka) with a particular aim to decipher any sex-specific differences. Routine heart rate ( fH) was significantly higher in females (52 vs. 43 beats/min), which was due to significantly lower cholinergic tone (28 vs. 46%), because there were no differences in adrenergic tone or intrinsic heart rate between sexes. No differences in blood pressure were observed despite males possessing an 11% greater relative ventricular mass. Concomitant with higher routine heart rates, female sockeye had significantly higher levels of cortisol, testosterone, and 17β-estradiol, whereas the level of 11-ketotestosterone was higher in males. There were no differences in hematocrit or hemoglobin concentration between the sexes. The findings of this study highlight the importance of considering sex as a variable in research fields such as conservation biology and when modeling the consequences of local and global climate change. Indeed, this study helps to provide a mechanistic basis for the significantly higher rates of female mortality observed in previous studies of wild-caught sockeye salmon.

High river temperature reduces survival of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) approaching spawning grounds and exacerbates female mortality

2012 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 330-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo G. Martins ◽  
Scott G. Hinch ◽  
David A. Patterson ◽  
Merran J. Hague ◽  
Steven J. Cooke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Temperature ◽  
Sockeye Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Nerka ◽  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
Fraser River ◽  
Female Mortality ◽  
River Section ◽  
Spawning Grounds ◽  
River Temperature ◽  
Related Mortality

Recent studies have shown that warm temperatures reduce survival of adult migrating sockeye salmon ( Oncorhynchus nerka ), but knowledge gaps exist on where high-temperature-related mortality occurs along the migration and whether females and males are differentially impacted by river temperature. In this study, we monitored 437 radio-tagged Fraser River sockeye salmon and used capture–mark–recapture modelling approaches to investigate whether river thermal conditions differentially influence (i) spatial patterns of survival along a 413-km stretch of migration and (ii) survival of the sexes. Regardless of water temperature, survival decreased in the river section containing the most hydraulically difficult passages of the migration. However, when water temperature was warm (19 °C), survival decreased even further in the final 186 km of the migration prior to reaching the spawning grounds, particularly in females. Female and male survival differed but only when they experienced warm river temperatures. Under such conditions, the overall freshwater migration survival of males was 1.6 times higher (0.79 ± 0.09 standard error, SE) than that of females (0.50 ± 0.11 SE). As maturing female sockeye salmon maintain higher levels of plasma cortisol compared with males, we suspect that females could be immuno-compromised and thus less resistant to pathogens whose rates of development are accelerated by warm temperatures.

Daily Growth Rings in the Otoliths of Juvenile Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)

1980 ◽  
Vol 37 (10) ◽  
pp. 1495-1498 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. H. Wilson ◽  
P. A. Larkin
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Sockeye Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Nerka ◽  
Growth Rings ◽  
Daily Growth ◽  
Salmon Fry

Sockeye salmon fry were collected from the Fulton River spawning channel at Babine Lake, British Columbia, in May 1978. The fish were reared for 26 d in enclosures in the spawning channel and were sampled every 7 to 10 d. The sagittae were removed from 25 fish from each sample, and the growth rings in one otolith from each fish were counted. A regression of the number of rings on the number of days since capture showed that these rings are, on average, formed daily, beginning at the time of emergence. A number of possible technical and biological causes of variation in ring counts within and between samples are considered.Key words: otolith, sagittae, daily growth rings, sockeye salmon fry

Quantifying cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki) predation on sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) fry using a bioenergetics approach

1998 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 1285-1295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret A Cartwright ◽  
David A Beauchamp ◽  
Mason D Bryant
Keyword(s):  
Sockeye Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Nerka ◽  
Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Oncorhynchus Clarki ◽  
Field Sampling ◽  
Total Consumption ◽  
Model Simulations ◽  
Salmon Fry ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Hydroacoustic Survey

Although some sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) enhancement programs achieve production goals in Alaskan lakes, others like the Margaret Lake project fall well below expected levels. We used bioenergetics model simulations, coupled with field sampling of predator diet and distribution, to quantify the intensity of cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki) predation on stocked sockeye salmon fry in Margaret Lake during 1993 and 1994. Model results indicated that, by September, cutthroat trout consumed an estimated 34-51 and 32-100% of the 200 000 and 100 000 sockeye salmon fry stocked in May 1993 and 1994, respectively. September hydroacoustic survey results estimated a 82-87% decline of fry in 1993 and 90-93% in 1994. Stomach fullness and evacuation estimates of total consumption were 59% of model estimates after the first fry release in 1994 and 120% of the model estimates after the second release. All approaches to estimating cutthroat trout predation on stocked fry suggested that piscivores played a substantial role in the decline of sockeye salmon fry in Margaret Lake. The ability to estimate consumption is valuable in isolating predator influence on food web dynamics, especially in manipulated systems.

Behaviour and Ecology of Sockeye Salmon Fry in the Babine River

1967 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 375-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. McCart
Keyword(s):  
Sockeye Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Nerka ◽  
Diel Pattern ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Migrant Populations ◽  
Salmon Fry

In the Upper and Lower Babine rivers the fry of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) emerge and move downstream, predominately at night, before reaching low-velocity areas along the stream margins. After a period of days or weeks these fry migrate upstream, close inshore, during the day. The diel pattern of upstream movement appears to be bimodal. The seasonal periodicities of both downstream and upstream movement are related to water temperatures.Upstream migrants were larger than downstream migrants in the Upper Babine River but not in the Lower Babine River. Upper River upstream migrants were similar in length to Lower River upstream migrants during 1964 but not in 1965. In both years Upper River fry weighed proportionately more than Lower River fry, and in both rivers 1964 fry weighed proportionately less than 1965 fry. Some possible explanations of these observations are discussed.Early in the season, fry tend to disperse alongshore after entering the lake. Later they leave these inshore areas and become entirely pelagic.The principal foods of fry both in the river and in the lake were copepod and cladoceran plankters.Both fish and birds were found to be preying on sockeye salmon fry. Fry appear to be more vulnerable to predation in the river than in the lake.The upstream movement of fry in the Babine River does not appear to differ appreciably from upstream movements in other areas. A comparison of fry movements in the Babine River and the Fulton River, where fry move only downstream, suggests that the differences in behaviour are genetically rather than environmentally induced.It is suggested that, because of high mortalities in the prepelagic period, upstream-migrant populations will only develop where the environment of both the river and the rearing lake are especially favourable.

Biochemical Studies on Sockeye Salmon During Spawning Migration. V. Cholesterol, Fat, Protein and Water in the Body of the Standard Fish

1959 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. R. Idler ◽  
I. Bitners
Keyword(s):  
Sockeye Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Nerka ◽  
The Body ◽  
Spawning Migration ◽  
Sampling Station ◽  
Entire Body ◽  
Fraser River ◽  
Spawning Grounds ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Biochemical Studies

The absolute changes in fat, protein, water and free and esterified cholesterol for the entire body of standard male and female sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) during the Fraser River spawning migration are discussed.The data were obtained for twelve groups of males and twelve groups of females, totalling 216 fish. The fish were caught at three locations: before entering the river, 250 miles up the river, and at one of the spawning grounds 715 miles from the first sampling station.

Factors Affecting Rainbow Trout (Salmo gairdneri) Predation on Migrant Fry of Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)

1976 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. Ginetz ◽  
P. A. Larkin
Keyword(s):  
Rainbow Trout ◽  
Sockeye Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Nerka ◽  
Development Stage ◽  
Salmo Gairdneri ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Light Intensities ◽  
Salmon Fry ◽  
Lower Stream ◽  
Downstream Movement

Predation of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) on migrant sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) fry in experimental streams was higher on fry at an earlier development stage, in moonlight by contrast to cloudy night light intensities, at lesser turbidities, and at lower stream velocities. At dusk light intensities, from.05 to.30 ft-c, mortality from predation was inversely related to light intensity. The longer the period of exposure of fry to naturally declining light intensities prior to downstream movement, the lower was the loss to predators. Exposure of predators to high light intensities prior to the downstream movement of fry resulted in decreased fry mortality. Fry that had survived exposure to predators in an experimental stream 1 and 2 days previous were less vulnerable to predation than "naive" fry. Successive exposures further decreased the loss to predation. Fry enumerated at a counting fence suffered less predation than fry not enumerated. Experienced fry moved downstream more rapidly than naive fry.In laboratory aquaria, experienced fry formed compact schools prior to and in response to stimuli, while naive fry formed loose schools or did not school. Experienced fry were less active in responding to stimuli. Enumerated fry resembled experienced fry; nonenumerated fry resembled naive fry.Various techniques of enhancing sockeye salmon fry survival during downstream migration are suggested by these results.

Transmission of Myxobolus arcticus Pugachev and Khokhlov, 1979, a myxosporean parasite of Pacific salmon, via a triactinomyxon from the aquatic oligochaete Stylodrilus heringianus (Lumbriculidae)

1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. 1207-1211 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. L. Kent ◽  
D. J. Whitaker ◽  
L. Margolis
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Sockeye Salmon ◽  
Pacific Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Nerka ◽  
Well Water ◽  
Experimental Fish ◽  
Salmon Fry ◽  
Myxosporean Parasite ◽  
Transmission Studies ◽  
The Brain

Laboratory transmission studies were conducted on Myxobolus arcticus, a myxosporean that infects the brain of Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.). Attempts at transmission from fish to fish with spores of M. arcticus from sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), including experiments with spores aged for up to 9 months in sterilized mud, were unsuccessful. Transmission was achieved when hatchery-reared (in well water) sockeye salmon fry were exposed to the oligochaete Stylodrilus heringianus collected from a lake where M. arcticus infections are common in this fish. All experimental fish exhibited the infection when examined 3 –4 months after exposure. Of 23 sockeye salmon fry exposed to triactinomyxon spores collected from naturally infected S. heringianus, 21 were found to be infected with M. arcticus spores when examined after 3 months. Thus, the life cycle of M. arcticus involves transformation into a triactinomyxon stage in S. heringianus. Alternate development of myxosporeans in aquatic oligochaetes has been established or implicated for nine other species of myxosporeans belonging to three families, but this is the first report of alternate development in a lumbriculid worm.

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