Movements of Stream-Resident and Anadromous Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus) in a Perennial Spring on the Canning River, Alaska

1978 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. C. Craig

Perennial springs in arctic drainages are used extensively by freshwater-resident and anadromous segments of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) populations. Movements of these fish were monitored in a small spring on the Canning River from May 23 to October 7, 1973, dates approximating spring breakup and winter freeze-up in the drainage. Char passing through the weir ranged in size from 22-mm fry to 595-mm anadromous spawners, though most fish were juveniles measuring 60–200 mm. The spring channel was utilized as (1) a spawning area for anadromous spawners and residual males in autumn, (2) a rearing area for fry and some older juveniles in summer, and most importantly (3) an overwintering area for juvenile char, especially those in their first and second winters of life. Key words: Arctic char, movements, spawning, overwintering, growth, perennial springs, Alaska, arctic

1974 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 441-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dwight R. Mudry ◽  
Peter McCart

Bulbodacnitis alpinus sp. nov. is described from Salvelinus alpinus L. from the North Slope of Yukon and Alaska. Bulbodacnitis alpinus was found to be present in both anadromous and freshwater resident stream populations but it is absent from lake populations of S. alpinus. Specimens of B. occidentalis Smedley, 1933, B. scotti Simon, 1935, B. ampullastoma Maggenti, 1971, and B. truttae (Fabricius, 1794) were examined and comparative measurements are presented. Bulbodacnitis scotti, B. ampullastoma, and B. occidentalis are considered synonyms of B. truttae.


1971 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. McCart ◽  
P. Craig

Both anadromous and freshwater-resident populations of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) occur in the Sagavanirktok River drainage, Alaska. A comparison of the gill-raker and pyloric-caeca counts of populations of the two types revealed that anadromous fish had lower gill-raker and pyloric-caeca counts than freshwater-resident fish. Freshwater-resident populations correspond meristically to McPhail's Eastern Arctic form, and anadromous population scor-respond to his Western Arctic–Bering Sea form (McPhail, J. Fish. Res. Bd. Canada 18: 793–816, 1961). It is suggested that the former was the original inhabitant of the area but has been replaced by the latter except in inaccessible, headwater lakes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 130 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-76
Author(s):  
E Lewisch ◽  
T Frank ◽  
H Soliman ◽  
O Schachner ◽  
A Friedl ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen L. Klobucar ◽  
Jessica A. Rick ◽  
Elizabeth G. Mandeville ◽  
Catherine E. Wagner ◽  
Phaedra Budy

1994 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 1229-1246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Knut Kristoffersen ◽  
Morten Halvorsen ◽  
Lisbeth Jørgensen

Anadromy of nine lake populations of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) in northern Norway was scored on the following criteria: prevalence of marine parasites, fish size, and size at maturity. In general, anadromy dominated in shallow lakes and residency dominated in deep lakes. The anadromy scores of the populations were significantly higher in lakes without a profundal zone compared with lakes with a profundal zone. There was also a significant negative correlation between the relative volume of the profundal zone (RPV) and the degree of anadromy and between RPV and mean parr length at ages 2+ and 3+. However, differences in parr growth could not explain all the observed variation in anadromy, and the correlation between mean parr length at ages 2+ and 3+ and the degree of anadromy in the different populations was not significant. In addition to the effect on parr growth, lake morphology seemed to influence the degree of anadromy through the relative size of different habitats, which in turn affects the number of available niches. The parr weight/length relationship and infection with the freshwater parasites Phyllodistomum umblae and Diphyllobothrium spp. did not affect the degree of anadromy.


1977 ◽  
Vol 55 (9) ◽  
pp. 1461-1467 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. G. McDonald ◽  
B. R. McMahon

Changes in surface morphology of the gills, ventilation rate, and heart rate were examined in Arctic char larvae exposed to normoxia (pO2 = 121 ± 6 (SE) mmHg) or chronic hypoxia (pO2 = 33 ± 3.5 mmHg) for 47 days after hatching. A modified weighted-averages technique was developed to measure aspects of gill morphology.Early development of the gills was characterized by rapid increases in filament size and number, and the emergence and proliferation of secondary lamellae. Variations in the dimensions of the gills, as noted in adult fish, were particularly evident in the larval fish.Hypoxia caused increases in both ventilation rate and heart rate. Prolonged exposure led to a retardation of gill growth, particularly the proliferation of secondary lamellae. However, growth of individual lamellae was stimulated between 38 and 47 days.


1992 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 448-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Schmitz

The existence of basic smoltification characteristics, measured by means of seasonal changes in rheotactic behaviour and seawater adaptability, was studied from February to November in 1- and 2-yr-old landlocked Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus). Up- and downstream directed movements were monitored in an annular stream tank at a water velocity of 0.2 m/s. A 48-h seawater challenge test using 25‰ seawater was performed at monthly intervals throughout the year to assess seawater adaptability. The 1-yr-old char displayed mainly nondirectional behaviour during spring, but from August onwards the movements were predominantly against the current. Seawater performance improved slightly in this group in May and June. The 2-yr-old char progressively developed a downstream behaviour and exhibited an increased seawater adaptability during spring and early summer. In late August, a marked reversal in rheotactic behaviour occurred, followed by a rapid decrease in seawater tolerance. The results demonstrate that seasonal changes in seawater adaptability and changes in migratory behaviour which were directionally consistent with smolting still exist in a population of Arctic char that has been landlocked for about 6000 yr.


Author(s):  
Véronique Dubos ◽  
André St-Hilaire ◽  
Normand E Bergeron

Arctic char is a fish species known to occupy diverse habitats within the Arctic region. However, summer habitat use during the juvenile stage of the anadromous form is largely unknown. The present study aims to characterize fry and parr summer habitat preferences. Surveys were conducted by electrofishing, associated with physical habitat characterization on several rivers of the Ungava Bay, Nunavik, Canada. At the microhabitat and station scales, fry showed significant habitat preferences for shallow water and slow velocity. At the mesohabitat scale, fry showed a significant habitat selectivity for riffles. This habitat selectivity implies that habitat models can be built to evaluate the potential of habitat suitability for Arctic char fry. However, no significant habitat selectivity was found for parr. Parr size was nonetheless positively correlated with velocity, which was found to be a limitative factor for juvenile habitat use. This first attempt at modeling juvenile anadromous Arctic char habitat in rivers emphasizes the importance of selecting an appropriate spatial scale and reiterates the fact that parr showed relatively high plasticity in stream habitat selection.


2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (12) ◽  
pp. 2343-2353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingeborg M. Mulder ◽  
Corey J. Morris ◽  
J. Brian Dempson ◽  
Ian A. Fleming ◽  
Michael Power

Anadromous Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) migrate back to fresh water in late summer to spawn and (or) overwinter. Upon freshwater entry, feeding is reduced or absent, and movement activity is restricted. While the physiological responses to low temperatures (e.g., growth, metabolism) are understood, specifics of the use of thermal habitat for overwintering remains poorly characterized. This study used acoustic and archival telemetry data from two lakes in southern Labrador, Canada, to study thermal habitat use during the ice-covered period. Results showed that lake-dwelling anadromous Arctic char predominantly occupied a narrow range of temperatures (0.5–2 °C) and used cooler temperatures available within the middle and upper water column. Use of the selected temperatures is likely a strategy that lowers metabolic costs and minimizes energy expenditure, preserving stored lipids for overwinter survival and the energetic costs of preparation for seaward migration. As Arctic char are visual feeders, use of the upper water column is also thought to aid foraging efficiency by increasing the likelihood of prey capture.


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