Comparison of Actual and Potential Growth Rates of Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) in Natural Streams Based on Bioenergetic Models
A ratio of specific growth rate to predicted maximum growth rate was employed as an ecological growth coefficient (EGC) in identifying major determinants of growth for brown trout, Salmo trutta, in natural streams. The coefficient may be more useful than specific growth rate when comparing trout populations from streams having diverse characteristics, since it accounts for the quantitative effects of stream temperature and mean trout weight. The maximum growth rate was generated by translating Elliott's bioenergetic equations into computer models applicable to fish weighing 5–300 g and to stream temperatures of 3.8–21.7 °C. EQMAX is the simpler model and generates only maximum growth rate. TROUT estimates the maximum ration size, maximum growth rate, and a variety of bioenergetic parameters. The EGC for Age I + trout ranged from 60 to 90% in three central New York streams. A relatively low EGC (30–60%) observed for Age II + trout in one stream may have been due to the inefficiency of feeding on small invertebrates. Temperature appears to be a dominant feature governing trout growth in streams. The bioenergetic models may provide useful predictions of the effects of foraging on prey communities by brown trout.