Effects of temperature and season on the position holding performance of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. Rimmer ◽  
R. L. Saunders ◽  
U. Paim

The ability of wild and hatchery yearling Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) to hold a position against water currents was tested in relation to water temperature and season. This species would not swim, but held positions on the bottom of the test apparatus. Their performance was, therefore, rated on the basis of critical holding velocity instead of critical swimming velocity, often used for other species. Qualitatively, the relationships of critical holding velocity with both temperature and season were similar for wild and hatchery fish. However, wild fish were consistently more able to hold positions against water currents so that the mean water velocities at which they were unable to stem water currents were 25–84% greater than those for hatchery fish. In the winter, the mean water velocities against which both wild and hatchery fish could no longer hold a position were 21.9–50.0% lower than in the summer. Seasonal changes in performance generally increased or decreased with water temperature except in winter when performance declined while water temperature was almost constant. Performance was high and almost unchanging for temperatures above 8 °C, but fell sharply below this temperature. We suggest that the sharp decrease in performance at 8 °C explains the previous observation that this species suddenly moves into the stream bed when temperature falls during the autumn.

1979 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip E. K. Symons

Smolt production at different egg deposition densities is estimated from data on survival rates and space requirements of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) reported in the literature. Average maximum production of smolts is estimated to be approximately 5/100 m2 for 2+ smolts, 2/100 m2 for 3+ smolts, and 1/100 m2 for 4+ smolts. Minimum egg depositions recommended for production of these numbers of smolts are 220/100 m2, 165–220/100 m2, and 80/100 m2 for each age of smolts, respectively. The escapement of adults required to produce these depositions must be estimated from observed average weights of returning females and a reported fecundity of Atlantic salmon between 1650 and 1760 eggs/kg of female. With the exception of Ungava rivers, average smolt age in any particular river can be estimated from the number of days per year on which water temperature reaches or exceeds 7 °C. Key words: fishery resources, fishery management, production (biological), escapement, survival, game fish, freshwater fish, rivers


2001 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 1187-1195 ◽  
Author(s):  
S P Good ◽  
J J Dodson ◽  
M G Meekan ◽  
D AJ Ryan

We investigated the size-selective mortality of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fry during two consecutive summers that differed markedly in weather conditions. We sampled fry shortly after emergence in June and at the end of August to compare the distributions of back-calculated body size at hatching by examining otolith microstructure. Size-selective mortality was observed in both summers; however, the direction and strength of mortality differed. During the drought conditions of 1995, selective mortality was relatively weak and directed towards the smaller fry in the population. During the flood conditions of 1996, selective mortality was relatively strong and directed towards the larger fry of the same population. Interannual variability in size-selective mortality contributed to significant differences in the mean size of fry at the end of their first summer of life. Size-selective mortality rates estimated from the shifts in fish length at hatching observed during the first summer of life were comparable with published estimates of total mortality of Atlantic salmon fry, indicating that early mortality may be largely size selective. Mortality associated with hydroclimatic events can select against either small or large fish and is a key determinant of mean size attained by the end of the first summer of life.


Parasitology ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 102 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Jansen ◽  
T. A. Bakke

SUMMARYThe relationship of survival and reproduction of Gyrodactylus salaris Malmberg on the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) to water temperature (2·5–19·0 °C), was studied on the basis of temporal sequence of births and age at death of individual parasites on isolated salmon, and of infrapopulation growth on isolated and grouped salmon. Mean life-span of the parasite was negatively correlated with water temperature: 33·7 days at 2·5 °C and 4·5 days at 19·0 °C. The average number of offspring per parasite peaked between 6·5 and 13·0 °C, and was approximately 2·4 at these two temperatures. Both the period between the successive births of the offspring (max 4) and the estimated generation time were negatively correlated with temperature. The innate capacity for increase (rm) was positively correlated with temperature: from 0·02 (/parasite/day) at 2·5 °C to 0·22 (/parasite/day) at 19·0 °C. Growth of the infrapopulations was positively correlated with water temperature and was higher on isolated fish than on grouped fish, though less than the potential parasite population growth estimated from rm. In the infrapopulations the mean intensity of parasites continued to increase throughout all the experiments on both isolated fish and on grouped fish.


1992 ◽  
Vol 49 (10) ◽  
pp. 2055-2061 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. E. Johnston ◽  
M. J. Hambrook ◽  
R. W. Gray ◽  
K. G. Davidson

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) kelts exposed to a regime of two 6-mo seasonally accelerated light increases and decreases (2CP) in 1989 spawned in the spring of 1990 when water temperatures were above 7 °C during the winter months. Kelts exposed to water temperatures below 4 °C during the same period failed to spawn in the spring. Exposure of the nonspawning 2CP kelts to warmer water temperatures in the summer of 1990 stimulated egg development and ovulation by 17 October 1990. Kelts exposed to a simulated natural 12-mo photoperiod regime also spawned at this time. Eggs and sperm from kelts spawned in the spring were viable. Spring-spawned eggs fertilized with fresh sperm had lower survival levels to the eyed-egg stage or to hatch than did eggs from wild fall-spawned stocks. Kelts entrained to spawn in the spring with 2CP photocycles were manipulated to spawn again in the spring of the next year following exposure to a time-shifted photoperiod and elevated winter/spring water temperature.


1989 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis L. Scarnecchia ◽  
Árni Ísaksson ◽  
S. E. White

Investigations were conducted on the effects of oceanic variations (as measured by sea temperatures) and catches by the West Greenland salmon fishery on the sea age composition of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) stocks from 21 Icelandic west coast rivers. Annual ratios of grilse to two-sea-winter (2SW) salmon were strongly correlated among the 21 rivers. All eight rivers with time series extending back before the expansion of the West Greenland fishery showed lower ratios during the earlier period. Only 2 of the 21 rivers, however, had significantly declining ratios over their time series. In addition, for only one river was West Greenland catch significantly related to the ratios (P < 0.05), and for only one river did ratios increase when the expanded West Greenland fishery was active. Overall, the effects of the fishery on stock composition are evidently minimal. The mean April–May temperature when the smolts were to migrate out of rivers was significantly and positively related to subsequent ratios for five of the rivers, which, along with correlations among the ratios, indicated that more rapid growth of smolts in their first summer may have increased the ratios of grilse to 2SW salmon on several rivers.


2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 695-707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Luc Baglinière ◽  
Frédéric Marchand ◽  
Vincent Vauclin

Abstract Since 1985, the dynamics of the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) population in the River Oir, a spawning tributary of the River Sélune (Lower Normandy, France), have been studied from a data set of parr density and the number and the age structure of migrating fish (smolts and adults). Parr densities (1.5–17.4 per 100 m2) and smolt production (0.25–9.2 per 100 m2) varied considerably from year to year. Migrating juveniles were mainly 1 year old. Abundance of parr and smolts was strongly correlated with 0+ densities. Egg-to-smolt survival rates were highly variable year on year (0.044–1.07%). During the juvenile freshwater phase, mortality was highest between the egg and the 0+ stage (97.5–99.9%). The fluctuations in abundance of juvenile salmon appear to be linked to the number and distribution of spawners within the stream during spawning, and also to the amount of silt deposition on the spawning beds. As a result, mortality was highest during the under-gravel phase, and the mean survival rate from egg to smolt was much lower than in rivers less impacted by human activities. Therefore, during the study period, the low production of smolts during some years might lead to a low renewal rate of the salmon population.


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