scholarly journals Long-distance anadromous migration in a fresh water specialist: the Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush)

2014 ◽  
Vol 128 (3) ◽  
pp. 260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Les N. Harris ◽  
Jean-Sébastien Moore ◽  
Christopher G. McDermid ◽  
Heidi K. Swanson

The Lake Trout, Salvelinus namaycush, is believed to be one of the most saline intolerant salmonid species, typically completing its life wholly in fresh water. Historical observations and more recent quantitative assessments have shown, however, that in some Arctic populations, Lake Trout can migrate to marine waters (i.e., display anadromy). In the four coastal Arctic populations of Lake Trout where anadromy has been confirmed, migrations to and from marine environments are relatively short (i.e., in the order of a few kilometres). In the Halokvik River on Victoria Island, we captured two anadromous Lake Trout in a weir used jointly for commercial fishing and stock assessment research. Both fish were captured during the fall upstream migration, some 50 km from their presumed fresh water spawning or overwintering locations. This observation extends the current knowledge regarding the distribution of anadromous populations in this species and suggests that migration to marine habitats can be much longer than previously expected.

1988 ◽  
Vol 45 (8) ◽  
pp. 1406-1410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger A. Bergstedt ◽  
Clifford P. Schneider

During 1982–85, 89 dead fake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) were recovered with bottom trawls in U.S. waters of Lake Ontario: 28 incidentally during four annual fish-stock assessment surveys and 61 during fall surveys for dead fish. During the assessment surveys, no dead lake trout were recovered in April–June, one was recovered in August, and 27 were recovered in October or November, implying that most mortality from causes other than fishing occurred in the fall. The estimated numbers of dead lake trout between the 30- and 100-m depth contours in U.S. waters ranged from 16 000 (0.08 carcass/ha) in 1983 to 94 000 (0.46 carcass/ha) in 1982. Of 76 carcasses fresh enough to enable recognition of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) wounds, 75 bore fresh wounds. Assuming that sea lamprey wounding rates on dead fish were the same as on live ones of the same length range (430–740 mm), the probability of 75 of the 76 dead lake trout bearing sea lamprey wounds was 3.5 × 10−63 if death was independent of sea lamprey attack, thus strongly implicating sea lampreys as the primary cause of death of fish in the sample. The recovery of only one unwounded dead lake trout also suggested that natural mortality from causes other than sea lamprey attacks is negligible.


1998 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 1010-1024 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher C Wilson ◽  
Paul DN Hebert

We used restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) diversity to assess the complex postglacial history of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and test existing dispersal hypotheses. A pilot survey with 30 restriction enzymes was carried out on lake trout from 16 geographically representative populations to determine phylogenetically informative characters. Subsequent screening of 1416 lake trout from 93 populations across the species' range with nine variable restriction enzymes showed that lake trout from at least five glacial refugia contributed to extant populations. Three major mtDNA lineages were observed, with sufficient differences to suggest their divergence during the mid-Pleistocene. Geographic and genetic differences within two lineages suggested further vicariant divergence caused by Wisconsinan glacial advances. In contrast with more southern freshwater species, no correlation was observed between the geographic proximity of glacial refugia and relatedness of mtDNA lineages. Current distributions of refugial lineages are readily explained by consideration of timing and connections of proglacial lakes. These lakes facilitated large-scale dispersal from multiple refugia, particularly enabling long-distance dispersal from the Mississippian and northwestern refugia. Proglacial lakes also enabled extensive secondary contact among refugial groups, resulting in high levels of intrapopulation mtDNA diversity within their former boundaries.


1975 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 623-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick F. Lett ◽  
F. W. H. Beamish ◽  
G. J. Farmer

A stochastic dynamic model was developed to evaluate the simulated and empirical interactions between sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) and two lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) population structures, one without and the other with previous lamprey predation.An arithmetic increase in lampreys induced a geometric decline in trout, which was dependent on the number of age-classes and the mean weight of trout. Large trout, when present, were subject to most of the lamprey predation allowing survival of smaller trout. Lethality increased exponentially with lamprey size resulting in peak lake trout mortality during fall near the end of the lamprey’s feeding period. Lake trout scarring data could be used only as an index of lamprey abundance when trout:lamprey ratios and trout population structures were known. The simulation suggested that sea lampreys and lake trout could coexist if large trout are not removed by commercial fishing and if some exogenous factor controlled lamprey abundance.


Author(s):  
Alexander Gatch ◽  
Dimitry Gorsky ◽  
Zy Biesinger ◽  
Eric Bruestle ◽  
Kelley Lee ◽  
...  

1997 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 1031-1038
Author(s):  
C A Stow ◽  
L J Jackson ◽  
J F Amrhein

We examined data from 1984 to 1994 for five species of Lake Michigan salmonids to explore the relationship between total PCB concentration and percent lipid. When we compared mean species lipid and PCB values, we found a strong linear correlation. When we compared values among individuals, we found modest positive PCB:lipid associations in brown trout (Salmo trutta), chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) collected during spawning, but positive associations were not apparent among nonspawning individuals. Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) exhibited no discernible PCB:lipid relationship. Our results are not incompatible with previous observations that contaminants are differentially partitioned into lipids within a fish, but these results do suggest that lipids are not a major factor influencing contaminant uptake.


1980 ◽  
Vol 37 (11) ◽  
pp. 1989-2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Everett Louis King Jr.

Criteria for the classification of marks inflicted by sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) into nine categories were developed from laboratory studies in an attempt to refine the classification system used in field assessment work. These criteria were based on characteristics of the attachment site that could be identified under field conditions by unaided visual means and by touching the attachment site. Healing of these marks was somewhat variable and was influenced by the size of lamprey, duration of attachment, severity of the wound at lamprey detachment, season and water temperature, and by other less obvious factors. Even under laboratory conditions staging of some wounds was difficult, especially at low water temperatures. If these criteria are to be used effectively and with precision in the field, close examination of individual fish may be required. If the feeding and density of specific year-classes of sea lampreys are to be accurately assessed on an annual basis, close attention to the wound size (as it reflects the size of the lamprey's oral disc) and character of wounds on fish will be required as well as consideration of the season of the year in which they are observed.Key words: sea lamprey, attack marks, lake trout, Great Lakes


1989 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 384-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. W. H. Beamish ◽  
J. C. Howlett ◽  
T. E. Medland

Juvenile lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush, of similar size were fed one of three isocaloric diets, each differing in protein and lipid content. Oxygen consumption and swimming performance were measured in a recirculating water flume at intervals throughout the 70-d feeding trials (10 °C). Swimming speed was increased by stepwise velocity increments (5 cm∙s−1) and oxygen consumption was measured at each velocity between 20 and 45 cm∙s−1. Oxygen consumption for a given speed did not differ significantly throughout the feeding trial nor among the diets implying a similarity in the quality and quantity of substrate catabolized for energy. Basal metabolism (0 cm∙s−1) was also independent of diet and feeding interval. Critical swimming speed increased with dietary and carcass protein content to suggest a direct association with muscle mass and number of myofilaments.


1997 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 1299-1305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert France

The purpose of the present study was to determine if riparian deforestation would expose lake surfaces to stronger winds and therefore bring about deepening of thermoclines and resulting habitat losses for cold stenotherms such as lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush). Removal of protective riparian trees through wind blowdown and two wildfires was found to triple the overwater windspeeds and produce thermocline deepening in two lakes at the Experimental Lakes Area. A survey of thermal stratification patterns in 63 northwestern Ontario lakes showed that lakes around which riparian trees had been removed a decade before through either clearcutting or by a wildfire were found to have thermocline depths over 2 m deeper per unit fetch length compared with lakes surrounded by mature forests. Riparian tree removal will therefore exacerbate hypolimnion habitat losses for cold stenotherms that have already been documented to be occurring as a result of lake acidification, eutrophication, and climate warming.


2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shauna M. Baillie ◽  
Andrew M. Muir ◽  
Michael J. Hansen ◽  
Charles C. Krueger ◽  
Paul Bentzen

1981 ◽  
Vol 38 (12) ◽  
pp. 1738-1746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terrence R. Dehring ◽  
Anne F. Brown ◽  
Charles H. Daugherty ◽  
Stevan R. Phelps

Patterns of genetic variation among lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) of eastern Lake Superior were examined using starch gel electrophoresis. We used 484 individuals sampled from three areas, representing three morphological types (leans, humpers, and siscowets). Of 50 loci examined, 44 were monomorphic in all groups sampled. Genetic variation occurs at six loci AAT-1,2, MDH-3,4, ME-1, and SOD-1. The average heterozygosity found (H = 0.015) is low relative to other salmonid species. A significant amount of heterogeneity exists among the 10 lake trout samples. These differences are due to variation within as well as between morphological types. The significance and management implications of these data are discussed.Key words: genetic variation, lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush, Lake Superior


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document