Return to search

Life history and bioenergetics of the brook trout of rivière au Saumon, northern Québec

Seasonal movements of anadromous brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) were studied in riviere au Saumon, James Bay, during 1986 to 1988. A comparison of the biology and energetic parameters between sea run and freshwater brook trout was made in the same system. Anadromous brook trout started their downstream movements in May and displacements peaked in June, but some also occurred in fall. Downstream movements were correlated with spring and fall freshets. Important interannual variation was observed in the movement pattern. Seaward movements of anadromous trout were limited to the brackish waters, as fish congregated at the river mouth. I suggest that movements into brackish waters are passive. Upstream movements began in late July and continued until freezing (November), with the intensity of movement varying annually according to climatic conditions. / Comparison between anadromous and freshwater trout showed very little difference in mean length at age, age at maturity, egg size and fecundity between the two groups. However, examination of energetic parameters indicated that sea run brook trout had a greater increase in condition factor during the summer than the freshwater residents. This raise in condition factor is accompanied by a decrease in water content and a lower water content in the eggs of anadromous fish. These results indicate that benefits associated with anadromous migrations in brook trout reside in the seasonal pattern of energy storage, which is important for the recovery from energy expenditure associated with spawning and overwintering.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.59628
Date January 1990
CreatorsDoyon, Jean-François
PublisherMcGill University
Source SetsLibrary and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
Formatapplication/pdf
CoverageMaster of Science (Department of Renewable Resources.)
RightsAll items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.
Relationalephsysno: 001116827, proquestno: AAIMM66361, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest.

Page generated in 0.002 seconds