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At least 865 records · Page 48Linked to original sources

USGS2008

Maternal characteristics versus egg size and energy density: do stocked lake trout in Lake Ontario experience premature reproductive senescence?

Observations from September 1994 and 1997 collections of hatchery-origin, mature female lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) from Lake Ontario indicated that egg mass decreased with age, fueling the notion that stocked fish experienced premature reproductive senescence. Supplemental collections during September 2002 and November 2002-2004 were combined with the 1994 and 1997 samples to examine whether sample date or maternal age, body mass, condition (K), egg count, or strain were related to egg mass or energy content (percentage dry mass [%DM]). Body mass was correlated with egg mass for age ≥ 8 lake trout sampled in September, and egg count was correlated with egg mass for September age-6 lake trout only. Within each month, egg mass was not related to K or egg %DM, however, egg %DM was 1.52% greater (P ≤ 0.0247) in November than in September which is equivalent to a 110 cal/g difference. Samples were grouped for the three most abundant strains (Seneca, Superior, and Ontario) after finding no strain or year effects from our 1994 and 1997 samples and based on life history data from the literature and our assessment sampling. Further analysis indicated that September egg masses were greater for fish ages ≤ 6 than for fish ages ≥ 8. The age effect disappeared in November when mean egg mass across all ages (0.078 g) was greater than September means (P < 0.0005) for ages -5 (0.054 g), -6 (0.057 g) and ≥ 8 (0.041 g). Our results indicate that the decrease in egg mass with female age in September was not due to senescence, but to oogenesis being closer to completion in young age-5 and -6 fish than in older individuals.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS2019

Effects of air exposure on survival of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout angled from a stream with warm water temperatures

We evaluated the effects of air exposure on Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri caught and released in a cold-water stream with elevated water temperatures (i.e., > 14°C) in southeastern Idaho. Anglers caught fish in a 2.3-km section of Fall Creek, Idaho, during August 2018. Sampled fish remained underwater while we measured and then tagged them with T-bar anchor tags. We exposed fish to air for 0, 30, or 60 s and then released them at the point of capture. We continuously monitored temperature during the study period. Water temperatures during the study varied from 10.0 to 19.7°C and averaged 14.9°C (SE = 0.08). In total, anglers caught 161 Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout over 10 d. Of those fish, we did not expose 54 to air; we exposed 54 to air for 30 s, and 53 for 60 s. We used electrofishing to recapture tagged fish and estimate relative survival. Relative survival was highest for fish exposed to air for 60 s (0.40 [SE = 0.25]) followed by 0 s (0.35 [SE = 0.25]) and 30 s (0.30 [SE = 0.27]), but differences were not statistically significant. Results from this study are consistent with other air-exposure studies suggesting that air exposure of 60 s or less is not likely a concern in Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout fisheries. Releasing fish as quickly as possible is always encouraged, but management regulations restricting air exposure seem unnecessary given the collective body of field-based research on air exposure. Nevertheless, similar studies on other systems and species are warranted.

Idaho↗

USGS2022

Comparison of structures used to estimate age and growth of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout

Understanding age and growth of fishes is critical for making meaningful management decisions. Obtaining useful information is dependent on using the best structure (e.g., scale, otolith). The objective of this study was to evaluate precision and reader confidence in age estimates from sagittal otoliths (i.e., whole, sectioned) and scales for Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri collected from Henrys Lake, Idaho. We also sought to compare growth estimates among structures sampled during annual gill net surveys in May 2019 and 2020. We removed sagittal otoliths and scales from 416 Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout. Two readers without prior knowledge of fish length independently aged scales, whole otoliths, and sectioned otoliths. Each reader also provided a confidence rating of 0 (not confident) to 3 (completely confident). Percent exact agreement between readers was highest for sectioned otoliths (85.3%), followed by scales (68.5%) and whole otoliths (66.1%). Average confidence rating was highest for sectioned (mean ± SD = 2.2 ± 0.6) and whole (1.4 ± 0.5) otoliths and lowest for scales (1.0 ± 0.2). Among structures, percent exact agreement (i.e., consensus age) was highest between whole and sectioned otoliths (66.7%), followed by scales and sectioned otoliths (58.9%). Exact agreement was lowest between scales and whole otoliths (51.2%). Differences in back-calculated length at age estimates between sectioned otoliths and scales were minimal, particularly for ages 1–4. Although sectioned otoliths required more time to prepare than scales or whole otoliths, sectioned otoliths produced the most precise age estimates for Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout, with the highest reader confidence.

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management↗

USGS2023

Precision of structures used to estimate age and growth of Apache Trout from Arizona

Obtaining reliable information on the age structure of fish populations is important for making conservation and management decisions. We sought to evaluate precision and reader confidence in age estimates from scales (two body locations), sectioned fin rays (pectoral, pelvic, anal), and sectioned sagittal otoliths from Apache Trout Oncorhynchus apache ( n = 78 fish) sampled from the East Fork White River, Arizona, in 2017. Two experienced readers without prior knowledge of fish length aged structures independently. Each reader provided a confidence rating of 0 (no confidence) to 3 (completely confident) as a measure of readability. Both readers were unable to estimate age from scales collected from the area just posterior to the insertion of the pectoral fin. We used scales removed from an area just dorsal to the lateral line and posterior to the dorsal fin in all analyses. Percentage of exact agreement between readers was highest for scales and otoliths (>72.0%) and lowest for fin rays (31.8–58.1%). Average confidence rating was highest for sectioned otoliths (mean ± SE, 2.1 ± 0.07), and lowest for anal fin rays (0.3 ± 0.06) and scales (0.7 ± 0.05). We compared consensus ages from otoliths to the other structures. Percentage of exact agreement with otolith age was low and varied from 21.6 to 35.7% among structures. Similarly, percentage of agreement within 1 y was also low among structures (58.0–70.2%). Scales consistently underestimated age of age-4 and older fish (based on otolith age), whereas fin rays tended to overestimate age of younger fish and underestimate age of older Apache Trout. Although sectioned otoliths require lethal sampling, they produced the most precise age estimates for Apache Trout with the highest reader confidence. Dorsal scales may be a suitable nonlethal alternative to otoliths if ages for only young fish (age 3 and younger) meet study objectives.

Arizona↗

USGS2004

Cloning, expression, cellular distribution, and role in chemotaxis of a C5a receptor in rainbow trout: The first identification of a C5a receptor in a nonmammalian species

C3a, C4a, and C5a anaphylatoxins generated during complement activation play a key role in inflammation. C5a is the most potent of the three anaphylatoxins in eliciting biological responses. The effects of C5a are mediated by its binding to C5a receptor (C5aR, CD88). To date, C5aR has only been identified and cloned in mammalian species, and its evolutionary history remains ill-defined. To gain insights into the evolution, conserved structural domains, and functions of C5aR, we have cloned and characterized a C5aR in rainbow trout, a teleost fish. The isolated cDNA encoded a 350-aa protein that showed the highest sequence similarity to C5aR from other species. Genomic analysis revealed the presence of one continuous exon encoding the entire open reading frame. Northern blot analysis showed significant expression of the trout C5a receptor (TC5aR) message in PBLs and kidney. Flow cytometric analysis showed that two Abs generated against two different areas of the extracellular N-terminal region of TC5aR positively stained the same leukocyte populations from PBLs. B lymphocytes and granulocytes comprised the majority of cells recognized by the anti-TC5aR. More importantly, these Abs inhibited chemotaxis of PBLs toward a chemoattractant fraction purified from complement-activated trout serum. Our data suggest that the split between C5aR and C3aR from a common ancestral molecule occurred before the emergence of teleost fish. Moreover, we demonstrate that the overall structure of C5aR as well as its role in chemotaxis have remained conserved for >300 million years.

Journal of Immunology↗

USGS2005

Characterization of a C3a receptor in rainbow trout and Xenopus: The first identification of C3a receptors in nonmammalian species

Virtually nothing is known about the structure, function, and evolutionary origins of the C3aR in nonmammalian species. Because C3aR and C5aR are thought to have arisen from the same common ancestor, the recent characterization of a C5aR in teleost fish implied the presence of a C3aR in this animal group. In this study we report the cloning of a trout cDNA encoding a 364-aa molecule (TC3aR) that shows a high degree of sequence homology and a strong phylogenetic relationship with mammalian C3aRs. Northern blotting demonstrated that TC3aR was expressed primarily in blood leukocytes. Flow cytometric analysis and immunofluorescence microscopy showed that Abs raised against TC3aR stained to a high degree all blood B lymphocytes and, to a lesser extent, all granulocytes. More importantly, these Abs inhibited trout C3a-mediated intracellular calcium mobilization in trout leukocytes. A fascinating structural feature of TC3aR is the lack of a significant portion of the second extracellular loop (ECL2). In all C3aR molecules characterized to date, the ECL2 is exceptionally large when compared with the same region of C5aR. However, the exact function of the extra portion of ECL2 is unknown. The lack of this segment in TC3aR suggests that the extra piece of ECL2 was not necessary for the interaction of the ancestral C3aR with its ligand. Our findings represent the first C3aR characterized in nonmammalian species and support the hypothesis that if C3aR and C5aR diverged from a common ancestor, this event occurred before the emergence of teleost fish.

Journal of Immunology↗

USGS1999

Modeling data from double-tagging experiments to estimate heterogeneous rates of tag shedding in lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush)

Data from mark-recapture studies are used to estimate population rates such as exploitation, survival, and growth. Many of these applications assume negligible tag loss, so tag shedding can be a significant problem. Various tag shedding models have been developed for use with data from double-tagging experiments, including models to estimate constant instantaneous rates, time-dependent rates, and type I and II shedding rates. In this study, we used conditional (on recaptures) multinomial models implemented using the program SURVIV (G.C. White. 1983. J. Wildl. Manage. 47: 716-728) to estimate tag shedding rates of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and explore various potential sources of variation in these rates. We applied the models to data from several long-term double-tagging experiments with Lake Superior lake trout and estimated shedding rates for anchor tags in hatchery-reared and wild fish and for various tag types applied in these experiments. Estimates of annual tag retention rates for lake trout were fairly high (80-90%), but we found evidence (among wild fish only) that retention rates may be significantly lower in the first year due to type I losses. Annual retention rates for some tag types varied between male and female fish, but there was no consistent pattern across years. Our estimates of annual tag retention rates will be used in future studies of survival rates for these fish.

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences↗

USGS2002

Protocol for determining bull trout presence

The Western Division of the American Fisheries Society was requested to develop protocols for determining presence/absence and potential habitat suitability for bull trout. The general approach adopted is similar to the process for the marbled murrelet, whereby interim guidelines are initially used, and the protocols are subsequently refined as data are collected. Current data were considered inadequate to precisely identify suitable habitat but could be useful in stratifying sampling units for presence/absence surveys. The presence/absence protocol builds on previous approaches (Hillman and Platts 1993; Bonar et al. 1997), except it uses the variation in observed bull trout densities instead of a minimum threshold density and adjusts for measured differences in sampling efficiency due to gear types and habitat characteristics. The protocol consists of: 1. recommended sample sizes with 80% and 95% detection probabilities for juvenile and resident adult bull trout for day and night snorkeling and electrofishing adjusted for varying habitat characteristics for 50m and 100m sampling units, 2. sampling design considerations, including possible habitat characteristics for stratification, 3. habitat variables to be measured in the sampling units, and 3. guidelines for training sampling crews. Criteria for habitat strata consist of coarse, watershed-scale characteristics (e.g., mean annual air temperature) and fine-scale, reach and habitat-specific features (e.g., water temperature, channel width). The protocols will be revised in the future using data from ongoing presence/absence surveys, additional research on sampling efficiencies, and development of models of habitat/species occurrence.

Report↗

USGS1997

Using otoliths and scales to describe age and growth of Yellowstone cutthroat trout in a high-elevation stream system, Wyoming

Estimates of age and lengths at specific ages of Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri Richardson) were made using otoliths and scales. Fish were sampled from 17 high-elevation streams in the Greybull River drainage, Wyoming. Variation in estimates of age within and among three readers were assessed using both structures. Variability among age estimates by individual readers was low for both structures. Estimates using otoliths were significantly less variable than were estimates based on scales both among readers and among estimates by individual readers. Otoliths were more accurate than scales for estimating the correct age of fish. Back-calculated estimates of fish lengths at given ages based on otoliths were significantly less than those based on scales, Hatchery fish grew faster than wild fish at younger ages. Overall, growth of wild fish was slower than in other areas where Yellowstone cutthroat trout are endemic. We predict that if otoliths were used instead of scales to assess age and growth of other trout species in high-elevation streams that similar differences in estimates based on the two structures would be observed.

Northwest Science↗

USGS2009

Using a coupled groundwater/surface-water model to predict climate-change impacts to lakes in the Trout Lake Watershed, northern Wisconsin

A major focus of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Trout Lake Water, Energy, and Biogeochemical Budgets (WEBB) project is the development of a watershed model to allow predictions of hydrologic response to future conditions including land-use and climate change. The coupled groundwater/surface-water model GSFLOW was chosen for this purpose because it could easily incorporate an existing groundwater flow model and it provides for simulation of surface-water processes. The Trout Lake watershed in northern Wisconsin is underlain by a highly conductive outwash sand aquifer. In this area, streamflow is dominated by groudwater contributions, however, surface runoff occurs during intense rainfall periods and spring snowmelt. Surface runoff also occurs locally near stream/lake areas where the unsaturated zone is thin. A diverse data set, collected from 1992 to 2007 for the Trout Lake WEBB project and the co-located and NSF-funded North Temperate Lake LTER project, includes snowpack, solar radiation, potential evapotranspiration, lake levels, groundwater levels, and streamflow. The time-series processing software TSPROC (Doherty 2001)was used to distill the large time series data set to a smaller set of observations and summary statistics that captured the salient hydrologic information. The time-series processing reduced hundreds of thousands of observations to less than 5,000. Model calibration included specific predictions for several lakes in the study area using the PEST parameter estimation suit of software (Doherty 2007). The calibrated model was used to simulate the hydrologic response in the study lakes to a variety of climate change scenarios culled from the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (Solomon et al. 2007). Results from the simulations indicate climate change could result in substantial changes to the lake levels and components of the hydrologic budget of a seepage lake in the flow system. For a drainage lake lower in the flow system, the impacts of climate change are diminished.

Wisconsin↗

USGS1994

Evaluating temperature regimes for protection of brown trout

Geographic distribution and population success of brown trout (Salmo trutta) are affected by temperature regimes. Concepts are presented for evaluating alternative temperature regimes for brown trout based on published temperature information and professional judgment. Temperature information from the literature is included for spawning runs, spawning, egg and larval development, growth, and other subjects. The objective is to aid biologists in evaluating alternative temperature regimes so as to select those that will protect and enhance environmental quality for brown trout.

Report↗

USGS2004

Effects of the wildfire on growth of cutthroat trout in Yellowstone Lake

This chapter discusses the effects of wildfire on the growth of cutthroat trout in Yellowstone Lake. Trends in year-to-year variation in growth for individual age groups and 25 mm length groups of cutthroat trout in Yellowstone Lake were examined in an attempt to detect shifts in growth patterns associated with the fires. Approximately 100,000 ha of the Yellowstone Lake watershed burned between early July and late August 1988 and the majority of area burned was in the southern part of the drainage, including the Yellowstone River, the largest tributary to the lake. Pelican Creek, the second largest tributary to the lake, was the only major tributary entering the lake from the north that was affected by the fire. In order to aid interpretation of trends through time, relative growth rates of cutthroat trout in individual age and length groups were evaluated using linear regression.

Wyoming↗

USGS1988

Using side scan sonar data in a geographic information system to locate and display lake trout spawning habitat in the Great Lakes

The National Fisheries Research Center-Great Lakes of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has extensively used a side scan sonar to survey and pinpoint lake trout spawning grounds in the Great Lakes. The Geographic Information System (GIS) of the National Ecology Research Center produced maps from the side scan sonar data showing the exact location of the spawning grounds; this will enable current stocking programs to be carried out at those locations. These maps show the geographic position (latitude and longitude) of both the color-coded primary substrate types and the secondary substrate types, which are denoted by overstrikes. The maps must be supplemented with a Loran-C navigation grid for field use. The maps are proving useful to fishery managers by locating lake trout stocking areas in Lakes Michigan and Huron, as well as to researchers who investigate habitat quality on lake trout spawning grounds.

Conference Paper↗

USGS1980

Food of alewives, yellow perch, spottail shiners, trout-perch, and slimy and fourhorn sculpins in southeastern Lake Michigan

Stomachs of 1, 064 alewives ( Alosa pseudoharengus ), 1, 103 yellow perch ( Perca flavescens ), 246 spottail shiners ( Notropis hudsonius ), 288 trout-perch ( Percopsis omiscomaycus ), 454 slimy sculpins ( Cottus cognatus ), and 562 fourhorn sculpins ( Myoxocephalus quadricornis ) from Lake Michigan were examined for food contents. Fish were sampled primarily from March to November and nearly all were caught at the bottom in the southeastern part of the lake near Saugatuck, Michigan. Depths of capture (m) were: alewives, 5 to 110; yellow perch, 5 to 26; spottail shiners, 5 to 31; trout-perch, 9 to 46; slimy sculpins, 31 to 91; and fourhorn sculpins, 73 to 110. Alewives, particularly those less than 140 mm long, fed chiefly on zooplankton; Pontoporeia usually constituted most of the rest of the food, although Mysis and immature midges were occasionally eaten in considerable quantity. Yellow perch ate primarily Pontoporeia , fish eggs, Mysis , and crayfish; Pontoporeia was consumed most heavily by perch less than 250 mm long and those in relatively deep water, fish (mainly slimy sculpins) by those 200 mm long or longer, Mysis by those in deep water, and crayfish by those on rocky bottom. Spottail shiners fed most commonly on immature midges, Pontoporeia , zooplankton, fingernail clams, and (in July only) fish eggs; immature midges were eaten mainly by shiners in shallow water; and Pontoporeia by those in deeper areas. The diet of trout-perch was strongly dominated by Pontoporeia and immature midges. Slimy sculpins ate Pontoporeia almost exclusively. Fourhorn sculpins fed almost entirely on Mysis and Pontoporeia Pontoporeia was particularly important in the diet of the larger fish.

Report↗

USGS2009

Using a coupled groundwater/surfacewater model to predict climate-change impacts to lakes in the Trout Lake watershed, Northern Wisconsin

A major focus of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Trout Lake Water, Energy, and Biogeochemical Budgets (WEBB) project is the development of a watershed model to allow predictions of hydrologic response to future conditions including land-use and climate change. The coupled groundwater/surface-water model GSFLOW was chosen for this purpose because it could easily incorporate an existing groundwater flow model and it provides for simulation of surface-water processes. The Trout Lake watershed in northern Wisconsin is underlain by a highly conductive outwash sand aquifer. In this area, streamflow is dominated by groundwater contributions; however, surface runoff occurs during intense rainfall periods and spring snowmelt. Surface runoff also occurs locally near stream/lake areas where the unsaturated zone is thin. A diverse data set, collected from 1992 to 2007 for the Trout Lake WEBB project and the co-located and NSF-funded North Temperate Lakes LTER project, includes snowpack, solar radiation, potential evapotranspiration, lake levels, groundwater levels, and streamflow. The timeseries processing software TSPROC (Doherty 2003) was used to distill the large time series data set to a smaller set of observations and summary statistics that captured the salient hydrologic information. The timeseries processing reduced hundreds of thousands of observations to less than 5,000. Model calibration included specific predictions for several lakes in the study area using the PEST parameter estimation suite of software (Doherty 2007). The calibrated model was used to simulate the hydrologic response in the study lakes to a variety of climate change scenarios culled from the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Solomon et al. 2007). Results from the simulations indicate climate change could result in substantial changes to the lake levels and components of the hydrologic budget of a seepage lake in the flow system. For a drainage lake lower in the flow system, the impacts of climate change are diminished.

Conference Paper↗

USGS2003

Conditions for growth and survival of bull trout in Beulah Reservoir, Oregon. Annual report 2002

The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) constructed Agency Valley Dam on the North Fork of the Malheur River in 1934-35, creating Beulah Reservoir. The project is operated and maintained by the Vale Irrigation District for irrigation and downstream flood control. There is currently no formal agreement for a minimum pool level at Beulah Reservoir, but project operators of Agency Valley Dam and BOR are considering management alternatives. Although the project is not operated for fish and wildlife values, the reservoir supports a rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss fishery and also seasonally harbors an adfluvial population of bull trout Salvelinus confluentus (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife [ODFW], unpublished data). Bull trout were listed by the USFWS as a threatened species throughout the Columbia and Klamath river basins in 1998, and Oregon has listed the North Fork Malheur River population “Of Special Concern”.

Oregon↗

USGS2002

Conditions for growth and survival of bull trout in Beulah Reservoir, Oregon. Annual report 2001

The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) constructed Agency Valley Dam on the North Fork of the Malheur River in 1934-35, creating Beulah Reservoir. The project is operated and maintained by the Vale Irrigation District for irrigation and downstream flood control, with no minimum pool or outflow operational criteria. Although the project is not operated for fish and wildlife values, the reservoir supports a rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss fishery and also seasonally harbors an adfluvial population of bull trout Salvelinus confluentus (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife [ODFW]; Burns Paiute Tribe). Bull trout were listed by the USFWS as a threatened species throughout the Columbia and Klamath river basins in 1998, and Oregon has listed the North Fork Malheur River population “Of Special Concern”.

Oregon↗

USGS2019

Understanding the genetic characteristics of Wild Brook Trout populations in North Carolina thanks to the guidance of Dr. Tim King

We genotyped 7,588 brook trout representing 406 collections from across the State of North Carolina (Figure 1) at 12 microsatellite loci (King et al. 2012). The vast majority of collections appeared to represent single populations, based on general conformance to HardyWeinberg equilibrium and limited evidence for linkage-disequilibrium. Allelic diversity was low to moderate relative to Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis populations endemic to higher latitudes. Effective population sizes varied widely among populations, but were often very small and indicate that many populations are at risk of losing diversity through genetic drift. Remarkable levels of genetic differentiation exist among populations, which suggests that little, if any, gene flow occurs among most populations. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that a substantial portion of the observed genetic variation was attributed to differences among patches (44.8%), and there was some variation (11.2%) even among collections within a single patch. These results, taken in conjunction with high levels of genetic differentiation among populations, suggest that the fundamental unit of management for Brook Trout should be the population. Interestingly, despite extensive stocking across the state, the vast majority of wild populations show limited evidence of introgression by northern origin hatchery strains. These results represent a valuable baseline for management and restoration efforts, and can be used to (a) select suitable donor streams for translocation efforts, (b) identify streams with low effective population sizes that may be vulnerable to extirpation, and (c) target stocking efforts into watersheds where extensive introgression has already occurred. All data associated with this manuscript has been publicly released (Kazyak et al. 2017).

North Carolina↗