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At least 1,189 records · Page 66Linked to original sources
USGS2016

Ungulate reproductive parameters track satellite observations of plant phenology across latitude and climatological regimes

The effect of climatically-driven plant phenology on mammalian reproduction is one key to predicting species-specific demographic responses to climate change. Large ungulates face their greatest energetic demands from the later stages of pregnancy through weaning, and so in seasonal environments parturition dates should match periods of high primary productivity. Interannual variation in weather influences the quality and timing of forage availability, which can influence neonatal survival. Here, we evaluated macro-scale patterns in reproductive performance of a widely distributed ungulate (mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus ) across contrasting climatological regimes using satellite-derived indices of primary productivity and plant phenology over eight degrees of latitude (890 km) in the American Southwest. The dataset comprised > 180,000 animal observations taken from 54 populations over eight years (2004–2011). Regionally, both the start and peak of growing season (“Start” and “Peak”, respectively) are negatively and significantly correlated with latitude, an unusual pattern stemming from a change in the dominance of spring snowmelt in the north to the influence of the North American Monsoon in the south. Corresponding to the timing and variation in both the Start and Peak, mule deer reproduction was latest, lowest, and most variable at lower latitudes where plant phenology is timed to the onset of monsoonal moisture. Parturition dates closely tracked the growing season across space, lagging behind the Start and preceding the Peak by 27 and 23 days, respectively. Mean juvenile production increased, and variation decreased, with increasing latitude. Temporally, juvenile production was best predicted by primary productivity during summer, which encompassed late pregnancy, parturition, and early lactation. Our findings offer a parsimonious explanation of two key reproductive parameters in ungulate demography, timing of parturition and mean annual production, across latitude and changing climatological regimes. Practically, this demonstrates the potential for broad-scale modeling of couplings between climate, plant phenology, and animal populations using space-borne observations.

Arizona, Colorado, Utah↗
USGS2016

Optimization of scat detection methods for a social ungulate, the wild pig, and experimental evaluation of factors affecting detection of scat

Collection of scat samples is common in wildlife research, particularly for genetic capture-mark-recapture applications. Due to high degradation rates of genetic material in scat, large numbers of samples must be collected to generate robust estimates. Optimization of sampling approaches to account for taxa-specific patterns of scat deposition is, therefore, necessary to ensure sufficient sample collection. While scat collection methods have been widely studied in carnivores, research to maximize scat collection and noninvasive sampling efficiency for social ungulates is lacking. Further, environmental factors or scat morphology may influence detection of scat by observers. We contrasted performance of novel radial search protocols with existing adaptive cluster sampling protocols to quantify differences in observed amounts of wild pig ( Sus scrofa ) scat. We also evaluated the effects of environmental (percentage of vegetative ground cover and occurrence of rain immediately prior to sampling) and scat characteristics (fecal pellet size and number) on the detectability of scat by observers. We found that 15- and 20-m radial search protocols resulted in greater numbers of scats encountered than the previously used adaptive cluster sampling approach across habitat types, and that fecal pellet size, number of fecal pellets, percent vegetative ground cover, and recent rain events were significant predictors of scat detection. Our results suggest that use of a fixed-width radial search protocol may increase the number of scats detected for wild pigs, or other social ungulates, allowing more robust estimation of population metrics using noninvasive genetic sampling methods. Further, as fecal pellet size affected scat detection, juvenile or smaller-sized animals may be less detectable than adult or large animals, which could introduce bias into abundance estimates. Knowledge of relationships between environmental variables and scat detection may allow researchers to optimize sampling protocols to maximize utility of noninvasive sampling for wild pigs and other social ungulates.

PLoS ONE↗
USGS2016

Effects of seasonal weather on breeding phenology and reproductive success of alpine ptarmigan in Colorado

Animal populations occurring at high elevations are often assumed to be in peril of extinctions or local extirpations due to elevational-dispersal limitations and thermoregulatory constraints as habitats change and warm. However, long-term monitoring of high-elevation populations is uncommon relative to those occurring at lower elevations, and evidence supporting this assumption is limited. We analyzed 45 years of reproductive data for two Colorado populations of white-tailed ptarmigan ( Lagopus leucura ), an alpine-endemic species with restricted distribution in western North America. Seasonal temperatures measured by the number of growing degree days warmed significantly at our study sites for pre-nesting, nesting, and brood-rearing seasonal periods (mean advance of 8 growing degree days per decade), and both populations advanced their reproductive phenology over the study period based on median hatch dates (median advance of 3.7 and 1.9 days per decade for the northern and southern sites, respectively). Reproductive performance measured by the number of chicks per hen declined significantly at one study site but not the other, and differences between sites may have been due to habitat degradation at one study area. Annual variability in chicks per hen was large at both sites but only weakly related to seasonal weather. An index of precipitation and temperature during the brood-rearing period was the best predictor for reproductive success with warm and dry conditions relating positively to number of chicks per hen. Our results provide evidence for two alpine ptarmigan populations that are remarkably invariant to fluctuations in seasonal weather with respect to reproductive success as measured by number of chicks per hen in the breeding population. These results are surprising given the general perception of alpine animal populations as being highly sensitive to warming temperatures.

Colorado↗
USGS2016

Scale-dependent habitat selection and size-based dominance in adult male American alligators

Habitat selection is an active behavioral process that may vary across spatial and temporal scales. Animals choose an area of primary utilization (i.e., home range) then make decisions focused on resource needs within patches. Dominance may affect the spatial distribution of conspecifics and concomitant habitat selection. Size-dependent social dominance hierarchies have been documented in captive alligators, but evidence is lacking from wild populations. We studied habitat selection for adult male American alligators ( Alligator mississippiensis ; n = 17) on the Pearl River in central Mississippi, USA, to test whether habitat selection was scale-dependent and individual resource selectivity was a function of conspecific body size. We used K-select analysis to quantify selection at the home range scale and patches within the home range to determine selection congruency and important habitat variables. In addition, we used linear models to determine if body size was related to selection patterns and strengths. Our results indicated habitat selection of adult male alligators was a scale-dependent process. Alligators demonstrated greater overall selection for habitat variables at the patch level and less at the home range level, suggesting resources may not be limited when selecting a home range for animals in our study area. Further, diurnal habitat selection patterns may depend on thermoregulatory needs. There was no relationship between resource selection or home range size and body size, suggesting size-dependent dominance hierarchies may not have influenced alligator resource selection or space use in our sample. Though apparent habitat suitability and low alligator density did not manifest in an observed dominance hierarchy, we hypothesize that a change in either could increase intraspecific interactions, facilitating a dominance hierarchy. Due to the broad and diverse ecological roles of alligators, understanding the factors that influence their social dominance and space use can provide great insight into their functional role in the ecosystem.

Mississippi↗
USGS2016

Gray wolf exposure to emerging vector-borne diseases in Wisconsin with comparison to domestic dogs and humans

World-wide concern over emerging vector-borne diseases has increased in recent years for both animal and human health. In the United Sates, concern about vector-borne diseases in canines has focused on Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and heartworm which infect domestic and wild canids. Of these diseases, Lyme and anaplasmosis are also frequently diagnosed in humans. Gray wolves ( Canis lupus ) recolonized Wisconsin in the 1970s, and we evaluated their temporal and geographic patterns of exposure to these four vector-borne diseases in Wisconsin as the population expanded between 1985 and 2011. A high proportion of the Wisconsin wolves were exposed to the agents that cause Lyme (65.6%) and anaplasma (47.7%), and a smaller proportion to ehrlichiosis (5.7%) and infected with heartworm (9.2%). Wolf exposure to tick borne diseases was consistently higher in older animals. Wolf exposure was markedly higher than domestic dog ( Canis familiaris ) exposure for all 4 disease agents during 2001–2013. We found a cluster of wolf exposure to Borrelia burgdorferi in northwestern Wisconsin, which overlaps human and domestic dog clusters for the same pathogen. In addition, wolf exposure to Lyme disease in Wisconsin has increased, corresponding with the increasing human incidence of Lyme disease in a similar time period. Despite generally high prevalence of exposure none of these diseases appear to have slowed the growth of the Wisconsin wolf population.

PLoS ONE↗
USGS2016

Multiple browsers structure tree recruitment in logged temperate forests

Historical extirpations have resulted in depauperate large herbivore assemblages in many northern forests. In eastern North America, most forests are inhabited by a single wild ungulate species, white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus) , and relationships between deer densities and impacts on forest regeneration are correspondingly well documented. Recent recolonizations by moose ( Alces americanus ) in northeastern regions complicate established deer density thresholds and predictions of browsing impacts on forest dynamics because size and foraging differences between the two animals suggest a lack of functional redundancy. We asked to what extent low densities of deer + moose would structure forest communities differently from that of low densities of deer in recently logged patch cuts of Massachusetts, USA. In each site, a randomized block with three treatment levels of large herbivores–no-ungulates (full exclosure), deer (partial exclosure), and deer + moose (control) was established. After 6–7 years, deer + moose reduced stem densities and basal area by 2-3-fold, Prunus pensylvanica and Quercus spp. recruitment by 3–6 fold, and species richness by 1.7 species (19%). In contrast, in the partial exclosures, deer had non-significant effects on stem density, basal area, and species composition, but significantly reduced species richness by 2.5 species on average (28%). Deer browsing in the partial exclosure was more selective than deer + moose browsing together, perhaps contributing to the decline in species richness in the former treatment and the lack of additional decline in the latter. Moose used the control plots at roughly the same frequency as deer (as determined by remote camera traps), suggesting that the much larger moose was the dominant browser species in terms of animal biomass in these cuts. A lack of functional redundancy with respect to foraging behavior between sympatric large herbivores may explain combined browsing effects that were both large and complex.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2021

Effects of supplemental feeding on the fecal bacterial communities of Rocky Mountain elk in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Supplemental feeding of wildlife is a common practice often undertaken for recreational or management purposes, but it may have unintended consequences for animal health. Understanding cryptic effects of diet supplementation on the gut microbiomes of wild mammals is important to inform conservation and management strategies. Multiple laboratory studies have demonstrated the importance of the gut microbiome for extracting and synthesizing nutrients, modulating host immunity, and many other vital host functions, but these relationships can be disrupted by dietary perturbation. The well-described interplay between diet, the microbiome, and host health in laboratory and human systems highlights the need to understand the consequences of supplemental feeding on the microbiomes of free-ranging animal populations. This study describes changes to the gut microbiomes of wild elk under different supplemental feeding regimes. We demonstrated significant cross-sectional variation between elk at different feeding locations and identified several relatively low-abundance bacterial genera that differed between fed versus unfed groups. In addition, we followed four of these populations through mid-season changes in supplemental feeding regimes and demonstrated a significant shift in microbiome composition in a single population that changed from natural forage to supplementation with alfalfa pellets. Some of the taxonomic shifts in this population mirrored changes associated with ruminal acidosis in domestic livestock. We discerned no significant changes in the population that shifted from natural forage to hay supplementation, or in the populations that changed from one type of hay to another. Our results suggest that supplementation with alfalfa pellets alters the native gut microbiome of elk, with potential implications for population health.

Wyoming↗
USGS2024

Experimental changes in food and ectoparasites affect dispersal timing in juvenile burrowing owls

Natal dispersal is a key demographic trait that affects population dynamics, and intraspecific variation in dispersal affects gene flow among populations and source-sink dynamics. However, relatively little is known about the selective pressures and trade-offs that animals face when departing their natal area due to the logistical difficulties associated with monitoring animals during this critical life stage. We used a randomized block design to examine the selective pressure that influence dispersal timing in juvenile burrowing owls ( Athene cunicularia ) by experimentally altering both food and ectoparasites at 135 nests. We also examined the effects of local food abundance, ectoparasite loads, and parental departure on natal dispersal timing. Juvenile burrowing owls varied widely in natal dispersal timing, and phenotypic plasticity in dispersal timing was evident in juvenile owls’ response to our experimental treatments, local conditions, and their parents’ departure from the natal area. Moreover, juveniles responded differently than their parents to experimental manipulation of food and ectoparasite loads. Juveniles typically dispersed shortly after their parents departed the natal area, but delayed dispersing more than 2 weeks after parental departure if they did not receive experimental food supplements during a low-food year. In contrast, the experimental food supplements did not affect the migratory departure decisions of adult owls in either year. Juveniles at nests treated for ectoparasites initiated dispersal at a younger age (and prior to adults in the high-food year) compared to juveniles at control nests. In contrast, parents at nests treated for ectoparasites departed later than parents at control nests. Our results suggest that unfavorable conditions (low food or high ectoparasite loads) caused juveniles to delay dispersal, but prompted adults to depart sooner. Our results highlight the extent of intraspecific variation in natal dispersal timing, and demonstrate that ecological conditions affect dispersal decisions of parents and offspring differently, which can create important trade-offs that likely affect life history strategies and responses to climatic changes.

Washington↗
USGS2025

Leveraging detection uncertainty to estimate Renibacterium salmoninarum infection status among multiple tissues and assays

Effective disease surveillance relies on accurate pathogen testing and robust prevalence estimates. Diagnostic specificity (DSp), the probability that an uninfected animal tests negative, is high when false positives are low. Diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) is the probability an infected animal tests positive; higher DSe means fewer false negatives. However, sensitivity and false negatives are harder to estimate without a "gold standard", an assay that can detect between 90 - 100% of true positive infections. Occupancy estimation of infection prevalence offers one solution by allowing for imperfect detection of the pathogen. Testing potentially infected tissues multiple times allows for the use of a Bayesian multistate occupancy model to estimate the probability of pathogen infection in tissues [Formula: see text] and detection probabilities [Formula: see text] for different assays. Using [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] from the posterior distribution, the conditional probability of detecting the pathogen can be modeled, allowing for the calculation of DSe. Renibacterium salmoninarum is a bacterial pathogen causing bacterial kidney disease among salmonid species and was the model pathogen we used to train our model. The current testing standard for salmonids combines initial screening for antibodies using direct fluorescent antibody test (DFAT) with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmation to detect R. salmoninarum. However, detection of R. salmoninarum still varies between species, tissues, and assays. Here, a multi-state occupancy model was used to estimate detection probability among individual and dual kidney/liver infections with DFAT and qPCR in fish with an unknown infection status. Both assays produced false negatives, but qPCR had fewer than DFAT and a higher DSe. Infection state was often misclassified, but multiple surveys per individual or combining tissues for testing improved DSe for both assays.

conterminous United States↗
USGS2026

Estimating GPS-based social aggregation metrics using collar data

Understanding social aggregation patterns in ungulate herds is essential for gaining behavioral insights, optimizing resource use, reducing human-wildlife conflict, and managing disease risk. As chronic wasting disease is the preeminent disease-related threat to cervid populations in North America, knowledge of contact between individuals and spatiotemporal patterns of aggregation provides opportunity to understand and potentially reduce disease risk while supporting sustainable population sizes. Herd density metrics, derived from global positioning system (GPS) data, can be used to inform management decisions. To effectively compare aggregation behavior within and between herds, aggregation metrics must be accurate. However, the consistency of metrics across different GPS collar sample sizes remains unclear and robust studies of big game require understanding how these factors may vary in different contexts. We examined the minimum sample size necessary for reliable calculations of three aggregation metrics: pairwise inter-animal distances, daily proximity rates, and kernel density estimate (KDE) areas. We used GPS collar data from the Jackson and West Green River elk herds ( Cervus canadensis ) in western Wyoming, USA, that differ in herd size and group structure (single versus multiple sub-groups), representing common practical contexts. Elk locations were acquired for the Jackson herd between 2016 and 2019 and from 2005 to 2010 for the West Green River herd. Herd-specific characteristics substantially influence the sample size necessary for accurate density measurements. As predicted, larger herds with many groups require more GPS collars than small herds with fewer groups. The sample size needed to accurately estimate aggregation varies by metric, with KDE areas, useful for indexing environmentally transmitted disease risk, generally requiring fewer samples, especially in high-density contexts. The required sample size also varies with seasonal changes in density. During periods of highest density, similar sample sizes are required to estimate inter-animal distances and proximity rates regardless of herd characteristics. Our results have implications for costs associated with studying big game herds, indicating fewer collars may be sufficient in some cases. These insights can aid researchers and managers in determining the appropriate number of GPS collars required for effective herd monitoring and informing relevant aggregation metrics for their management goals.

Wyoming↗
USGS2024

The skin I live in: Pathogenesis of white-nose syndrome of bats

The emergence of white-nose syndrome (WNS) in North America has resulted in mass mortalities of hibernating bats and total extirpation of local populations. The need to mitigate this disease has stirred a significant body of research to understand its pathogenesis. Pseudogymnoascus destructans , the causative agent of WNS, is a psychrophilic (cold-loving) fungus that resides within the class Leotiomycetes, which contains mainly plant pathogens and is unrelated to other consequential pathogens of animals. In this review, we revisit the unique biology of hibernating bats and P . destructans and provide an updated analysis of the stages and mechanisms of WNS progression. The extreme life history of hibernating bats, the psychrophilic nature of P . destructans , and its evolutionary distance from other well-characterized animal-infecting fungi translate into unique host–pathogen interactions, many of them yet to be discovered.

PLoS Pathogens↗
USGS2014

Aggression and coexistence in female caribou

Female caribou ( Rangifer tarandus ) are highly gregarious, yet there has been little study of the behavioral mechanisms that foster coexistence. Quantifying patterns of aggression between male and female, particularly in the only cervid taxa where both sexes grow antlers, should provide insight into these mechanisms. We asked if patterns of aggression by male and female caribou followed the pattern typically noted in other polygynous cervids, in which males display higher frequencies and intensity of aggression. From June to August in 2011 and 2012, we measured the frequency and intensity of aggression across a range of group sizes through focal animal sampling of 170 caribou (64 males and 106 females) on Adak Island in the Aleutian Archipelago, Alaska. Males in same-sex and mixed-sex groups and females in mixed-sex groups had higher frequencies of aggression than females in same-sex groups. Group size did not influence frequency of aggression. Males displayed more intense aggression than females. Frequent aggression in mixed-sex groups probably reflects lower tolerance of males for animals in close proximity. Female caribou were less aggressive and more gregarious than males, as in other polygynous cervid species.

Alaska↗
USGS2024

Neonate morphometrics and lambing season characteristics of desert bighorn sheep

Desert bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis ) populations often occur in remote areas at low densities, leading to gaps in knowledge of life history. In November 2011, we translocated 11 female desert bighorn sheep from the Fra Cristobal Mountains and 9 from Red Rock Wildlife Management Area (RRWMA) to the Peloncillo Mountains in southwestern New Mexico. In December 2012, we captured 21 adult females in the Peloncillo Mountains, 14 of which were recaptured from 2011. We fitted each animal with a very high frequency (VHF) collar and vaginal implant transmitter (VIT) to monitor for parturition. We captured 26 lambs (5 females, 7 males in 2012; 7 males, 7 females in 2013), recorded morphometric measurements and fitted lambs with VHF collars to monitor survival. Over the study, 14 lambs died, with 12 mortalities from predation, one from abandonment, and one from unknown causes. Lambing season was protracted over 3–4 months and survival was unrelated to birth timing. Body mass differences between sex varied by year, suggesting a connection to annual climate. Because most studies focus on captive animals with access to supplemental food, captive lambs may not be representative of free-ranging populations. Thus, we investigated morphological trends in a free-ranging population.

Mammalia↗
USGS2011

Winter distribution of willow flycatcher subspecies

Documenting how different regions across a species' breeding and nonbreeding range are linked via migratory movements is the first step in understanding how events in one region can influence events in others and is critical to identifying conservation threats throughout a migratory animal's annual cycle. We combined two studies that evaluated migratory connectivity in the Willow Flycatcher ( Empidonax traillii ), one using mitochondrial DNA sequences from 172 flycatchers sampled throughout their winter range, and another which examined morphological characteristics of 68 museum specimens collected in the winter range. Our results indicate that the four subspecies occupy distinct but overlapping regions of the winter range. Connectivity between specific breeding and winter grounds appears to be moderate to strong, with distributions that suggest migration patterns of both the chain and leap-frog types connecting the breeding and nonbreeding grounds. The Pacific lowlands of Costa Rica appear to be a key winter location for the endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher ( E. t. extimus ), although other countries in Central America may also be important for the subspecies.

The Condor↗
USGS1993

Fish meal and alternate sources of protein in fish feeds: Update 1993

Close to 12% of the world's 6.5 million metric tons of fish meal is used for aquaculture feeds. If current trends continue, roughly 20% to 25% of total world fish meal production could be used for aquaculture by the year 2000. Fish stocks used in fish meal reduction, however, appear to be in worldwide decline. A growing fish farming industry and a stagnating, if not diminishing, supply of fish meal have sobering economic and technologic implications for fish culture. Unless suitable alternate protein sources are found or other animal feeds begin to rely less on fish meal, fish production costs can be expected to increase dramatically. A precedent was set by the poultry industry, the most economically successful and competitive of the animal agriculture industries. Twenty years ago, the poultry industry consumed up to 80% of fish meal supplies. Through deliberate and well-organized research into alternate protein sources, the industry now uses less than 40% of supplies, and the trend is toward complete independence from fish meal. A comparable research effort is needed for aquaculture. Considering the biotechnologies available, plant proteins, processed to remove enzyme inhibitors and other antinutritional factors and properly supplemented with essential amino acids and minerals where needed, could produce results at least equivalent to those obtained with fish meal.

Fisheries↗
USGS1940

Scyphidia micropteri, a new protozoan parasite of largemouth and smallmouth black bass

A small urn‐shaped peritrichous protozoan, apparently an undescribed species, was found on the gills and bodies of largemouth and smallmouth black bass in ponds at Leetown, West Virginia. A heavy mortality among a lot of fingerling largemouth bass probably resulted from suffocation due to the organisms on the gills. Specimens of the parasite, preserved in formalin, measured about 57 microns in length and 24 microns in maximum width. The base of the animal consists of a circular disc about 6 microns in diameter. No evidence was found that the sucker‐like attachment disc penetrated the epidermal cells of the host causing necrotic tissue. The anterior or upper end of the animal has a ciliary disc and two rows of cilia. The body is without cilia and is annulared. The macronucleus is very large, has the shape of an inverted cone and occupies much of the lower half of the body. The small micronucleus apparently lies in the slightly concave surface of the upper part of the macronucleus, although there is doubt on this point. This new species was named Scyphidia micropteri after Micropterus, the generic name of the smallmouth black bass, one of its hosts. The species recently was found by Dr. H. S. Davis on gills of largemouth black bass collected in Radnor Lake, Tennessee, which indicates a wide geographical distribution of the parasite.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1975

Inhibition of salt water survival and Na-K-ATPase elevation in steelhead trout (Salmo gairdneri) by moderate water temperatures

The steelhead trout metamorphosis from a freshwater parr to a sea water-tolerant smolt possessing the migration tendency was evaluated at six different growth temperatures ranging from 6 to 15 C during January through July. The highest temperature where a transformation was indicated was 11.3 C. By April fish reared at 6 C had elevated ATPase levels typical of smolts or migratory animals and showed 92% survival in sea water. Ten and 11.3 C-reared fish showed a short-lived elevation in ATPase in mid-April alone concurrently with 100% sea water survival at that time. Only in 6 C-reared animals did the salt water survival ability continue into May. High ATPase levels likewise were prolonged into May and June only in the 6 C-reared group. The data indicate that metamorphosis (and therefore successful migration) of juvenile steelhead trout is directly controlled by water temperature.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1995

Growth and survival of newly parasitic sea lampreys at representative winter temperatures

Larval sea lampreys Petromyzon marinus begin to metamorphose into their parasitic phase in July and migrate to the Great Lakes either in autumn, when they immediately feed on fish, or in spring after overwintering in the stream substrate. Survival and growth of newly parasitic autumn migrants (mean weight, 4.18 g) differed significantly between temperature treatments when sea lampreys were held over winter and allowed to feed on longnose suckers Catostomus catostomus at either the maximum available temperature (&tilde;4&deg;C) or normal surface temperature (minimum <1&deg;C) in the Great Lakes during winter. Survival from December 1990 to June 1991 was 60% for the animals held in the warmer water but only 30% for the animals held in the colder water until 23 April. The average increase in weight was 8.23 g for the 35 survivors in the warmer water but only 5.15 g for the 17 survivors in the colder water. Average increases in weight from December to May for sea lampreys at both temperatures were 3.8 to 6.6 times greater than increases reported previously. A newly metamorphosed sea lamprey that migrates to the Great Lakes in autumn could be 2.5 to 3 times larger in June than one that overwinters in the stream substrate, where it cannot feed, and migrates in spring. Hence, autumn migrants may have an advantage in growth and survival over spring migrants, particularly if food supply is adequate in the warmest stratum of the lake during winter.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗