Atlantic Salmon Salmo Salar L. (atlantic + salmon_salmo_salar_l)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L., brown trout Salmo trutta L. and Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (L.): a review of aspects of their life histories

ECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH, Issue 1 2003
A. Klemetsen
Abstract ,,,Among the species in the family Salmonidae, those represented by the genera Salmo, Salvelinus, and Oncorhynchus (subfamily Salmoninae) are the most studied. Here, various aspects of phenotypic and life-history variation of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L., brown trout Salmo trutta L., and Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (L.) are reviewed. While many strategies and tactics are commonly used by these species, there are also differences in their ecology and population dynamics that result in a variety of interesting and diverse topics that are challenging for future research. Atlantic salmon display considerable phenotypic plasticity and variability in life-history characters ranging from fully freshwater resident forms, where females can mature at approximately 10 cm in length, to anadromous populations characterised by 3,5 sea-winter (5SW) salmon. Even within simple 1SW populations, 20 or more spawning life-history types can be identified. Juveniles in freshwater can use both fluvial and lacustrine habitats for rearing, and while most smolts migrate to sea during the spring, fall migrations occur in some populations. At sea, some salmon undertake extensive oceanic migrations while other populations stay within the geographical confines of areas such as the Baltic Sea. At the other extreme are those that reside in estuaries and return to freshwater to spawn after spending only a few months at sea. The review of information on the diversity of life-history forms is related to conservation aspects associated with Atlantic salmon populations and current trends in abundance and survival. Brown trout is indigenous to Europe, North Africa and western Asia, but was introduced into at least 24 countries outside Europe and now has a world-wide distribution. It exploits both fresh and salt waters for feeding and spawning (brackish), and populations are often partially migratory. One part of the population leaves and feeds elsewhere, while another part stays as residents. In large, complex systems, the species is polymorphic with different size morphs in the various parts of the habitat. Brown trout feed close to the surface and near shore, but large individuals may move far offshore. The species exhibits ontogenetic niche shifts partly related to size and partly to developmental rate. They switch when the amount of surplus energy available for growth becomes small with fast growers being younger and smaller fish than slow growers. Brown trout is an opportunistic carnivore, but individuals specialise at least temporarily on particular food items; insect larvae are important for the young in streams, while littoral epibenthos in lakes and fish are most important for large trout. The sexes differ in resource use and size. Females are more inclined than males to become migratory and feed in pelagic waters. Males exploit running water, near-shore and surface waters more than females. Therefore, females feed more on zooplankton and exhibit a more uniform phenotype than males. The Arctic charr is the northernmost freshwater fish on earth, with a circumpolar distribution in the Holarctic that matches the last glaciation. Recent mtDNA studies indicate that there are five phylogeographic lineages (Atlantic, Arctic, Bering, Siberian and Acadian) that may be of Pleistocene origin. Phenotypic expression and ecology are more variable in charr than in most fish. Weights at maturation range from 3 g to 12 kg. Population differences in morphology and coloration are large and can have some genetic basis. Charr live in streams, at sea and in all habitats of oligotrophic lakes, including very deep areas. Ontogenetic habitat shifts between lacustrine habitats are common. The charr feed on all major prey types of streams, lakes and near-shore marine habitats, but has high niche flexibility in competition. Cannibalism is expressed in several cases, and can be important for developing and maintaining bimodal size distributions. Anadromy is found in the northern part of its range and involves about 40, but sometimes more days in the sea. All charr overwinter in freshwater. Partial migration is common, but the degree of anadromy varies greatly among populations. The food at sea includes zooplankton and pelagic fish, but also epibenthos. Polymorphism and sympatric morphs are much studied. As a prominent fish of glaciated lakes, charr is an important species for studying ecological speciation by the combination of field studies and experiments, particularly in the fields of morphometric heterochrony and comparative behaviour. [source]


Chemical pollution as a factor affecting the sea survival of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.

FISHERIES MANAGEMENT & ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2001
D. Scott
The catch of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L., from ocean and coastal fisheries since 1960 is described and the decline starting in 1973 noted. This decline continued despite cessation of some fisheries, and evidence indicates a marine locus for the decline. Oceanic pollution has received little attention, and ozone loss has caused an increase in UV radiation reaching the surface of the North Atlantic. Direct effects of this increase include negative impacts on the food chain. Photo-induced toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) is a possible effect, but concentrations of these compounds in oceanic waters are low. Chlorinated organic compounds are widely distributed in the North Atlantic, and their persistence, lipophilicity, bioaccumulation potential and toxicity represent a potential hazard to salmon. The suggested causes of decline are likely to be complementary rather than exclusive. [source]


Habitat selection by juvenile Atlantic salmon: the interaction between physical habitat and abundance

JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2005
R. D. Hedger
The effect of physical river habitat variables on the distribution of juvenile Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. in the Rivière de la Trinité, Québec, Canada, was examined using generalized additive modelling. A survey of Atlantic salmon fry and parr densities and habitat variables (flow velocity, water column depth and substratum size) was conducted in the summer months from 1984 to 1992. Clear patterns of habitat use existed: specific ranges of habitat variables were selected, with parr preferring greater velocities, depths and substratum sizes than fry. There was a large variation, however, in juvenile densities for given velocities, depths or substratum sizes, with this variation being greatest in optimal habitats. On examination of an individual year, interaction between the variables was found to explain some of the variation. On a year-to-year basis the juvenile Atlantic salmon population was found to exhibit an ,Ideal Free Distribution', which resulted in greatest variation in optimal habitats with year-to-year changes in population abundance. [source]


Effect of elevated summer temperatures on gonadal steroid production, vitellogenesis and egg quality in female Atlantic salmon

JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2003
H. R. King
Groups of Tasmanian female Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. were maintained at 14, 18 and 22° C for 3 months from mid-summer (January). Blood plasma levels of 17,-oestradiol (E2), testosterone (T), cortisol and vitellogenin (Vtg) were measured at regular intervals, and in autumn (April) temperatures were reduced to 8° C to facilitate spawning and egg incubation. Maintenance at 22° C during vitellogenesis was associated with a general reduction in plasma E2 levels and an early reduction in plasma Vtg levels relative to those observed in fish held at 14 and 18° C. Significantly reduced oocyte diameters in ova from fish held at 22° C (5·4 mm cf. 5·7 mm) confirmed reduced maternal investment, and an increase in the incidence of previously undescribed chorion damage suggested that zonagenesis may also have been impaired. As a result, the fertility and survival of ova from fish exposed to 22° C (69 and 42%, respectively) were significantly reduced relative to those of ova from fish maintained at 14° C (93 and 86%) and 18° C (86 and 84%). [source]


Feeding Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. soybean products: effects on disease resistance (furunculosis), and lysozyme and IgM levels in the intestinal mucosa

AQUACULTURE NUTRITION, Issue 2 2000
Krogdahl
Two trials were initiated to investigate the consequences of including various soybean products in diets for Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. on (1) mortality following infection by Aeromonas salmonicida ssp. salmonicida during a cohabitation challenge, and (2) the lysozyme and IgM content of the intestinal mucosa. Groups of salmon were fed control diets containing fishmeal as the sole protein source (Contr1 and Contr2, respectively), soy concentrate-containing diets (SoyConc1 and SoyConc2, respectively), or diets containing either solvent-extracted soybean meal (SoyMeal, trial 1) or soybean molasses (SoyMol, trial 2), an alcohol extract of soybean meal. Both SoyMeal and SoyMol caused enteritis-like changes in the distal intestine, which were not observed in fish fed the Contr1, Contr2, SoyConc1, or SoyConc2 diets. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) in mortality between feeding groups following the A.s. salmonicida challenge: these differences were greatest in fish fed SoyMeal (65.6%), least in fish fed SoyConc1 (60.5%), and intermediate in the fish fed the Contr1 diet (62.9%). The SoyMol diet caused significantly (P < 0.0001) increased levels of both lysozyme and IgM in the mid and distal intestinal mucosa. It is concluded that components of soybean meal and soybean molasses cause an inflammatory response in the distal intestine that may lead to increased susceptibility to furunculosis. [source]