Influence of host fish age on a mussel parasite differs among rivers: Implications for conservation

Unionoid mussels are obligate parasites on one or more fish species. The objective was to compare growth and survival of encysted mussel larvae of the freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) on young-of-the-year (YOY) versus one-year old brown trout (Salmo trutta). YOY and one-year old trout from the Brattefors and Lärje Rivers, Sweden, were infested with mussel larvae from their home river. The mass-normalized encystment abundance was higher on YOY trout than on one-year old trout. The proportional decrease in mass-normalized encystment abundance was larger on YOY brown trout from the Brattefors River than on YOY brown trout from the Lärje River. Encystment per individual fish was higher on YOY trout than on one-year old trout from the Brattefors River, whereas this relationship was reversed for trout from the Lärje River. Larval growth was higher on YOY trout than on one-year old trout. There was a larger difference in larval growth between YOY trout and one-year old trout from the Brattefors River than on the brown trout from the Lärje River. The ability to use both YOY and older fish, such as in the Lärje River, may increase the reproduction potential of mussel populations, compared to a reduced ability to use more than one year class, such as in the Brattefors River. This may also affect the dispersal of mussels, as older brown trout often move and migrate to a higher degree within and between rivers. The dispersal potential of mussels may therefore be relatively high in the Lärje River, but low in the Brattefors River. In rivers where the mussels have to rely on YOY brown trout, it could be worth facilitating passage through migration obstacles for YOY brown trout. Infested YOY brown trout could be artificially re-distributed within rivers, to places with former mussel distributions. It could also be worth testing the suitability of brown trout of different age classes when starting breeding programs.     

Markierungsversuche an Bach- und Regenbogenforellen im Bodensee als Beitrag zur systematischen Eingliederung von Forellen

Nearly 900 tagged trouts (brown and rainbow trouts) have been exposed at a distance of 300 m and 1,5–4,5 km from the shore. In the first case the recapture was more favour-able. According to the series 6 to 20% brown trouts and only 1% rainbow trouts were recaptured. The greater part has been caught in the lake; only from October to May the reports came from the rivers. Brown and rainbow trouts lost in the lake their reddish spots or the rainbrowstripe and became silver. The growth is nearly as quick as in the lake trout. After a critical review of our own results and those found in literature we came to the conclusion that there are no morphological differences between brown and lake trouts. It may be that there are genetically fixed differences in the biological-physiological behaviour. But even in this case a classification inSalmo trutta morpha lacustris andS. t. m. fario could not be justifiable—for practical reasons only-because, independantly, in the single lakes the development of lake trouts from populations of brown trouts has happened polyphyletically. Also, for genetically different populations, normally no classifications in subspecies are made. Probably, the difference in the colour and growth-easily striking the eye-misdirects to assume the form ‘morpha lacustris’.     

Highly dilute water chemistry during late snowmelt period affects recruitment of brown trout (Salmo trutta) in River Sira,southwestern Norway

During the past two-three decades the water chemistry in southern Norway has recovered considerably from acidification. The biological response, however, has been more variable. Thus, it has become increasingly apparent that decades of acidification may have masked other restrictors to fish populations in this area. The current study compiles data on young brown trout (Salmo trutta) density and water chemistry from 16 sites in River Sira in southwestern Norway during 2003–2014. The water chemistry during late snowmelt period was highly dilute, having a median conductivity and Ca of 10.5 μS/cm and 0.42 mg/l, respectively (n = 208). The corresponding minimum values were 5.0 μS/cm and 0.15 mg/l. With a pH median value of 5.89, the water was only slightly acidic. No effect of pH on the density of young brown trout was found, suggesting that acidification is no longer a limiting factor. However, both conductivity in year n-1 and Ca in year n correlated significantly with the density of 1+ brown trout. Al in year n, and surprisingly Ca in year n-1, correlated negatively on their densities. We conclude that very dilute water chemistry during late snowmelt is a limiting factor for the recruitment of brown trout in the study river. This effect has probably existed in the past as well, but has been less apparent due to decades of severe acidification.     

Food-web manipulation of drinking water reservoirs with salmonids: vertical distribution of prey and predator

In a novel biomanipulation experiment salmonids were used as a tool to improve water quality. The manipulation was initiated in spring 2000 as a response to non-point sources of phosphorus in a drinking water reservoir in Saxony, Germany. Salmonids (brown trout, Salmo trutta forma lacustris) were chosen as predators as the reservoir has a large hypolimnic water body and surface temperatures rarely exceed 20 °C. The vertical distributions of prey fish and brown trout were analysed with a fleet of vertical gill nets set in the pelagic zone of the reservoir. Consumption of brown trout was estimated by means of a bioenergetic model and the diet analyses of the trout. While the dominant planktivore (roach, Rutilus rutilus) was caught almost exclusively in the epilimnion during the stratification period trout were caught mainly below a depth of 10 m. Diet analysis revealed that the trout performed vertical migrations to consume food in the epilimnic layer, as an important food component were adult terrestrial and aquatic insects. The amount of fish in the food increased strongly with the size of the brown trout. The consumption estimate suggested that the trout had consumed 2-3% of the total roach stock during the study period (May-November 2000) of the first year of biomanipulation. We conclude that in general salmonids are suitable for food-web manipulation in deep reservoirs, but the stocked fish should be as large as possible (> 300 mm) and the proportion of large trout (> 500 mm) should be as high as possible.     

Low levels of aluminium causing death of brown trout (salmo trutta fario,L.) in a Swiss alpine lake

Several attempts to stock fish in acidified alpine lakes have so far proven unsuccessful. In an effort to investigate the problems associated with the stocking of fish, the Swiss alpine Lake Laiozza was chosen for experimentation. An analysis of Lake Laiozza water revealed low ion concentrations (0.5 mg Ca/L, 0.13 mg Na/L, 0.02 mg Cl/L), moderate aluminium concentrations (121 ± 28 µg Al/L), and a moderately low pH (5.41 ± 0.21). As in common practice, one and two year old brown trout were exposed in a closed keep-net in Lake Laiozza. The water of Lake Laiozza proved to be acutely toxic to the fish. Mucous clogging of the gills, gill epithelial damage, plasma electrolyte losses, and high hematocrits were the predominant symptoms observed. All symptoms observed are typical for an acute intoxication with aluminium. This stands in contrast to the generally accepted view that aluminium concentrations lower than 200 µg Al/L should not be toxic to brown trout at a pH 5.4. The low Na and Cl and low Ca concentrations in the Lake Laiozza water seem to have rendered the fish much more susceptible to aluminium intoxication.     

Immune deficiency causes annual late summer brown trout (Salmo trutta) mortality in Austrian prealpine river systems

For several years, severe brown trout (Salmo trutta) mortality has been observed in different prealpine river systems of Austria, Southern Germany, and Switzerland during late summer and early autumn. Often, the skin of the effected fish shows a medium to intense black pigmentation, and therefore this phenomenon is called “Schwarze Bachforelle Phänomen” or “proliferative darkening syndrom”. The present study was conducted to gain insight about its presence. From middle of May to end of August, brown trout and rainbow trout were kept in experimental tanks supplied with water from an effected river system. In brown trout, samples for blood diagnostics and histological investigations were taken after 0, 47, 62, and 77 days, and in rainbow trout after 0 and 107 days. Brown trout from a wild population were investigated for comparative purposes. Brown trout showed no abnormalities till the end of June. All fish sampled in the second half of July suffered from severe immune deficiency as the numbers of peripheral blood granulocytes and lymphocytes, plasma lysozyme activity, and plasma immunoglobulin levels significantly decreased. During August, the number of erythrocytes decreased and the osmotic fragility of the erythrocytes increased. Senescent erythrocytes became more frequent and the hematopoietic tissue of spleen and kidney enlarged. Also, the cellular composition of the spleen changed as the number of hemoblasts and normal erythroblasts decreased while the number of atypical erythroblasts increased. In the pronephros and hematopoietic tissue of the mesonephros, aggregation of macrophages and tissue disintegration was frequently observed. This was similar for brown trout from the field experiment and from the wild population. High mortality occurred in the end of July and during August. Death of the fishes might have been caused by secondary infections with microorganisms. Almost similar changes were observed in rainbow trout, however, the mortality was lower.     

Test of the host fish species of a unionoid mussel: A comparison between natural and artificial encystment

Many of the unionoid mussel species are threatened, and to be able to develop strategies for effective conservation, one of the needs is to distinguish host fish species from non-host fish species using reliable methods. Margaritifera margaritifera lives as a parasite on brown trout (Salmo trutta) and/or Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). The aim was to compare the reliability of two methods measuring the host specificity of M. margaritifera in two rivers that flow out into Skagerrak in the Atlantic Ocean. A second aim was to compare the time- and cost-efficiency of the two methods. The methods were (1) natural encystment abundances on fish in their native streams using electrofishing, and (2) encystment abundances from controlled artificial infestation in aquaria, on fish that were sacrificed. In both rivers, young-of-the-year (YOY), but not older brown trout, were naturally infested with relatively low loads of glochidia larvae, while the Atlantic salmon was not infested at all. When using artificial infestation, both YOY and older brown had encysted glochidia larvae on their gills, while glochidia larvae were not able to develop in Atlantic salmon at all. Here, the encystment was higher on the brown trout from the Lärje River, and older brown trout from the Lärje River did not seem to have as strong immunity response compared to older brown trout from the Brattefors River. In summary, brown trout is the only host fish for M. margaritifera in these rivers. Both methods can be used to discriminate between host fish species, but the method measuring natural encystment seems most time- and cost-efficient. In addition, natural encystment can be measured using a non-destructive photo-method, and is therefore suggested to be used when discriminating between host fish species for M. margaritifera.     

Tropical high Andes lakes: A limnological survey and an assessment of exotic rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Tropical high Andes lakes are aquatic ecosystems with peculiar limnological characteristics that are related to their geographical location and high altitude, yet they remained understudied. We present the results of a standardized survey of morphometric, physico-chemical and biotic variables in 32 high altitude lakes of the Cordillera del Tunari (Eastern Andes of Bolivia). Based on the variables measured, we identified three lake types. One group of lakes differed from the other lakes by a relatively high pH and biological productivity (as evidenced from higher densities of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and fish). A second group of lakes consisted of relatively large and deep water bodies with neutral to slightly acid pH and with a relatively high occurrence of the large cladoceran Daphnia pulex. The third group contained relatively small, shallow, and acid lakes with no Daphnia. Rainbow trout occurred in more than half of the lakes and catch yields were very variable. Overall, the abundances of different organism groups tended to be positively associated (e.g. phytoplankton, copepods, rotifers, fish) indicating the existence of a major productivity gradient. We found no negative associations between trout catches and densities of any of the major zooplankton groups, suggesting moderate to low top-down effects of trout on the zooplankton communities.     

Indirect effects of asymmetrical competition among top predators determine spatial patterns of predation risk for prey

Asymmetrical interspecific competition among top predators can indirectly affect the predation risk for their prey by altering the abundance, diet, and habitat use of inferior competitors. However, the indirect effects of such biological interactions are poorly known because of the difficulties in measuring predation risk in nature. We addressed this issue by assessing the effect of asymmetrical competition among brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and two superior non-piscivorous competitors, creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus) and white sucker (Catostomus commersonii), on the predation risk of a brook trout prey, northern redbelly dace (Chrosomus eos). We determined the spatio-temporal patterns of relative predation risk of dace with tethering experiments in 11 lakes containing either only brook trout and dace (n = 5), or brook trout, dace, chub, and sucker (n = 6). The diel pattern of the relative predation risk and the overall relative predation risk of dace were not significantly different in lakes with or without brook trout competitors. However, we observed a significant shift in the relative predation risk from the lower pelagic to the upper pelagic and littoral zones in the presence of brook trout competitors. This study highlights the fact that the outcome of interactions can vary in space and that care should be used when extrapolating the results of small-scale experiments or coarse-scale estimates to the whole ecosystem.     

In-stream water quality,invertebrate and fish community health across a gradient of dairy farming prevalence in a New Zealand river catchment

Dairying is an intensive form of agriculture influencing stream ecosystems worldwide via increased levels of nutrients, deposited fine sediment and other contaminants. However, it is not fully understood how dairy farming affects food supply for stream fish. We investigated relationships between dairy farming prevalence in the catchments of nine tributaries of a New Zealand river (0% to 79% of the catchment area) and fish and invertebrate communities. Streams were sampled four times at monthly intervals for brown trout density, fitness/growth-related trout response variables, native fish density, invertebrate community metrics as well as physical and chemical water quality variables. Densities of both brown trout and native fish declined as dairying increased, with no trout found in streams where dairy farms covered more than 50% of the catchment area. Increasing dairy farming prevalence was also associated with higher in-stream levels of dissolved nutrients and deposited fine sediment. These findings suggest that increasing the extent of dairy farming in New Zealand based on practices at the time of sampling results in less abundant and diverse fish communities.     

Impact of channel bar form and grain size variability on estimated stranding risk of juvenile brown trout during hydropeaking

Hydropeaking leads to artificial fluctuations in discharge and corresponding water levels with pronounced dewatering areas between base and peak flow along gravel bars and channel banks. In the present study, 16 hydropeaking reaches in Austria were investigated to assess possible differences in the estimated stranding risk for young of the year brown trout according to different gravel bar types and differences in microtopography roughness. Based on hydrodynamic‐numerical modelling, a predictive habitat modelling approach was implemented in the study design. Accompanied by grain size sampling along the various channel bars, a conceptual stranding risk model (SRM) was developed. The results showed that a high variability in estimated stranding risk exists for the tested sites considering discharge ratios of 1:3, 1:5 and 1:10. With respect to the discussion of establishing legal thresholds for ramping ratios in discharge, it was documented that, exemplarily, a discharge ratio base flow/peak flow of 1:5 (winter base flow conditions) could cause minor differences in the spatial extent of dewatering areas and the related estimated stranding risk for juvenile brown trout compared to a ratio of 1:2 for summer base flow conditions. Microtopographic roughness was addressed due to sampling and analysis of grain size distributions. Statistical testing of grain size distributions revealed significant differences between the surface material compositions of the investigated gravel bars. Those differences are evident, particularly for the coarser fraction (d₉₀), which is important as cover for young of the year brown trout. These aspects of grain size in habitat use and hydraulics have been addressed in the conceptual SRM. The results showed that point bar morphology, in particular, was less sensitive to the risk of stranding compared to, for example, alternating gravel bars. Considering the multiple pressures for alpine rivers, the improvement of structural features due to bar formation and related self‐forming processes is discussed as a possible alternative for future mitigation measures to reduce the negative impacts of hydropeaking. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effectiveness of different types of block ramps for fish upstream movement

Rivers are worldwide highly fragmented due to human impacts. This fragmentation has a negative effect on fish movement and dispersal. Many artificial barriers such as river bed sills and small weirs are nowadays replaced by block ramps in order to reestablish longitudinal connectivity for fish in rivers and streams. We studied the upstream passage of several fish species on different types of block ramps with slopes between 3.6 and 13.4 %. We conducted translocation experiments in the field based on mark-recapture and on the use of PIT-tags. Temporal movement patterns were observed by an instream antenna. Hydraulic and morphological characteristics of block ramps were measured and compared with fish passage efficiency. Our results clearly showed that upstream passage efficiency differs between fish species, size classes and block ramps. We observed that brown trout (Salmo trutta fario) performed better than bullhead (Cottus gobio) and several cyprinid species on the same block ramps. Passage efficiency of brown trout and chub (Leuciscus cephalus) was size-selective, with small-sized individuals being less successful. For brown trout, size-selectivity became more relevant with increasing slope of ramp. We conclude that block ramps with slopes of >5 % are ineffective for the small-sized cyprinid species and that vertical drops within step-pool ramps can hinder successful upstream passage of bullhead.