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Growth and Longevity of Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) in Populations Subjected to Light Exploitation
Author(s) -
Cooper Edwin L.
Publication year - 1967
Publication title -
transactions of the american fisheries society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1548-8659
pISSN - 0002-8487
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8659(1967)96[383:galobt]2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - salvelinus , trout , longevity , fishing , fontinalis , biology , population , acre , fishery , ecology , spring (device) , standing crop , fish <actinopterygii> , geography , demography , agroforestry , mechanical engineering , biomass (ecology) , genetics , sociology , engineering
Natural brook trout populations in two Pennsylvania streams which were exploited by angling only slightly were studied to determine the growth rate and longevity of this species. The growth rate of trout from the more fertile environment of Big Spring exceeded that of trout from Larryˈs Creek even though the standing crop of the population in Big Spring was markedly higher (206 pounds/acre in Big Spring; 39 pounds/acre in Larryˈs Creek). The longevity and age‐composition of the two populations were similar, with few fish living as long as 6 years. Leeˈs phenomenon was not observed in either population. Since these populations were exploited only to a minor extent, such an observation is consistent with the hypothesis that selective angling mortality of the faster‐growing individuals of a population is a reasonable explanation of Leeˈs phenomenon.