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Spawning Behavior of Pink Salmon on an Artificial Redd
Author(s) -
Heard William R.
Publication year - 1972
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(1972)101<276:sbopso>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - milt , limiting , oncorhynchus , courtship , biology , fishery , courtship display , zoology , fish <actinopterygii> , engineering , mechanical engineering
The spawning behavior of pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) was observed and photographed through a glass viewing port in the bottom of an artificial redd in an observation tank. Females readily accepted the artificial redd and completed the normal prespawning behavior sequences, including redd defense, digging, and crouching, but did not complete the spawning act and extrude eggs. Males, however, frequently followed the courtship sequence through to milt ejections. In 14 incomplete spawning acts, milt was ejected by males but eggs were not released by females. Seven of these acts involved the same male, over a 9‐day period. Failure of females to extrude eggs was attributed to some unknown limiting physical condition of the redd or tanks—possibly the smooth surface of the viewing port in the redd.