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Swimming Speed of Fall Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Fry
Author(s) -
Greenland Donald C.,
Thomas Allan E.
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<696:ssofcs>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - chinook wind , oncorhynchus , fishery , fish <actinopterygii> , zoology , biology , environmental science
Tests to determine the swimming ability of fall chinook salmon fry were conducted in a stamina tunnel located at the Salmon Cultural Laboratory, Longview, Washington. Fish were subjected to water velocities of 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, and 0.9 ft/sec for periods of 3, 6, and 9 min. The number of fish impinged on a screen placed across the downstream end of the stamina tunnel was noted for each test. The number of fish free of the screen and still swimming at the end of the test period was used as the measure of swimming ability. The smallest group tested, fry 33.0 to 34.9 mm in length, had visible yolk sacs. Ninety‐eight percent of these fish were capable of coping with velocities of 0.6 ft/sec for at least 3 min. Only 88% and 72% of these small fish could cope with increased velocities of 0.7 and 0.8 ft/sec. Larger fry performed better; however, a slump in performance in fish 37.0 to 38.9 mm in length was noted. Changes of 0.05 ft/sec caused measurable changes in swimming performance, and the number of fish impinged increased with exposure time.