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Growth Benefit from Habitat Change by Juvenile High‐Arctic Char
Author(s) -
Gulseth Odd A.,
Nilssen Kjell J.
Publication year - 1999
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(1999)128<0593:gbfhcb>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - salvelinus , arctic char , juvenile , arctic , habitat , body weight , ecology , environmental science , zoology , geography , fishery , biology , fish <actinopterygii> , trout , endocrinology
Migration and growth by parr of Arctic char Salvelinus alpinus were studied in the high‐Arctic Dieset watercourse (79°10′N) on Spitsbergen Island, Svalbard, Norway. Our results showed a rapid parr emigration from the lake into the river during the ice breakup in late June. The habitat change was almost completed by mid‐July for parr with body lengths ranging from 70 to 180 mm. Migrating parr were 2–8 years of age and 63–200 mm in length, whereas parr remaining in the lake were 0–4 years old and 23–116 mm in length. Parr migrating into the river were significantly larger than lake‐dwelling parr of corresponding age. The migrating parr exhibited a mean daily increase in body weight from 1.22% (age 3 years) to 0.37% (age 8 years). Our results indicated that an early descent into the river is favorable for a body weight increase.