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Survival of Rainbow Trout and Lake Trout after Sea Lamprey Attack
Author(s) -
Swink William D.,
Hanson Lee H.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
north american journal of fisheries management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1548-8675
pISSN - 0275-5947
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8675(1989)009<0035:sortal>2.3.co;2
Subject(s) - rainbow trout , petromyzon , salvelinus , lamprey , trout , salmo , biology , fishery , zoology , fish <actinopterygii>
Survival was significantly higher ( P = 0.054) for rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (formerly Salmo gairdneri ) than for lake trout Salvelinus namaycush when the fish were subjected in the laboratory to a single attack by a sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus . Of 77 rainbow trout, 40% died (35% by direct attack and 5% by secondary infection) and 60% survived; of 77 lake trout, 56% died (42% by direct attack and 14% by secondary infection) and 44% survived. The higher survival of rainbow trout probably resulted from their more aggressive feeding behavior in captivity, greater resistance to secondary infection, and better adaptation to water temperatures higher than 10°C. The location of sea lamprey attachment on the fish was not a factor in the mortality of either species. These results are the first to indicate that survival is higher for one salmonid than for another after a single sea lamprey attack.