Behavior and Growth of Juvenile Atlantic Salmon ( Salmo salar ) and Three Competitors at Two Stream Velocities

In a laboratory stream juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), common shiners (Notropis comutus), blacknose dace (Rhinichthys atratulus), and white suckers (Catostomus commersoni) apparently preferred habitats that simulated their natural ones. Only salmon and one sexually mature male shiner defende...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada
Main Author: Symons, P. E. K.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1976
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f76-328
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f76-328
Description
Summary:In a laboratory stream juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), common shiners (Notropis comutus), blacknose dace (Rhinichthys atratulus), and white suckers (Catostomus commersoni) apparently preferred habitats that simulated their natural ones. Only salmon and one sexually mature male shiner defended territories. Dace were gregarious and nomadic, shiners tended to school in open water, and suckers were asocial bottom browsers.No competitive advantage or disadvantage was apparent between species in capturing drift food and growing at fast and slow stream velocities. However, salmon, because of their aggressive territorial behavior, successfully competed for and reduced presence of other species in their preferred boulder habitat.