Effects of temperature, photoperiod, and season on the photobehaviour of juvenile Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar )

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Zoology
• Main Authors: Rimmer, D. M., Paim, U.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1990
• Subjects: Animal Science and Zoology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Atlantic salmon; Salmo salar
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z90-162; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z90-162

The selection of illuminated or shaded areas by juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) was examined in relation to temperature and photoperiod. Water temperature had a strong effect on the photoresponse of salmon. Salmon acclimated to 14 °C and a 16-h photophase in summer selected illuminated areas when tested at their acclimation conditions, but rapidly became strongly photonegative while temperature fell to 7 °C. When tested under acclimation conditions of 7 °C and a 16-h photophase during summer, salmon selected shade, but still became distinctly photopositive as temperature increased to 14 °C. Under acclimation conditions of 14 °C and an 8-h photophase during summer, salmon selected illuminated areas, becoming photonegative as temperature fell. Thus, acclimation to photoperiod alone did not exert a clear effect on the photoresponse of summer salmon. If acclimated to 7 °C and an 8-h photophase in winter, salmon selected shade under acclimation conditions and remained photonegative also after temperature increased. Anomalously, after acclimation to 7 °C and an 8-h photophase in summer, salmon were photopositive at 7 °C, but became photonegative and selected shade upon temperature increase, indicating an endogenous seasonal difference not only in their response to thermal stimuli, but also in their susceptibility to acclimation regimes.