Competitive ability influences seaward migration age in Atlantic salmon
Juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) reach a life-history decision in late summer as to whether they will migrate to sea the following spring or remain in fresh water for at least a further year. Here I show that the feeding efficiency of those fish that subsequently defer migration is signific...
| Published in: | Canadian Journal of Zoology |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Canadian Science Publishing
1991
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z91-121 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z91-121 |
| Summary: | Juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) reach a life-history decision in late summer as to whether they will migrate to sea the following spring or remain in fresh water for at least a further year. Here I show that the feeding efficiency of those fish that subsequently defer migration is significantly impaired by the presence of a size-matched competitor, whereas that of fish adopting the strategy of early migration is unaffected by a competitor's presence. This suggests that competitive ability influences the decision as to when to migrate, through its effect on food intake and growth rates, later migrating fish being the poorer competitors. |
|---|