Spawning movements of humpback whitefish in interior Alaska rivers

• Published in: Ecology of Freshwater Fish
• Main Authors: Dupuis, Aaron W., Sutton, Trent M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2013
• Subjects: Anana; Humpback whitefish; pidschian; Alaska
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/eff.12079; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Feff.12079; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/eff.12079

Abstract This study was conducted to describe the spawning movements and identify spawning areas for humpback whitefish C oregonus pidschian in the M into F lats– C hatanika R iver complex, A laska, during 2008 and 2009. Radio transmitters were surgically implanted in humpback whitefish in 2008 ( N = 60) and 2009 ( N = 100), and fish positions were determined through a combination of boat and aerial surveys and fixed receiving stations. Two spawning areas were identified: one in the C hatanika R iver downstream of the E lliot H ighway B ridge and the other in the T anana R iver near F airbanks. Humpback whitefish dispersed from the wetland complex of M into F lats in J une, moved upstream through late A ugust, arrived at the spawning areas in early S eptember and began moving downstream in early O ctober. In 2009, spatially segregated movements were observed when approximately 40% of the radio‐tagged humpback whitefish moved to the T anana R iver, suggesting that humpback whitefish in M into F lats are comprised of mixed spawning stocks. These study results provide a complete account of humpback whitefish movements and their associated spawning habitats, which will allow for better‐informed management strategies.