Relationship between size-weight parameters of soсkeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka smolts emigrated from Lake Azabachye (Kamchatka River basin) in 1979–2013 and abundance of mature fsh in the sea in 1982–2016

• Published in: Izvestiya TINRO
• Main Author: V. F. Bugaev
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Russian
• Published: Transactions of the Pacific Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography 2018
• Subjects: возраст; смолты нерки; численность зрелой части стад в море; численность производителей; численность подхода рыб к устью реки; Aquaculture. Fisheries. Angling; SH1-691; Sockeye; Kamchatka
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.26428/1606-9919-2018-195-128-139; https://doaj.org/article/83920607b7994890b885721685630f6e

Two groups of juvenile sockeye salmon are feeding in Lake Azabachye. They belong to the 2nd order stock of the lake (stock A) and to other 2nd order stocks of middle and down stream tributaries of the Kamchatka River which underyearlings migrate into the lake for feeding and wintering (group E). The main part of the stock A leaves the lake to the sea at the age 2+ (mainly 2.3) and the youngsters of the group E migrate to the sea at the age 1+ (mainly 1.3). The body length and weight parameters of the stock A smolts at the age 2+ and the group E smolts at the age 1+ could be similar or dissimilar in particular years. The maximal difference between the smots of these stocks is observed in the years with higher body length and weight for the stock A. Mean for 1979–2016 length and weight of smolts at abovementioned ages are evaluated as 98.42/87.46 mm and 10.40/7.38 g for the A/E stocks. For the stock A, statistically signifcant positive correlation is noted between size-weight parameters of smolts in the years of emigration and their abundance in the years of mass return. However, the regression has a shift between the periods of emigration/return of 1979–2000/1982–2003 and 2003–2013/2006–2016. The correlation is higher for the frst period (r = 0.820; P < 0.001 for body weight and r = 0.797; P < 0.001 for body length, n = 16) than for the second one with higher abundance (r = 0.669; P < 0.05 for body weight and r = 0.711; P < 0.05 for body length, n = 11). On opposite, the returns of the group E depend weakly on size-weight parameters of its smolts for the period of emigration/return of 1979–1997/1982–2000 (no data for return in 1999) and the dependence is insignifcant for the period of 2000–2013/2003–2016.