Influences of migration phenology on survival are size dependent in juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)
Long-distance migratory species can reduce mortality risks by synchronizing the migration event and create confusion by swamping predators with high densities. To reduce confusion, predators are known to primarily select aberrant prey. We hypothesized that at the start of their sea-sojourn, particul...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | unknown |
| Published: |
NRC Research Press (a division of Canadian Science Publishing)
2017
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1807/78156 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/cjz-2016-0136 |
| Summary: | Long-distance migratory species can reduce mortality risks by synchronizing the migration event and create confusion by swamping predators with high densities. To reduce confusion, predators are known to primarily select aberrant prey. We hypothesized that at the start of their sea-sojourn, particularly small and large Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L., 1758) would spread the risk by also migrating at other times of the year. Based on data from the Norwegian River Imsa 1976-2015, we found that juveniles, 14-19 cm in total length, started their sea-sojourn during a short period between late April and early June. However, more than 20% of the fish 13 cm or shorter migrating downstream October and March, whereas 55% of fish 20 cm or longer between July and September. The regular-sized, spring-migrating juveniles had 2-3 times higher survival at sea than similar-sized conspecifics migrating to sea at other times of the year. The survival at sea for smaller juveniles was not improved by migration in spring relative to winter, and the survival of the largest juveniles was similar in spring and summer. Thus, the migration phenology appears adapted to survival in a high-risk environment by changing the timing according to their sizes. The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author. |
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