Abstract: Transactions of the American Fisheries SocietyVolume 133, Issue 2 p. 252-264 Articles Lake Trout Reproduction in Lake Champlain Brian J. Ellrott, Corresponding Author Brian J. Ellrott [email protected] School of Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, 05405 [email protected] for more papers by this authorJ. Ellen Marsden, J. Ellen Marsden School of Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, 05405 USASearch for more papers by this author Brian J. Ellrott, Corresponding Author Brian J. Ellrott [email protected] School of Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, 05405 [email protected] for more papers by this authorJ. Ellen Marsden, J. Ellen Marsden School of Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, 05405 USASearch for more papers by this author First published: 09 January 2011 https://doi.org/10.1577/02-165Citations: 33Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract Native lake trout Salvelinus namaycush were driven to extirpation in Lake Champlain in the early 1900s. Possible causes include overharvest, predation on adults by sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus, and predation on fry by rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax. Efforts to restore a lake trout fishery began in 1972 when a coordinated stocking program was initiated. Attempts to control sea lamprey populations began in 1990. Despite these management actions, reproduction by stocked fish has not resulted in large, naturally produced year-classes. This is the first formal study to quantitatively assess the level of natural reproduction by lake trout in Lake Champlain. In 2000–2002, we located 14 potential lake trout spawning sites and evaluated the habitat characteristics and level of spawning activity at each site. Passive egg collectors revealed that eggs were deposited at 8 of 14 sites, egg abundance ranging from 1.9 to 9,623 eggs/m2. In 2001 and 2002, lake trout fry were collected in emergent fry traps at three of five sites; catch per unit effort ranged from 0.08 to 2.38 fry·trap−1·d−1. We were unable to collect naturally produced juvenile lake trout through bottom trawling. We also examined adult lake trout size structure and abundance data collected annually by state agencies to determine whether there was a trend in the percentage of unmarked lake trout in the population. The percentage of unclipped lake trout in Lake Champlain decreased steadily from 1982 (7.4%) to 1988 (1.7%), was variable from 1989 to 1991, increased from 1992 (2.6%) to a maximum in 2000 (10.4%), and then decreased to 5.7% in 2001. The high levels of egg and fry abundance, the failure to collect lake-produced juveniles, and the low percentage of unclipped adult fish all suggest that a recruitment bottleneck is present during the postemergent fry life stage. Citing Literature Volume133, Issue2March 2004Pages 252-264 RelatedInformation
Publication Year: 2004
Publication Date: 2004-03-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 46
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot