A continuum of life history tactics in a brown trout (Salmo trutta) population

Abstract

Life history tactics of the brown trout (Salmo trutta) population of the Oir River (Normandy, France) were studied using passive integrated transponder (PIT) tagging data of five consecutive cohorts (5900 individuals) monitored between 1995 and 2002. Results demonstrate that (i) life history traits vary among cohorts, chiefly caused by environmental variability, (ii) juvenile growth, particularly second-year growth, plays an important role in the determination of the growing environment and trout exhibit variable migratory behaviour (from remaining in the natal brook to migrating in the sea) related to their juvenile growth rate, and (iii) the description of life history tactics (including juvenile growth, fine-scale migratory behaviour, and reproduction) can be clarified. Tactics are expressed along a continuum in time (age to reproduce) and space (distance of migration). Flexible life history tactics varying with juvenile growth is consistent with previous studies, but the use of empiric data on growth and migration from PIT tagging allows refining the description of life history tactics, taking into account their continuous distribution in time and space.