Movement, Growth, and Survival in a Stream Population of Wild Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) During a Period of Removal of Non-Trout Species

Abstract

No well-defined changes in growth and survival rates of native brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) were detected during a 13-yr period when non-trout species were removed from a small Adirondack Mountain stream using fixed traps located throughout the system. The catch of non-trout species was about 124,000 weighing 2000 kg, and of trout, 13,000, weighing 500 kg. Slow growth characterized the population through this time, with mean lengths of 13.2, 17.3, and 21.3 cm at ages I+, II+, and III+, respectively. The weighted annual survival rate for ages II–V was 18%, with most deaths due to natural causes. The most striking observation was virtual cessation of movement of both trout and non-trout species after 7 yr, suggesting that the removal program had an effect on population behavior, even if it was not reflected in an improvement in trout growth.