Effects of Elevated Winter Temperature on Seawater Adaptability, Sexual Rematuration, and Downstream Migratory Behaviour in Mature Male Atlantic Salmon Parr (Salmo salar)

Abstract

In experiments with two different salmon (Salmo salar) stocks, elevated winter temperatures (Celsius) 4–9° above the ambient increased the degree of testicular resorption in previously mature male Atlantic salmon parr. Two-summer-old mature male parr maintained at a temperature 9° over the ambient for 5 mo (January–May) showed an increase in hypoosmoregulatory ability when challenged in seawater at the time of smoltification whereas parr kept at elevated temperature for various 2-mo periods (January–February, February–March, or March–April) failed to show this improvement. Furthermore, previously mature males kept at an elevated winter water temperature for either 2 or 5 mo showed a lower incidence of sexual rematuration, and consequently a higher mean growth rate, after one summer in sea pens. A river release experiment showed that rearing previously mature males at 4–7° above the ambient water temperature from December to April increased the number of downstream migrating fish to a level similar to that of immature smolts. We suggest the use of a simple method for enhancing the potential yield of ranched and cultured salmon from early maturing males by removing them from the stock population and rearing them over winter in heated water.