Resident rainbow trout produce anadromous offspring in a large interior watershed

Abstract

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) have diverse life histories, including both freshwater-resident and anadromous “steelhead” life-history forms. Here, we demonstrate that female resident rainbow trout produce anadromous offspring that survive and return to spawn as adult steelhead. This study represents the first successful attempt to quantify steelhead production rates from female resident rainbow trout across a large watershed. Otolith microchemistry (87Sr/86Sr) techniques were used to determine the maternal life history (resident or anadromous) of 498 emigrating steelhead kelts in the Yakima Basin, Washington. Five geochemically distinct freshwater rearing regions were identified within the basin. All five regions were predicted to produce steelhead with resident maternal life histories. Basin-wide, 20% and 7% of steelhead collected in 2010 and 2011, respectively, had resident maternal life histories. Cross-life-history form production may be critical to persistence of anadromous life histories within partially anadromous salmonid populations, particularly in areas where anadromous fish abundance is low due to natural or anthropogenic influences.