Downstream migration and mechanisms of dispersal of young fish in rivers

Abstract

Downstream migration (DSM) of young fish has traditionally been considered a passive process. A review of studies of the patterns and mechanisms of DSM showed that it met the main criterion for migration: that animals move between well-defined habitats according to a predictable schedule. During DSM, fish often leave the habitat in which they reside (inshore zone) and enter a migratory habitat (main channel). DSM is manifested at a seasonal or diel scale and in species-specific spatial distribution patterns. According to our “dispersal with low dilution” hypothesis, the supposed adaptive value of DSM is due not only to dispersal but also to maintenance of aggregations and synchronization of migratory activity. Temporal and spatial peaks of migration promote efficient intraspecific interactions, such as shoaling, and the integrity of populations. We conclude that migratory behaviour is most successful in habitats with optimum complexity and that the influence of behaviour on DSM is most important at key periods and sites (twilight windows and interfaces between habitats).