Habitat Selection and Spatial Interaction by Juvenile Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Trout in Two Idaho Streams

Abstract

During summer sympatric steelhead trout and summer chinook salmon segregated in Crooked Fork and Johnson creeks. In short-term allopatry, each species occupied the same types of habitat as in sympatry. Most age 0 steelhead lived over rubble substrate in water velocities and depths of less than 0.15 m/sec and 0.15 m, respectively; most age 0 chinook lived over silt substrate in water velocities of less than 0.15 m/sec and depths of 0.15–0.3 m; most age I steelhead resided over large rubble substrate in water velocities of 0.15–0.3 m/sec (near bottom) and 0.75–0.9 m/sec (near surface), and in depths of 0.6–0.75 m. As fish of each species became larger they moved into faster, deeper water. Juvenile chinook and steelhead of the same size used the same physical space. But steelhead spawn in spring and chinook spawn in early fall, and disparate times of spawning create discrete intra- and inter-specific size groups of pre-smolts. The size differences minimize potential for social interaction, both intra- and inter-specific.