Daily emigrations of non-native age 0 and age 1 potamodromous (fluvial) rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and brown trout Salmo trutta
were investigated in two Missouri River tributaries, USA over the period 1998-2002. The patterns of emigration for both age 0 and age 1 fish of both species were highly variable, sometimes showing bimodal (spring and fall) emigrations and other times less well defined patterns. Peak timing of age 0 emigration was also highly variable among years (up to 5 months) and more
variable than the timing of age 1 emigrations (more than two months). Emigrations were preferentially associated with increasing photoperiod before June 22, with water temperatures from 7.5 to 12.5 °C, and often followed sudden increases in stream discharge. More emigrations were associated with the new moon phase as opposed to the full moon phase. In an analysis of models of emigration (2 rivers × 2 species × 2 ages/species
× 31 model combinations for five categorical variables – year, temperature, discharge, moon phase, and photoperiod) using the information-theoretic approach, none of the models were especially effective at explaining emigrations; for the 16 models (i.e. the two with the lowest AIC per river, species and age), no corresponding multiple linear regression model explained more than 41 % of the emigration, and most other models explained considerably less. Results of this study suggest that emigrations of both brown and rainbow trout as part of their fluvial life histories are potentially influenced by a variety of environmental factors, and can be expected to show considerable variation yearly based on the complex, poorly defined genetic origins of the fish and the highly variable climatic conditions associated with the Missouri River Basin.
Proliferative kidney disease (PKD) is a widespread temperature-dependent disease in salmonids caused by the myxozoan parasite, Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae (Canning, Curry, Feist, Longshaw et Okamura, 1999) (Tb). Tb has a two-host life cycle, involving fish as an intermediate host and freshwater bryozoans as the definitive host. Although salmonids are acknowledged as hosts for the parasite, it is less clear which fish species are active hosts in the life cycle of Tb. Differences in infection dynamics have been observed between some fish species, which are thought to be related to the existence of two main Tb-strains, the American and European. Iceland, having three species of indigenous salmonids and positioned geographically between Europe and North America, is an ideal location to study the natural development of Tb in wild fish. The main aim of this study was to determine the genetic origin of Tb in Iceland and confirm whether mature spores are produced in Icelandic salmonids. In this study, Icelandic salmonids were infected with the European Tb-strain. In situ hybridisation revealed that intraluminal sporogonic stages, including mature spores, were commonly observed in all three salmonid species. The presence of intraluminal stages has previously been confirmed in brown trout Salmo trutta Linnaeus and Atlantic salmon S. salar Linnaeus in Europe, but they have only been observed in Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (Linnaeus) in North America, infected by the local strain. This is, therefore, the first time that sporogonic stages have been observed in Arctic charr in Europe, where fish are infected with the European Tb-strain. Our data strongly suggest that all the three salmonid species inhabiting Icelandic waters serve as active hosts in the life cycle of Tb. However, for full confirmation, transmission trials are needed.