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Individual condition indicators of thermal habitat quality in field populations of redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri)

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Abstract

We monitored redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri) physiological status in multiple streams across eastern Oregon, USA that exhibit various summer thermal profiles. Summer river temperatures were higher overall in 2009 than in 2010. Heat shock protein 70 (hsp70) levels in both liver and fin tissue from redband trout increased with temperature regardless of location. Lipid levels were lower in fish from waters above 23 °C (in terms of degree-day exposure), and lipids were also related to food availability in 2010. Overall, fish ate more in 2009 than in 2010. Fish size increased more rapidly, and lipids were higher and hsp70 was lower in the cooler Crooked River relative to streams in the John Day River system, though the Crooked River did not have the highest food available. While food availability plays a role in physiological health, our data suggest that temperature is the most influential factor driving growth and energy reserves in stream salmonids during high temperature months; we argue that monitoring physiological indicators in individual fish can serve as a useful proxy for overall thermal habitat quality and population status.

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Acknowledgments

This project was support by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (grant #208-8008) and was conducted in compliance with IACUC ACUP #3658 at Oregon State University. This work was carried out with the help of National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) field crews and personnel. We would especially like to thank Ian Tattam and Nick Weber for their field advice, knowledge, and temperature data collections with the help of Bryn Fleming, Matt Allen, Sam Rizza, Brian Matthias and Stephanie Archer, and other NOAA crew members. We would also like to thank Brett Hodgson and Mike Harrington of ODFW for their and their crew’s assistance, and for collaborations in the interests of Crooked River fish. We would like to thank Ryan Lande, Brian Whisenhunt and Richard VanDriesche for fish gut dissections, drift or fish collections, and/or analysis, and the guidance of Bill Gerth and Dr. Judy Li during this process. We would like to acknowledge the help of Paul Sims, Kelsey Josi, Will Krett, Kyle Jones, Maya Bernadette-Peters, and Ajand Shamloo for liver, fin tissue, proximate, and/or diet and drift analysis. Thanks to Caren Barcelo for help with Arcview GIS, and to Dr. Selina Heppell for her editorial comments. A special thanks to Chris Jordan, John VanSickle, and especially Joseph Feldhaus for their advice throughout field collections and analyses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    Brittany D. Kammerer & Scott A. Heppell

  2. Department of Veterinary Medicine: Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology, University of California, Davis 1330 Haring Hall, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Brittany D. Kammerer

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  1. Brittany D. Kammerer
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  2. Scott A. Heppell
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Correspondence to Brittany D. Kammerer.

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Kammerer, B.D., Heppell, S.A. Individual condition indicators of thermal habitat quality in field populations of redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri). Environ Biol Fish 96, 823–835 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-012-0078-2

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