Breeding Plan to Preserve the Genetic Variability of the Kootenai River White Sturgeon, Final Report, December 1993.
Natural reproduction in the Kootenai River white sturgeon population has not produced a successful year class since 1974, resulting in a declining broodstock and 20 consecutive year classes missing from the age-class structure. This report describes a captive breeding plan designed to preserve the remaining genetic variability and to begin rebuilding the natural age class structure. The captive breeding program will use 3--9 females and an equal number of males captured from the Kootenai River each spring. Fish will be spawned in pairs or in diallel mating designs to produce individual families that will be reared separately to maintain family identity. Fish will be marked to identify family and year class before return to the river. Fish should be returned to the river as fall fingerlings to minimize potential adaptation to the hatchery environment Initially, while tagging methods are tested to ensure positive identification after return to the river, it may be necessary to plant fish as spring yearlings. Number of fish planted will be equalized at 5,000 per family if fall fingerlings or 1,000 per family if spring yearlings. Assuming annual survival rates of 20% during the first winter for fall fingerling plants and 50% for years 1--3, and 85% for years 4--20 of all fish planted, the target numbers would yield 7.9 progeny per family or about 4 breeding pairs at age 20. Natural survival in the river environment during the 19+ years from planting to maturity would result in variability in genetic contribution of families to the next broodstock generation. Fish planted per family would be adjusted in future years when actual survival rate information is known. Broodfish will be tagged when captured to minimize multiple spawning of the same fish. implementation of this breeding plan each year for the 20-year generation interval, using 5 different mating pairs each year, will yield an effective population size of 200, or 22.5% of the estimated 1990 population.
- Research Organization:
- National Fishery Research and Development Lab., Wellsboro, PA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Bonneville Power Administration
- DOE Contract Number:
- AI79-93BP02886
- OSTI ID:
- 10126416
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/BP-02886-1; ON: DE94006090; TRN: 94:002882
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Dec 1993
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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