Effect of water temperature on sea lamprey growth and lake trout survival
- Hammond Bay Biological Station, Millersburg, MI (United States)
Percent mortality of lake trout Salvelinus namaycush subjected to single sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus attacks did not differ significantly between lower-temperature (mortality = 54%; temperature [le] 10[degrees]C; N = 33) and higher-temperature (mortality = 69%; temperature = 12.8-14.4[degrees]C; N = 45) laboratory studies conducted from 1 June to 28 November 1989. However, sea lampreys fed longer and killed fewer fish in colder water (mean attachment 467.0 h; 18 fish killed) than in warmer water (mean attachment 161.7 h; 31 fish killed), probably because food consumption was lower in colder water. These results indicate that the number of fish killed by sea lampreys could be much greater in warmer water and that temperature must be considered when fish losses from sea lamprey attacks are estimated. Previous studies (Swink and Hanson 1989; Swink 1990) of the effects of single sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus attacks on lake trout Salvelinus namaycush showed significantly less lake trout mortality at temperatures of 10[degrees]C and lower than at higher temperatures. The reduced host mortality, however, could not be attributed solely to lower temperature because warmwater and coldwater attacks occurred during different seasons. In those studies, the author was unable to hold water temperature at 10[degrees]C or less in late summer and early fall, when most fish are killed by sea lampreys in the Great Lakes (Christie and Kolenosky 1980; Bergstedt and Schneider 1988). Modifications to the fish holding facilities at the Hammond Bay Biological Station in 1988 allowed maintenance of a limited amount of water at 10[degrees]C or less throughout the year. Hence, the objective of this study was to compare sea lamprey-induced mortality of lake trout at 10[degrees]C or less with that at 12.8-14.4[degrees]C during the normal feeding season (June through November). 15 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.
- OSTI ID:
- 5148042
- Journal Information:
- Transactions of the American Fisheries Society; (United States), Vol. 122:6; ISSN 0002-8487
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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