Avoidance Reactions of Salmonid and Centrarchid Fishes to Low Oxygen Concentrations

Abstract

All of four fish species used in 174 laboratory experiments with a “channeled avoidance tank” avoided some low oxygen concentrations, the degree of avoidance generally decreasing with increasing concentration. Avoidance indices computed were based on numbers of entries into two experimental channels with reduced oxygen concentrations and two control channels, on numbers of crossings of a transverse line located well inside each channel, and on numbers of fish observed in the channels at 60‐second intervals. Juvenile chinook salmon showed marked avoidance of oxygen concentrations near 1.5, 3.0, and 4.5 mg./1. in summer at high temperatures. A decrease of the avoidance observed in the fall is ascribable to lower temperatures. The chinook salmon showed little avoidance of concentrations near 4.5 mg./1. in the fall, and no avoidance of concentrations near 6.0 mg./1. at any time. At summer temperatures juvenile coho salmon showed some avoidance of all the above oxygen concentrations, including 6 mg./1., but their behavior was erratic and their avoidance of concentrations near 4.5 mg./1. and less was not as pronounced as that of chinook salmon at corresponding temperatures. Largemouth bass and bluegill markedly avoided concentrations near 1.5 mg./1., but showed little or no avoidance of the higher concentrations, only the bass showing any avoidance of concentrations near 4.5 mg./1. The nature and significance of the observed avoidance reactions are not quite clear. The prompt avoidance by some fish of oxygen concentrations well above those known to be lethal cannot be ascribed entirely to mere stimulation or increase of activity due to oxygen deficiency. It may not be assumed, however, that oxygen concentrations avoided under the experimental conditions are usually avoided likewise under natural conditions.

Abiotic habitat thresholds for salmonid over‐summer survival in intermittent streams

“…S2, and "days disconnected" and "min DO" in Table 4). Exposure to lethal DO levels (<2 ppm) kills juvenile salmonids quickly (Herrmann et al 1962), while exposure to sublethal DO levels (3-5 ppm) can cause metabolic problems (Whitmore et al 1960, Brett and Blackburn 1981, Carter 2005, Barnes et al 2011. Salmonids may survive low-DO periods in DO refugia, perhaps in the saturated zone at the pool surface (Matthews and Berg 1997) or in areas of hyporheic inflow.…”

Distribution and movements of brown (Salmo trutta) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in Lake Otamangakau, central North Island, New Zealand

“…Trout were found at similar depths in both years of their study, although dissolved oxygen profiles for both years differed greatly. They also found trout in water with dissolved oxygen less than 5 ppm, a level at which salmonids should show some avoidance (Whitmore et al 1960).…”

Fish use of artificial dike structures in a navigable river

“…Velocity profiles showed dikes offer extended areas of lower velocity currents than reference areas. As most of the sunfish taxa we collected represent species that prefer pools and lentic systems (Hubbs and Lagler, 1958;Whitmore et al, 1960), areas of lower velocity likely provide zones of increased habitat quality for sunfish. Habitat suitability models for bluegill, green sunfish, largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides Lacepede) and smallmouth bass suggest each species prefers structural complexity and low-water velocity habitats and each variable contributes to high-habitat quality scores for these species (Stuber et al, 1982a(Stuber et al, , 1982b(Stuber et al, , 1982cEdwards et al, 1982).…”