Evaluation of energy expenditure in adult spring Chinook salmon migrating upstream in the Columbia River Basin: an assessment based on sequential proximate analysis

Abstract

The upstream migration of adult anadromous salmonids in the Columbia River Basin (CRB) has been dramatically altered and fish may be experiencing energetically costly delays at dams. To explore this notion, we estimated the energetic costs of migration and reproduction of Yakima River-bound spring Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha using a sequential analysis of their proximate composition (i.e., percent water, fat, protein, and ash). Tissues (muscle, viscera, and gonad) were sampled from fish near the start of their migration (Bonneville Dam), at a mid point (Roza Dam, 510 km upstream from Bonneville Dam) and from fresh carcasses on the spawning grounds (about 100 km above Roza Dam). At Bonneville Dam, the energy reserves of these fish were remarkably high, primarily due to the high percentage of fat in the muscle (18-20%; energy content over 11 kJ g À1 ). The median travel time for fish from Bonneville to Roza Dam was 27 d and ranged from 18 to 42 d. Fish lost from 6 to 17% of their energy density in muscle, depending on travel time. On average, fish taking a relatively long time for migration between dams used from 5 to 8% more energy from the muscle than faster fish. From the time they passed Bonneville Dam to death, these fish, depending on gender, used 95-99% of their muscle and 73-86% of their visceral lipid stores. Also, both sexes used about 32% of their muscular and very little of their visceral protein stores. However, we were unable to relate energy use and reproductive success to migration history. Our results suggest a possible influence of the CRB hydroelectric system on adult salmonid energetics. Published in

Production of powder fish silage from fish market wastes

“…The value of protein obtained in the present study was in consistent with Bechtel (2003), who obtained 13.0-15.3% protein in fish viscera. Similar result was also given by Mahboob and Sheri (1998), Mesa and Magie (2004), Ahmad et al (2012), Taheri et al (2013) and Permata et al (2014). The value of lipid obtained was in consistent with Bechtel (2003), who obtained an average of 19.1% lipid in fish viscera.…”

The impact of a small-scale riverine obstacle on the upstream migration of Atlantic Salmon

“…Greater delay exposes fish to predation/angling pressure and increased energetic expenditure. Mesa and Magie (2006) found that Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha migrating slowly between dams in the Columbia river basin utilised 5-8% more energy from muscle than faster migrants. Over an average of 29 days, fish lost between 6 and 17% of muscle energy density depending on their travel time (Mesa & Magie, 2006).…”

“…Mesa and Magie (2006) found that Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha migrating slowly between dams in the Columbia river basin utilised 5-8% more energy from muscle than faster migrants. Over an average of 29 days, fish lost between 6 and 17% of muscle energy density depending on their travel time (Mesa & Magie, 2006). A cumulative delay of such magnitude may not be uncommon along a river length with multiple lowhead obstacles.…”

Integrating lipid storage into general representations of fish energetics

“…This assumption is supported by observations on Pacific salmon species that die with only a small fraction of their pre‐migration lipid stores remaining (Crossin et al . ; Mesa & Magie ). For iteroparous species, based on the empirical observation that average year to year energy density of mature fish does not systematically increase or decrease with body size, we assume that mature fish allocate enough energy from storage to reproduction, E r , so that energy density remains constant with body size.…”