Artificial reconditioning, spawning and survival of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., kelts in salt water and survival of their Fl progeny

Abstract

. Atlantic salmon kelts were successfully reconditioned in salinities of 16% and 28%o using a moist pellet diet. Two groups of reconditioned kelts were re-acclimated to fresh water in the autumn tu prevent super chitling in salt water during the winter. The feeding response and growth of salmon kelis. both years, was highest when salinities were maintained at 28% during the winter and 16%during the summer. However, other salinities also provided acceptable growth rates. Two-sea-winter salmon kelts reconditioned at a slower rate in all groups than 1-sea-winter salmon kelts. Kelt survival was 93.1% the first year and 82.7% the second year. Gonnd maturation occurred in 17.9% of the female 1-sea-winter kelts and 40.6% of the male 1-sea-winter kelts after the first year. At the end of the second year. 83.3% of the 1-sea-winter female kelts and 96.3% of the l-sea-winter male kelts matured and spawned. Reconditioned salmon kelts with a mean fork length of 68.4 cm produced 7261 eggs per fish with a mean egg diameter of 5.70 mm and a fecundity of 2262 eggs.kg−1, Survival (Fl) from the green egg stage to the alevin and smolt stages was 73.5% and 38.8% respectively. The smolt to adult return rule based on unadjusted tug recaptures was 2.20%.