Comparison of allopatric cutthroat trout stocks with those sympatric with coho salmon and sculpins in small streams

Abstract

Juvenile stocks of allopatric (upstream of barrier falls) cutthroat troutSalmo clarki and those sympatric (downstream of barrier falls) with coho salmonOncorhynchus kisutch and sculpinsCottus spp., were sampled during the late summer period of low flows in six small coastal streams in British Columbia. The objective was to obtain and compare information on pattern of habitat use and fish size distribution of these two trout types. In most instances, density (n m−2; g m−2) of cutthroat trout was considerably greater in pools and glides in the allopatric than in the sympatric stocks. The sympatric salmonids were dominated by juvenile coho salmon in pools and cutthroat trout in riffles. Sympatric cutthroat trout constituted from 7 to 45 % of the salmonids present in pools and from 50 to 90% in riffles. Glides were areas of intermediate densities for both salmonids, although coho salmon was the more abundant species in most instances. The density of sculpins was high in all three habitat types, and frequently it exceeded that of coho salmon and cutthroat trout combined. Sympatric cutthroat trout consisted primarily of underyearling fish, whereas allopatric cutthroat trout consisted primarily of two or more age classes with a large proportion of them living in pools. When tested in a laboratory stream both types of cutthroat trout had similar habitat preferences and agonistic behaviours, with the exception that allopatric trout made greater use of cover and defended pools more intensely than sympatric trout when the flow was increased. The results of this study provide insight of potential impact of coho salmon juvenile transplants into stream segments supporting allopatric cutthroat trout.