Effects of Salinity on Growth, Metabolism, and Ion Regulation in Juvenile Rainbow and Steelhead Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and Fall Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

Abstract

Rainbow and steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and fall chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) fry were acclimated to a range of salinities to test the hypothesis that the energy requirements for ion regulation would be minimal at an isotonic water salinity (8–10 ppt). Survival, growth, metabolic rate, plasma Na+ and Cl− concentrations, and seawater adaptability were measured for 5–12 wk, depending on the species. Growth of all three species was highest in fresh water and declined with increasing salinity. Metabolic rates increased with salinity and were inversely correlated with growth rates. Isotonic salinity, therefore, did not offer significant metabolic or growth advantages to rainbow, steelhead, and chinook fry. While plasma Na+ and Cl− concentrations varied among groups, chinook fry tended to better maintain ionic homeostasis at higher salinities than the trout. Acclimation to the various dilute salinities did not influence the seawater adaptability of juvenile steelhead trout or chinook salmon. Our results indicate that optimal salinities for growth and metabolic rates were influenced by species and life history stage. The metabolic rate data suggested that the energetic cost of ionic regulation increased with salinity, but attempts to quantify this cost were probably affected by other metabolic processes which responded to changes in salinity.