Homing behaviour of juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) within an off‐channel habitat

Abstract

Abstract – Although homing behaviour has been observed in juvenile Atlantic salmon, brown trout and resident cutthroat trout, this behaviour has not been well studied in juvenile Pacific salmon. We examined the site fidelity and homing behaviour of juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) by marking and relocating them within an off‐channel habitat. Over 80% of displaced fish returned to the area from which they were originally collected. The proportion of fish that returned to the original location did not vary significantly among three sampling dates. However, we found that this proportion decreased over time in a brackish lagoon when we statistically analysed the data reported by Day (1966). Our results suggest that juvenile coho salmon exhibit strong site fidelity and are able to return to their home ranges after displacement. These behaviours are likely to be important for the winter survival of juvenile coho salmon.