Does size matter? A test of size-specific mortality in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts tagged with acoustic transmitters

Newton, M.; Barry, J.; Dodd, J.A.; Lucas, M.C.; Boylan, P.; Adams, C.E.

Abstract

Mortality rates of wild Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts implanted with acoustic transmitters were assessed to determine if mortality was size dependent. The routinely accepted, but widely debated, ‘2% transmitter mass: body mass’ rule in biotelemetry was tested by extending the transmitter burden up to 12·7% of body mass in small [mean fork length (LF) 138·3 mm, range 115–168 mm] downstream migrating S. salar smolts. Over the short timescale of emigration (range 11·9–44·5 days) through the lower river and estuary, mortality was not related to S. salar size, nor was a relationship found between mortality probability and transmitter mass: body mass or transmitter length: LF ratios. This study provides further evidence that smolt migration studies can deviate from the ‘2% rule’ of thumb, to more appropriate study-specific measures, which enables the use of fishes representative of the body size in natural populations without undue effects.

Citation

Newton, M., Barry, J., Dodd, J., Lucas, M., Boylan, P., & Adams, C. (2016). Does size matter? A test of size-specific mortality in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts tagged with acoustic transmitters. Journal of Fish Biology, 89(3), 1641-1650. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.13066

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 23, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Jun 28, 2016
• Publication Date: Jun 28, 2016
• Deposit Date: Aug 23, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 28, 2017
• Journal: Journal of Fish Biology
• Print ISSN: 0022-1112
• Electronic ISSN: 1095-8649
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 89
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 1641-1650
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.13066
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1398542