Puntledge River Summer and Fall Chinook Spawning Behaviour Study
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Puntledge River Summer and Fall Chinook Spawning Behaviour Study 10.Pun.05 Prepared for: Comox Valley Project Watershed Society PO Box 3007 Courtenay, BC V9N 5N3 Prepared by: R. Withler 1, M. Wetklo1, and E. Guimond 2 Prepared with financial support of: BC Hydro Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program March 2012 1 Fisheries and Oceans Canada 2 473 Leighton Ave. Pacific Biological Station Courtenay, BC Molecular Genetics Section V9N 2Z5 Nanaimo, B.C. V9T 6N7 Puntledge River Summer and Fall Chinook Spawning Behaviour Study 10.Pun.05 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Puntledge River supports both a summer and fall-run of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Puntledge summer Chinook are genetically distinct from the fall Chinook stock. It is surmised that the summer-run evolved from early migrants of an ancestral fall-run stock that were able to ascend Stotan and Nib falls during the natural spring freshet period between April and June/July, and hold in Comox Lake prior to spawning. The falls have been critical in maintaining the spatial segregation and racial integrity of the two stocks. Following hydroelectric expansion in the watershed, summer-run Chinook returns declined considerably, and resulted in the implementation of numerous mitigation, rehabilitation, and enhancement efforts. Fish ladders were constructed at the falls to facilitate summer Chinook migration due to reduced discharges. This has inadvertently benefited other species previously not capable of ascending the falls, including fall Chinook, and has increased the risk of summer and fall Chinook to co-mingle below the diversion dam, and potentially spawn together. This report summarizes results from a two year spawning behaviour study to investigate whether there is a propensity for both summer and fall Chinook to only mate with other fish in the same race. In 2009 and 2011, small numbers of male and female summer and fall Chinook were placed in an enclosed spawning channel where the pairing and spawning behaviour was observed. The progeny were DNA sampled after emergence. Mate choice was assessed by successful progeny production for each potential male-female parental pair in both replicates of the spawning trials conducted in each year. Results from the two trials indicated that Puntledge River Chinook salmon show no preference in choosing a mate of the same ecotype (summer or fall). In both years progeny production was positively correlated to male length (P < 0.05), indicating that some type of mate selection, typical of that observed in natural populations, occurred in the trials. Male type was not correlated with reproductive success in both years. Based on the current flow regimes and channel characteristics of the river, the likelihood of hybridization between the Puntledge summer and fall Chinook populations in the natural environment may be high. ii Puntledge River Summer and Fall Chinook Spawning Behaviour Study 10.Pun.05 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary.......................................................................................................................ii Table of Contents ...........................................................................................................................iii List of Figures.................................................................................................................................iv List of Tables ..................................................................................................................................v 1 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................1 2 BACKGROUND........................................................................................................1 3 STUDY AREA ...........................................................................................................3 4 MATERIALS AND METHODS..............................................................................4 4.1 Spawning Study Design ..................................................................................4 4.2 Microsatellite analysis....................................................................................6 4.3 Analysis of Mate Choice and Spawning Success............................................8 5 RESULTS...................................................................................................................8 5.1 2009 Trial .......................................................................................................8 5.2 2011 Trial .....................................................................................................12 6 DISCUSSION...........................................................................................................16 7 RECOMMENDATIONS AND FUTURE STUDIES...........................................21 8 LITERATURE CITED...........................................................................................22 APPENDICES A 2009 summer and fall chinook spawning behaviour trial parent data B 2011 summer and fall chinook spawning behaviour trial parent data C Photos from the 2009 and 2011 spawning behaviour trials. D Confirmation of FWCP Recognition E FWCP Financial Statement iii Puntledge River Summer and Fall Chinook Spawning Behaviour Study 10.Pun.05 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Puntledge River showing location of Upper and Lower Puntledge Hatchery sites, hydroelectric facilities and other major features ...................................................2 Figure 2. Male-female family size (number of progeny) distribution for successful 2009 spawners by replicate (section). ............................................................................9 Figure 3. Number of progeny produced by 2009 sires as a function of male size. ......11 Figure 4. Number of mates that spawned with 2009 sires for both replicates. Sires are ranked by descending NF length (mm). .......................................................................12 Figure 5. Number of progeny produced by 2009 sires as a function of the number of mates with which sires produced progeny....................................................................12 Figure 6. Male-female family size (number of progeny) distribution for successful 2009 spawners by replicate (section). ..........................................................................13 Figure 7. Number of progeny produced by 2011 sires as a function of male size. ......15 Figure 8. Number of mates that spawned with 2011 sires for both replicates. Sires are ranked by descending NF length (mm). .......................................................................16 Figure 9. Number of progeny produced by 2011 sires as a function the number of mates with which sires produced progeny....................................................................16 Figure 10. DNA association of summer Chinook (SCN), fall Chinook (FCN) and “Mixed” summer and fall Chinook by group arriving at the lower Puntledge Hatchery, for the 4 year BCRP Puntledge DNA Study time series (2006 and 2009). Comparisons were made with Puntledge summer (SCN) or fall (FCN) Chinook salmon reference data. A model result of a probability of >=0.85 was chosen as the minimum value required to assign a fish to one or the other stock - SCN or FCN. Fish with a probability value <0.85 are called “Mixed” fish and could indicate a fish is a summer x fall hybrid; is of some other stock (a stray); or is a Chinook carrying rare alleles............................................................................................................................20 iv Puntledge River Summer and Fall Chinook Spawning Behaviour Study 10.Pun.05 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Size range of parents (Su-Summer, Fa-Fall) used in the 2009 and 2011 spawning trials................................................................................................................6 Table 2. Microsatellite loci, their annealing temperature (Tm) and the number of cycles used in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplifications; observed number of alleles (A), genetic diversity (He) and the source of primer sequences. Multiplexed loci are indicated with superscripts 1-6..........................................................................7 Table 3. Number of potential and successful parents in 2009 by replicate (section)....9 Table 4. Number of progeny by family and parental ecotypes (Summer–Su, Fall–Fa). For each replicate (section), progeny are totalled by progeny type (same-type or cross- type)..............................................................................................................................10 Table 5. Number of potential and successful parents in 2011 by replicate (section)..13 Table 6. Number of progeny in 2011 by family and parental ecotypes (Summer–Su, Fall–Fa). For each replicate (section), progeny are totalled by progeny type (same-type or cross-type)................................................................................................................14 v Puntledge River Summer and Fall Chinook Spawning Behaviour Study 10.Pun.05 1 INTRODUCTION The Puntledge River system is one of a few rivers on the east coast of Vancouver Island that supports both a summer and fall-run of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). The two runs have discrete migration timings and spawning distribution in the river. Summer-run Chinook enter the river from May to August while fall-run Chinook enter from September to October. However both stocks spawn at the