Life History Strategies of Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)
Researcher(s): Travis Van Leeuwen
Supervisor(s): Profs Colin Adams, Neil Metcalfe and Dr. Patrick Boylan
Department: Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, MVLS
Institution: University of Glasgow
Brief Description: Partial migration, which is the splitting of populations into migratory and resident individuals, hasbeen documented in a number of trout species, including: 
brown trout (Salmo trutta), brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki). Resident individuals will forego smolting, mature and spend their entire life in freshwater, whereas migratory fish will delay maturation, smolt, and mature at sea before returning to their natal freshwater stream to spawn. Both life history forms have been shown to occur in sympatry, possibly derived from a single gene pool with migratory and resident parentals having the ability to produce offspring capable of adopting either life history. Smolting in salmonids is heavily influenced by food availability, standard metabolic rate and lipid levels. Very few studies however, have experimentally tested the role of these influences on the adoption of resident and migratory life history in trout during early ontogeny.
Migratory trout stocks have diminished substantially in North America and Europe. This research will allow management to identify key habitat characteristics and distinguish migrant and resident trout during early ontogeny.
Funding Source(s): INTERREG IVA
Project Status: Ongoing project
Start Date: 30/06/12
End Date: 30/06/15
