Abstract
Earlier spring warming and anadromous fish migrations prompted by climate change are linked to shorter freshwater res-idency. Impacts of phenological change on anadromous fish populations are poorly understood with limited studies focused on iteroparous non-salmonids. We assessed freshwater residence time and reproductive success in an iteroparous clupeid, alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) using a pedigree analysis and otolith-based spawning dates from captured juveniles. The primary objectives were to (1) estimate adult spawning duration in a freshwater pond (freshwater residence time) and (2) evaluate adult freshwater residence time, arrival date, length, sex, and reproductive success across 2 years in one system. Estimated freshwater residence times varied widely (1–64 days), and longer residence times were associated with earlier arrival dates, higher reproductive success, and more mating events. Longer freshwater residence times may allow alewife to spawn with more mates, produce more gametes, and experience a range of spawning and nursery conditions. Plasticity in alewife freshwater residence time could support earlier and shorter migration periods but may result in lower reproductive output if adults spend less time in freshwater ponds.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 563-576 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences |
| Volume | 80 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 2023 |
Funding
This work was funded by the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass), National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), which also provided essential field support and equipment to stock fish from 2014 to 2015. M.N.M. received support as a Switzer Foundation fellow in 2021. A.J. received support from the US Department of Agriculture through the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, under project number MAS No. 14. We thank the many people who provided field assistance, including researchers at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (Steven Mattocks, Vasili Luzanau, Steve Bittner, Drew Fournier, Dave Stutt, Sarah Becker, Bia Dias, Ashleigh Novak, Habib Mohammadi), DMF (Ryan Joyce, Dave Andrews, Nicole Ward, Scott Elzey, and Kim Trull), and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (Michael Bailey). Maili Paige, Spencer Wein-stein, and Iryna Polunina assisted with genetic processing and Callahan Coughlin and Doug Bishop assisted with otolith analysis at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. We also thank Michelle Staundinger and two anoynomous reviewers for their feedback. The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply en-dorsement by the U.S. Government. All work was completed following the University of Massachusetts, Amherst IACUC 2013–0047.This work was funded by the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass), National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), which also provided essential field support and equipment to stock fish from 2014 to 2015. M.N.M. received support as a Switzer Foundation fellow in 2021. A.J. received support from the US Department of Agriculture through the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, under project number MAS No. 14.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries | |
| IACUC 2013–0047 | |
Keywords
- anadromous fish
- clupeids
- iteroparous fish
- phenology
- river herring
