Steelhead
Contents
Steelhead Life History
Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) occupy many rivers and streams flowing into the Monterey Bay. O. mykiss are distinct among salmonid species because the are both facultativly anadromous and iteroparous. Anadromous fish are those that spend most of their life in the ocean and spawn in freshwater. Iteroparous fish are that can reproduce multiple times in their life. O. mykiss also have populations which reside in freshwater and are called rainbow trout. [2]. The photo to the right represents the life cycle of salmon and steelhead.
Conservation
Steelhead were first listed as "Threatened" under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1998 [3].
Critical Habitat
Steelhead trout have designated Critical Habitat areas ranging from the Puget Sound to the Southern Coast of California.
Steelhead Management Challenges
Steelhead emigration age, return age, and probability of repeat spawning are variable. There are 32 identified possible life history trajectories for Steelhead which presents a great challenge for managing the species [4]. Changes in freshwater conditions due to water management or climate change may alter demographic rates along with the current life history trajectories, sending fish on alternative trajectories with radically different demographic results [2].
Links
Steelhead in the Salinas Watershed
Steelhead in the Monterey Bay Region
Steelhead Management in the Monterey Bay Region
References
- ↑ UC Davis Salmon and Steelhead life history
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Satterthwaite WH, Beaks MP, Collins EM, Swank DR, Merz JE, Titus RG, Sogard SM, Mangel M. 2009. Steelhead life history on California's Central Coast: insights from a state-dependent model. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 138:532-548
- ↑ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Species Profile: steelhead
- ↑ Thorpe JE. 2007. Maturation responses of salmonids to changing developmental opportunities. Marine Ecology Progress Series 335:285-288
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