Great Basin Naturalist
Article Title
Abstract
Relationships between water fertility (as measured by conductivity and alkalinity) of 17 Montana streams and the attainment of sexual maturity and fecundity of their resident female brown trout were studied. Fish from the streams having conductivity and alkalinity levels greater than 100 micromhos / cm and ppm CaCO3, respectively, were younger at sexual maturity than fish from waters with lower levels. The attainment of earlier sexual maturity in fish from the former streams could not be completely explained on the basis of greater growth rates. Fish from the stream having the highest levels of conductivity had the slowest growth rate but became sexually mature at the youngest age. A positive relationship was found between chemical fertility of streams and the fecundity of their fish. However, in the stream having the highest levels of conductivity, fish were the least fecund. It was concluded that the chemical fertility of these streams is generally related to the age at sexual maturity and fecundity of fish.
Recommended Citation
Lockard, Lawrence L.
(1975)
"Some relationships between water fertility and egg production in brown trout (Salmo trutta) from Montana streams,"
Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 35:
No.
4, Article 12.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol35/iss4/12