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Great Basin Naturalist

Abstract

Arctic grayling in Deer Lake, Montana spawn only in the 350-m segment of outlet stream between the lake and a waterfall. The purpose of this study was to examine consequences of and possible adaptations by this population to spawning above the falls, by determining the extent of loss over the falls of age-0 young, the daily and seasonal patterns of such losses, and the seasonal pattern of movement upstream into the lake by the remaining young. We measured fish movements during 1989 and 1990 with traps placed at the outlet and at the falls, from fry swimup in July until October or November. Young went over the falls predominantly as newly swimming fry at night. In 1989 about 5000–9000 were lost downstream, representing an estimated 4–7% or less of young produced. Most young thus appear adapted to maintaining their position above the falls. A few started entering the lake in August and September, but only 95 in 1989 and 23 in 1990 had done so by the time observations were ended by the onset of wintery conditions. Most movement into the lake appeared to occur sometime during the six to seven months of annual ice cover. This extended period of stream residence contrasts with early lakeward movements reported for other inlet-spawning, lacustrine grayling populations and may be an adaptation for avoiding predation by large conspecifics in Deer Lake.

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