nisqually salmon watchers training
TRANSCRIPT
Salmon Watchers2015 Nisqually Salmon Watcher Program
Training Slideshow
Bill
Prie
st
Salmon Life CycleLife Cycle of Pacific Salmon
Spawning
6” - 18”Deep
18” - 48” long x 12” - 36” wide
Water6” - 18”Deep
Eggs buried in gravel
Female builds a series of gravel nests called a redd
The redd grows upstream daily with covering and digging
A Redd
EggsEggs are fertilized and develop in gravel
nests called redds
AlevinThe hatched eggs, called alevins, develop in the gravel
getting nutrients from their yolk sacks.
yolk sack
Fry/ SmoltMaturation
Fry
Smolt
Ocean AdultOcean-going adult
SpawningSpawning
Death
Death
Food WebMany Organisms Rely upon Pacific Salmon
Salmon AnatomyDorsal fin
Adipose fin
Caudal fin
Anal finPelvic fin Pectoral fin Gill cover
Gumline
Salmon Identification
Lateral LineDorsal fin
Adipose fin
Caudal fin
Anal finPelvic fin Pectoral fin Gill cover
Gumline
Lateral line
Hooked SnoutMales develop a hooked snout
Dorsal fin
Adipose fin
Caudal fin
Anal finPelvic fin Pectoral fin Gill cover
Gumline
Lateral line
Identifying Features
1. Does the fish have spots? Where?
2. What is the coloring? a. Body and head? b. Gumline color? c. Gill cover, other distinctive markings?
3. What size is it?
4. What are the behavioral characteristics?
Questions to Ask When Identifying Salmon
Chinook FactsNisqually Chinook
•Spawn throughout the Nisqually River’s accessible length and in larger tributaries, especially the Mashel River and Ohop Creek.
• Spring run went extinct in 1950’s.
• Fall run of native Chinook was largely replaced by planted and hatchery fish. No new introductions since 1990. Weir to exclude hatchery fish 2012.• Recent run sizes have been 10,000 - 40,000
• Upstream migration July - October
• Spawn September - November
Chinook IdentificationChinook
(“King,” “Tyee,” “Blackmouth”)
Small irregular spotson back and on BOTHupper and lower lobesof tail
*Can also be areddish color
Chinook PhotoChinook
Chinook Photo 2
Chinook
Chum FactsNisqually Chum
• Unique native run that is the latest returning chum on the Pacific Rim.
• No hatchery production.
• Spawns in late December - March.
• Recent run sizes: 10,000 to 150,000 fish
• Spawns mainly in mainstem Nisqually River below Centralia Diversion Dam and in Muck, Yelm, Murray and McAllister Creeks.
• Upstream migration November – March.
Chum IdentificationChum
(“Dog”, “Keta”)
Notice the difference in the coloration of the vertical markings between females and males.
Chum PhotoChum
Chum at our Counter Camera
Pink FactsNisqually Pink
• Unique native run that returns every odd year.
• No hatchery production.
• Spawns in October – November.
• Upstream migration August – November.
• Recent run sizes: 100 to 800,000 fish
• Spawns in the mainstem, and to a lesser degree in the Mashel River and Ohop Creek. They rarely travel far upstream to spawn.
Pink IdentificationPink
up to 30 inches
Pink IdentificationPink
Olive green to green on dorsal side
White to pink on underside
Pink
Image from Salmon Nation
Coho FactsNisqually Coho
• A late run of naturally spawning coho is found in the Nisqually, and returns around the same time as chum. No fishery exists for late run coho because the population is at risk. • Most of the hatchery stock is an early spawning population that migrates September – December• Most spawning takes place in the Mashel River and Ohop, Tanwax, Horn, Yelm, Muck and McAllister Creeks.
• Recent run sizes: 600 to 13,000 fish
• Spawning November - February
Coho IdentificationCoho(“Silvers”)
Notice the kype/hooked nose onthe male
Small roundblack spots
Greenishbacks
Lower sides bright red to purplish.
Coho Photo
anks!
Coho are powerfully built and can jump waterfalls that most salmon cannot negotiate.
Coho at our Counter Camera
Steelhead Facts
Nisqually Steelhead
Nisqually Steelhead
• Native winter steelhead
• No hatchery production
• Spawns in April through June
• Recent run sizes: gone from 7000 to a few hundred fish
• Spawns primarily in the mainstem Nisqually, Mashel River and Muck Creek, though they may use almost any tributary in the watershed
• Sport and tribal fisheries closed due to declining numbers
• Upstream migration November - April
Steelhead IdentificationSteelhead
Steelhead IdentificationSteelhead
Small dark spotsscattered over entire fish, including tail
Steelhead PhotoSteelhead
Steelhead at our Counter Camera
Cutthroat FactsSea-run Cutthroat
• Occur in both sea-going and resident forms. Difficult to distinguish between the two.
• Can be found in most fish-bearing waters from high-elevation glacial-fed streams to the estuary
• Upstream migration August - June
• Spawning December - June
• Sport fishing is allowed for coastal cutthroat
Cutthroat Identification
Cutthroat Trout“coastal cutthroat trout”
Cutthroat PhotoCutthroat Trout
Sockeye FactsSockeye
• No unique run of Nisqually sockeye
• Stray pairs known to spawn in upper McAllister Creek
• Usually spawn in streams near lakes, where young fry migrate to rear for 1 - 2 years
Sockeye IdentificationSockeye
(“Red”)
Sockeye PhotoSockeye
A few stray pairs of sockeye spawn near McAllister Springs. There is no native run of Nisqually sockeye.
Review
Review
Quiz Photo 1
Quiz Photo 2
• Head blunt, jaw does not extend past the eye • Distinct small spots on dorsal fin • Small scattered spots over entire body• Square-shaped tail• Often has reddish stripe along sides, gill cover reddish • Up to 45 inches in length
Name the fish that has:
Quiz Question 1
Quiz Photo 3
Quiz Question 2•Large oval spots on back and both lobes of the tailfin •Rarely travel far up river to spawn - most likely seen in coastal streams •Males develop a large hump on their back (hence the nick name "Humpback" or "Humpy") •Dark band along lateral line •Numerous, small scales•Forked Tail
Name the fish that has:
Quiz Photo 4
• No distinct black spots • Dark blue above with reddish-purple vertical markings• Well developed teeth • 30-42 inches in length
Name the fish that has:
Quiz Question 3
Quiz Photo 5
Quiz Photo 6
• Back and head dark blue-green • Lower sides red-purple• Spots on back and UPPER lobe of tail fin only • Lower gum line is white • 17 to 38 inches in length
Name the fish that has:
Quiz Question 4
Quiz Picture 7
Photo by 2015 Salmon Watcher Roger Andrascik
Quiz Photo 8
• Head blunt, jaw extends past eye • Small black spots extending well below lateral line• Red “slash” marks on underside of jaw • Yellow colored fins• Silver body • 8-12 inches in length
Name the fish that has:
Quiz Question 5
Quiz Picture 9
Quiz Photo 10
• Olive brown to dark brown• Spots on upper and lower part of tail• Lower gum line is black • 2 feet to 5 feet in length
Name the fish that has:
Quiz Question 6
Quiz Photo 11
Quiz Photo 12
Salmon Watching TipsNisqually Salmon Watcher Tips
• Approach your viewing site slowly
• Be as quiet as possible
• If you need to walk in the stream, look out for clean-looking gravel (redds)• Remember your polarized glasses, data sheet and pencil
• Take observation data for 15 minutes only
• If you are unsure, take notes and/or a photo and contact us
• Observe from the same location each time
• Dress for the weather
• If possible, view after a rain as soon as the water clears
• View before it gets too dark
Reminder 1
Remember not to step on redds
Reminder 2Don’t count ‘Carcass Toss’ Fish with Clipped Tails
Clipped TailsDon’t count ‘Carcass Toss’ Fish with Clipped Tails
Clipped TailsThere are some Chinook with jaw tags out there
Beaver dams provide important juvenile salmon rearing habitat and are usually left alone if naturally constructed
Passage often improves when the rains come
Photo by 2015 Salmon Watcher Roger Andrascik
Spawning Behavior
Female Spawning Behaviors•Reach spawning ground after males•Exploring for a good nest site•Exploratory Digging •Real nest building Digging•Probing•Covering Digging
Female Spawning Behaviors: Digging
Chinook Digging
Coho Digging Chum Digging
Male Spawning Behaviors
•‘Tasting’•Quivering
•Male Digging (Displacement)•Crossing Over
Male Spawning Behaviors: Quiver
Coho Quiver
Pink Quiver
Gaping and Spawning
AggressionFemales will fight other females to defend their nest site.Females will fight off males they don’t want to spawn with (or delay spawning).
Males will fight other males to establish dominance.This can involve actual fighting, biting, etc. or ritualized displays.
Manu Esteve 2000
Male Aggressive Displays
Lateral Display
T Display
Male Strategies and TacticsStrategies: •Mature Old•Mature Young•Mature Precocious
Tactics: •Fight for dominance•Sneak (satellite)•Mimic Female
Thanks
Thank-you for your contribution!We couldn’t do it without you.