Gill Ectoparasites of Juvenile Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout in the Upper Colorado River

Abstract

During 1996 and 1997, 112 rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and 204 brown trout Salmo trutta, all young of the year, were sampled from a 40-km study area of the upper Colorado River and were examined for gill parasites. Ambiphrya, Chilodonella, Ichthyobodo, Apiosoma, Trichodina, Trichodinella, Tripartiella, Epistylis, and an unidentified cochliopodid amoeba were the representative protozoan genera observed on fish examined. Significant month–year–species interactions (P = 0.0295) were revealed, reflecting the changes in infestation prevalence among months, years, and species of salmonid. Greater ectoparasite richness was observed in downstream sections of the study area, most notably near Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado. Peaks of infestation intensity and ectoparasite richness occurred in August and September of both years, presumably because of high mean water temperatures and low flows during that time.