Breeding Success of Wild and First-Generation Hatchery Female Spring Chinook Salmon Spawning in an Artificial Stream

Abstract

First-generation hatchery and wild spring Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha from the upper Yakima River, Washington, were placed into an artificial stream and allowed to spawn. Seven independent test groups were placed into the stream from 2001 through 2005. No differences were detected in the egg deposition rates of wild and hatchery females. Pedigree assignments based on microsatellite DNA, however, showed that the eggs deposited by wild females survived to the fry stage at a 5.6% higher rate than those spawned by hatchery females. Subtle differences between hatchery and wild females in redd abandonment, egg burial, and redd location choice may have been responsible for the difference observed. Body size did not affect the ability of females to spawn or the survival of their deposited eggs. How long a female lived was positively related to her breeding success, but female origin did not affect longevity. The density of females spawning in portions of the stream affected both egg deposition and egg-to-fry survival. No difference, however, was found in the overall distribution patterns of the two types of females. Other studies that have examined the effects of a single generation of hatchery culture on upper Yakima River Chinook salmon have disclosed similar low-level effects on adult and juvenile traits. The cumulative effect of such differences will need to be considered when hatcheries are used to restore depressed populations of Chinook salmon.