Comparison of Hatchery and Field Performance between a Whirling-Disease-Resistant Strain and the Ten Sleep Strain of Rainbow Trout

Abstract

A whirling-disease-resistant strain of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (GRHL strain) derived from a backcross of an F1 hybrid of two strains (German strain × Harrison Lake strain) with German strain females, was compared with the Ten Sleep (TS) strain of rainbow trout. The GRHL strain had consistently superior growth and feed conversion in two consecutive hatchery trials. Hatching and mortality rates were similar between strains. Both strains were stocked into two Utah reservoirs (Hyrum, Porcupine), and a third, Causey Reservoir, was monitored as a control for seasonal variation in prevalence of Myxobolus cerebralis. A total of 1,323 salmonids captured by gill net in spring and fall sampling between 2006 and 2008 were tested for M. cerebralis via pepsin-trypsin digest methods. Only eight of these (<1% per species) had clinical signs consistent with whirling disease. In both reservoirs, GRHL survived better than the TS and had higher growth rates. The prevalence of M. cerebralis was significantly lower for GRHL (18.1%) than TS (50.0%) in Porcupine Reservoir. In Hyrum Reservoir the trend was similar, but prevalence was lower and did not significantly differ between GRHL (9.6%) and TS (23.1%). For infected fish, no significant differences were observed between strains in myxospore counts in either Hyrum (GRHL = 911–28,244 spores/fish [spf], TS = 1,822–155,800 spf) or Porcupine (GRHL = 333–426,667spf, TS = 333–230,511 spf) reservoirs. Unmarked rainbow trout in both reservoirs had significantly higher myxospore counts than stocked fish of either strain. There were significant differences in M. cerebralis prevalence and myxospore loads among other naturally reproducing salmonids in the reservoirs. The trend in susceptibility was cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii > kokanee Oncorhynchus nerka > brown trout Salmo trutta. The GRHL performed well in both hatchery and field settings and is recommended for stocking programs.

Received December 28, 2011; accepted February 2, 2012

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We gratefully acknowledge the help of George Schisler, Phil Schler, and Eric Hughes, Colorado Division of Wildlife, who provided the GRHL rainbow trout eggs for the study. We thank the Egan Hatchery staff for the Ten Sleep strain eggs. Thanks also to Roger Mellenthin and Jared Smith for help maintaining the fish and to Cody Allen for help with the creel survey. Thanks to Craig Schaugaard, Northern Utah Region fisheries manager, for his cooperation with the study and help designing the creel survey. We thank Anna Forest for assistance with the pepsin-trypsin digest procedure and other laboratory work support. For financial support, we are grateful to the Whirling Disease Foundation, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program.