A Guide to the Study of Fishes, Volume 2 (of 2)Jordan, David Starr
History
A Guide to the Study of Fishes, Volume 2 (of 2)
Jordan, David Starr
Fishes; Fishes -- Bibliography; Zoology -- History
Attempts have been made to settle this question by marking the fry. But
this is a very difficult matter indeed. Almost the only structure which
can be safely mutilated is the adipose fin, and this is often nipped off
by sticklebacks and other meddling fish. The following experiments have
been tried, according to Mr. Davis:
In March, 1896, 5000 king-salmon fry were marked by cutting off the
adipose fin, then set free in the Clackamas River. Nearly 400 of these
marked fish are said to have been taken in the Columbia in 1898, and a
few more in 1899. In addition a few were taken in 1898, 1899, and 1900
in the Sacramento River, but in much less numbers than in the Columbia.
In the Columbia most were taken at the mouth of the river, where nearly
all of the fishing was done, but a few were in the original stream, the
Clackamas. It is stated that the fry thus set free in the Clackamas came
from eggs obtained in the Sacramento—a matter which has, however, no
bearing on the present case.
In the Kalama hatchery on the Columbia River, Washington, 2000 fry of
the quinnat or king-salmon were marked in 1899 by a V-shaped notch in
the caudal fin. Numerous fishes thus marked were taken in the lower
Columbia in 1901 and 1902. A few were taken at the Kalama hatchery, but
some also at the hatcheries on Wind River and Clackamas River. At the
hatchery on Chehalis River six or seven were taken, the stream not being
a tributary of the Columbia, but flowing into Shoalwater Bay. None were
noticed in the Sacramento. The evidence shows that the most who are
hatched in a large stream tend to return to it, and that in general most
salmon return to the parent region. There is no evidence that a salmon
hatched in one branch of a river tends to return there rather than to
any other. Experiments of Messrs. Rutter and Spaulding in marking adult
fish at Karluk would indicate that they roam rather widely about the
island before spawning. An adult spawning fish, marked and set free at
Karluk, was taken soon after on the opposite side of the island of
Kadiak.
The introduction of salmon into new streams may throw some light on this
question. In 1897 and 1898 3,000,000 young quinnat-salmon fry were set
free in Papermill Creek near Olema, California. This is a small stream
flowing into the head of Tomales Bay, and it had never previously had a
run of salmon. In 1900, and especially in 1901, large quinnat salmon
appeared in considerable numbers in this stream. One specimen weighing
about sixteen pounds was sent to the present writer for identification.
These fishes certainly returned to the parent stream, although this
stream was one not at all fitted for their purpose.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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