Research Document 2018/025

Pre-COSEWIC Assessment for Lake Utopia Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) Small-bodied and Large-bodied Populations

By Daphne Themelis

Abstract

The Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) populations (Lake Utopia Large-bodied Population and Lake Utopia Small-bodied Population) have been scheduled for reassessment in November 2018 by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada under the federal Species at Risk Act. The purpose of this paper is to present current Fisheries and Oceans Canada information related to the status and trends of, and threats to, this species inside and outside of Canadian waters, and the strengths and limitations of the information. Surveys of Lake Utopia tributaries used by spawning Large-bodied and Small-bodied populations were conducted from 2012-2017 under various protocols. Observations from these surveys provide information on the timing of spawning and which streams were occupied, length frequencies and abundance of the large-bodied population in some years, and some genotyping of animals captured in streams in 2014 and 2015. Data from these surveys provide information on timing of the spawning run. Available information on threats and limiting factors that may impact this species are also presented.

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