Research Document - 2006/015
A synthesis of life history characteristics and stock grouping of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) in eastern Canada
By Chaput, G., J.B. Dempson, F. Caron, R. Jones and J. Gibson
Abstract
This document summarizes geographically the available information for selected phenotype characteristics of wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L) adults from 112 rivers in eastern Canada. The variations in biological characteristics described support many of the previous analyses of geographic variation of phenotype in Atlantic salmon. Age at smoltification has a significant positive association with latitude with the additional feature that mean age also increases along a west to east gradient. There are important differences in the characteristics of stocks of Newfoundland from the other areas in eastern Canada, differences primarily in smolt ages of Labrador origin salmon and differences in some characteristics of salmon from rivers at the southern edge of the distribution. The characteristics of many stocks show similarities which override the provincial and management boundaries. When small and large salmon characteristics are combined, four broad groups are defined: Gulf of St. Lawrence including some rivers of southwest Newfoundland, Maritime provinces including some rivers of the southern Gulf, insular Newfoundland, and Labrador. Some biological characteristics of the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia rivers, such as the proportion female and fork length of small salmon, are more similar to the Newfoundland rivers’ characteristics than to those from the other rivers of the Maritime provinces. Variations in the adult salmon characteristics related to the age, size and sex ratios of the maturing adult salmon have fitness consequences for the salmon stocks.
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