Spawning dynamics of American shad (Alosa sapidissima) in the St. Lawrence River,Canada–USA |
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| Authors: | E Maltais G Daigle G Colbeck J J Dodson |
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| Institution: | 1. Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada;2. Present address: AECOM, 231, Boulevard La Salle, Baie‐Comeau, QC, Canada G4Z 1S7.;3. Département de Mathématique et de Statistique, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada |
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| Abstract: | Maltais E, Daigle G, Colbeck G, Dodson JJ. Spawning dynamics of American shad (Alosa sapidissima) in the St. Lawrence River, Canada–USA.Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2010: 19: 586–594. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract – The most northerly population of American shad (Alosa sapidissima), located in the St. Lawrence River, is considered vulnerable because of low population abundance and limited spawning habitat located at the upstream extent of the population’s anadromous migration. Here, we aimed to establish the temporal and spatial extent of spawning based on a novel hatch‐date analysis of juveniles. Spawning activity lasted from early May to early July. We found that juveniles captured downstream during the summer hatched later in the year than those captured further upstream. As a result, younger juveniles were distributed somewhat further downstream. In addition, we found significant multimodality in hatch‐date distributions at midstream and downstream sampling stations. Together, these results provide evidence that the 2‐month spawning period involved numerous spawning events that progressed in a downstream direction as the season advanced, rather than being restricted to upstream sites over the spawning season. |
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| Keywords: | alosine clupeid hatch‐date analysis multiple spawning events |
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