TN00356 BROOK TROUT SALVELINUS FONTINALIS
ORIGIN: native *788*; originally covered the eastern 2/5 of Canada northward to the Arctic Circle, New England States, and southward through Pennsylvania , along crest of Appalachain Mts. to northeastern Georgia; western limits included Manitoba southward to the Great Lake States; introduced into 20 additional states with sustaining populations in 14 states, none in central plains or southern States *JRK3*; REPRODUCTION: September-December; 3-6000 eggs/female; 4 reproductive years; maturity at age 2; fertilized ova deposited in redds excavated by female in gravel *832*; male brook trout usually mature before females as early as age 0+; smallest mature male 8.9 cm long in Wisconsin *JRK3*; spawning typically occurs in the fall, but may begin as early as late summer in northern range and early winter of southern range; highly successful spawners in lentic environments in upwelling areas of springs; spawning occurs at temps. ranges of 4.5-10.0 deg. C; spawning success reduced as amount of fine sediments increases and integravel oxygen concentration diminished *JRK3*; egg incubation approx. 45 days at 10 deg. C, 165 days at 2.8 deg. C, 28 days at 14.8 deg. C; brook trout eggs develop faster than brown trout eggs at 2 deg. C or less but slower at 3 deg. C or greater; water velocity not necessary for successful spawning as long as oxygen levels are high and redd is free of silt;spawning velocities range from 1 cm/sec.-92 cm/sec., ranged from 3-34 cm/sec. in Wyoming; suitable gravel size of 3-8 cm in diameter for brook trout *JRK3*; hybridized artificially with lake and rainbow trout, natural hybrids with between brook and brown *JRK3*; GROWTH: can be seperated into two basic forms: 1) Short-lived (3-4 years), small form (200-250 mm), typical of small, cold stream and lake habitat, and 2) Long- lived (8-10 years), large (4-6 kg.), predaceous form associated with large lakes, rivers and estuaries *JRK3*; BEHAVIOR: migrations generally limited to movements into headwater streams or tributaries for spawning or short migrations to avoid temperature extremes *832*; spawning behavior similar to rainbow and cutthroat trout; may spend their entire lives (including spawning) within a restricted area, however some upstream or downstream movement may occur due to space-related behavior emergence form the redd; some coastal populations may move into salt water from coastal streams of eastern Canada and northeast U.S.; 79 % of brook trout going to sea were age 2, rest were age 3; brook trout reported going to sea on Prince Edward Island during spring and early summer and during fall and early winter; half of them migrating to salt water returned to freshwater within a month; as temperatures decline in freshwater, brook trout tend to spend more time in saltwater with some overwintering; trout fry overwinter in shallow areas of low velocity *JRK3*; LIMITING FACTORS: reductions in original range are the result of pollution, siltation, and stream warming due to deforestation; other limiting factors include availability of suitable overwintering areas *JRK3*;
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References for Life History Codes
788, 832, JRK3
Comments on Life History Codes