Hostname: page-component-7b7567c8c-kwt9d Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-15T04:18:04.476Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Sea caged Atlantic salmon display size-dependent swimmingdepth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 June 2012

Ole Folkedal,
Lars Helge Stien,
Jonatan Nilsson,
Thomas Torgersen,
Jan Erik Fosseidengen and
Frode Oppedal

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the 'Save PDF' action button.

The present study investigates vertical distribution of fish size in three 12 m  ×  12 mwide and 14 m deep sea cages stocked with Atlantic salmon of average weight from 3.5 to3.7 kg, at commercial densities between 15.6 to 16.2 kg m-3, in Norway. Foreach cage, individual fish weight were estimated by three 0.6 m  ×  0.6 m measuring framesas fish swam through. The frames were positioned at 3, 6 and 9 m depth. Recordings werecarried out over five days per cage in succession, and during relatively stableenvironmental conditions in late autumn 2010. In all cages, measured fish were 15−25%smaller at 3 m compared to the average weights at 6 and 9 m depth. Largest average weightdifference between depths within one cage was 0.995 kg. The average weight at 6 and 9 mwas higher at night-time compared to daytime. Fish at the lower end of the weight spectrumwere predominantly registered at 3 m, while fish at the higher end of the spectrum weremostly registered at the greater depths. Fish of average size were well represented at allthree depths. The fact that smaller fish swam shallower may be ascribed to naturalbehavioural traits and introduce an important consideration in representative samplingwithin commercial sea cages. In biomass estimations and sea lice counts size-dependentvertical stratification needs to be accounted for.

Keywords

Salmon-cage aquacultureFish behaviourVertical movementsSalmo salar

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Aquatic Living Resources , Volume 25 , Issue 2 , April 2012, pp. 143 - 149
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, IFREMER, IRD 2012

References

Ang, K.P., Petrell, R.J., 1998, Pellet wastage, and subsurface and surface feeding behaviours associated with different feeding systems in sea cage farming of salmonids. Aquac. Eng. 18, 95–115. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Austreng, E., Storebakken, T., Åsgård, T., 1987, Growth rate estimates for cultured Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout. Aquaculture 60, 157–160. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bjordal Å., Juell J.E., Lindem T., Fernö A., 1993, Hydroacoustic monitoring and feeding control in cage rearing of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.). In : Reinertsen H., Dahle L.A., Jørgensen L., Tvinnereim K. (eds.), Fish Farming Technology. Balkema, Rotterdam, pp. 203–208.
Bone Q., Moore R., 2008, Buoyancy. In : Bone Q., Moore R. (eds.), Biology of fishes. Taylor and Francis, New York, pp. 101–124.
Bron J.E., Sommerville C., Rae G.H., 1993, Aspects of the behaviour of copepodid larvae of the salmon louse Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Krøyer 1837). In : Boxshall G.A., Defaye G. (eds.), Pathogens of Wild and Farmed Fish : Sea Lice. Ellis Horwood, Chichester, pp. 125–142.
Costelloe, M., Costelloe, J., Roche, N., 1996, Planktonic dispersion of larval salmon-lice, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, associated with cultured salmon, Salmo salar, in western Ireland. J. Mar. Biol. Assoc. UK 76, 141–149. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Costelloe, M., Costelloe, J., O’Donohoe, G., Coghlan, N., O’Connor, B., 1999, A review of field studies on the sea louse, Lepeophtheirus salmonis Kroyer on the west coast of Ireland. Bull. Eur. Assoc. Fish Pathol. 19, 260–264. Google Scholar
Crawley M.J., 2007, Proportion data, in : The R Book. West Sussex, Wiley.
Cubitt, K.F., Winberg, S., Huntingford, F.A., Kadri, S., Crampton, V.O., Øverli, Ø., 2008, Social hierarchies, growth and brain serotonin metabolism in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) kept under commercial rearing conditions. Physiol. Behav. 94, 529–535. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dempster, T., Juell, J.-E., Fosseidengen, J.E., Fredheim, A., Lader, P., 2008, Behaviour and growth of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) subjected to short-term submergence in commercial scale sea-cages. Aquaculture 276, 103–111. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dempster, T., Korsøen, Ø., Folkedal, O., Juell, J.-E., Oppedal, F., 2009, Submergence of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) in commercial scale sea-cages : A potential short-term solution to poor surface conditions. Aquaculture 288, 254–263. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Einen, O., Waagan, B., Thomassen, M.S., 1998, Starvation prior to slaughter in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). I. Effects on weight loss, body shape, slaughter- and fillet-yield, proximate and fatty acid composition. Aquaculture 166, 85–104. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fernö A., Furevik D., Huse I., Bjordal Å., 1988, A multiple approach to behaviour studies of salmon reared in marine net pens. Counc. Meet. Int. Counc. Explor. Sea CM 1–15 (1988/F15).
Fernö, A., Huse, I., Juell, J.-E., Bjordal, A., 1995, Vertical distribution of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) in net pens – trade-off between surface light avoidance and food attraction. Aquaculture 132, 285–296. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hevrøy, E.M., Boxaspen, K., Oppedal, F., Taranger, G.L., Holm, J.C., 2003, The effect of artificial light treatment and depth on the infestation of the sea louse Lepeophtheirus salmonis on Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) culture. Aquaculture 220, 1–14. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoare, D.J., Krause, J., Peuhkuri, N., Godin, J.G.J., 2000, Body size and shoaling in fish. J. Fish Biol. 57, 1351–1366. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huse, I., Holm, J.C., 1993, Vertical distribution of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) as a function of illumination. J. Fish Biol. 43, 147–156. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johannessen, A., 1978, Early stages of Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Copepoda, Caligidae). Sarsia 63, 169–176. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johansson, D., Ruohonen, K., Kiessling, A., Oppedal, F., Stiansen, J.E., Kelly, M., Juell, J.-E., 2006, Effect of environmental factors on swimming depth preferences of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) and temporal and spatial variations in oxygen levels in sea cages at a fjord site. Aquaculture 254, 594–605. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johansson, D., Juell, J.-E., Oppedal, F., Stiansen, J.E., Ruohonen, K., 2007, The influence of the pycnocline and cage resistance on current flow, oxygen flux and swimming behaviour of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) in production cages. Aquaculture 265, 271–287. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johansson, D., Ruohonen, K., Juell, J.-E., Oppedal, F., 2009, Swimming depth and thermal history of individual Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) in production cages under different ambient temperature conditions. Aquaculture 290, 296–303. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Juell, J.-E., 1995, The behaviour of Atlantic salmon in relation to efficient cage-rearing. Rev. Fish Biol. Fish. 5, 320–335. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Juell, J.-E., Westerberg, H., 1993, An ultrasonic telemetric system for automatic positioning of individual fish used to track Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) in a sea cage. Aquac. Eng. 12, 1–18. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Juell, J.-E., Fernö, A., Furevik, D., Huse, I., 1994, Influence of hunger level and food availability on the spatial distribution of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in sea cages. Aquac. Fish. Manage. 25, 439–451. Google Scholar
Korsøen, Ø.J., Dempster, T., Fjelldal, P.G., Oppdal, F., Kristiansen, T.S., 2009, Long-term culture of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) in submerged cages during winter affects behaviour, growth and condition. Aquaculture 296, 373–381. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Korsøen, Ø.J., Dempster, T., Fjelldal, P.G., Oppdal, F., Kristiansen, T.S., 2012, Individual variation in swimming depth and growth in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) subjected to submergence in sea-cages. Aquaculture 334, 142–151. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krause, J., 1994, The influence of food competition and predation risk on size-assortative shoaling in juvenile chub (Leuciscus cephalus). Ethology 96, 105–116. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lader, P., Dempster, T., Fredheim, A., Jensen, O., 2008, Current induced net deformations in full-scale sea-cages for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Aquac. Eng. 38, 52–65. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lekang O.I., 2007, Aquaculture Engineering. Blackwell, Oxford, UK, pp. 277–280.
McKibben, M.A., Hay, D.W., 2004, Distributions of planktonic sea lice larvae Lepeophtheirus salmonis in the inter-tidal zone in Loch Torridon, Western Scotland in relation to salmon farm production cycles. Aquac. Res. 35, 742–750. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nordgarden, U., Oppedal, F., Taranger, G.L., Hemre, G.I., Hansen, T., 2003, Seasonally changing metabolism in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.). I. Growth and feed conversion ratio. Aquac. Nutr. 9, 287–293. Google Scholar
Oppedal, F., Juell, J.-E., Taranger, G.L., Hansen, T., 2001, Artificial light and season affects vertical distribution and swimming behaviour of post-smolt Atlantic salmon in sea cages. J. Fish Biol. 58, 1570–1584. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oppedal, F., Juell, J.-E., Johansson, D., 2007, Thermo- and photoregulatory swimming behaviour of caged Atlantic salmon : implications for photoperiod management and fish welfare. Aquaculture 265, 70–81. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oppedal, F., Dempster, T., Stien, L.H., 2011a, Environmental drivers of Atlantic salmon behaviour in sea-cages : a review. Aquaculture 311, 1–18. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oppedal, F., Vågseth, T., Dempster, T., Juell, J.-E., Johansson, D., 2011b, Fluctuating sea-cage environments modify the effects of stocking densities on production and welfare parameters of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.). Aquaculture 315, 361–368. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Osland H., Sandvik J.I., Holm J., Heuch P.-A., Bakke S., 2001, Studie av lakseluspåslag og tilvekst hos Atlantisk laks (Salmo salar) i nedsenkede merder. HSF-report, R-NR 4/01, 22 p. (In Norwegian).
Øverli, Ø., Sørensen, C., Pulman, K.G.T., Pottinger, T.G., Korzan, W., Summers, C.H., Nilsson, G.E., 2007, Evolutionary background for stress-coping styles : Relationships between physiological, behavioral, and cognitive traits in non-mammalian vertebrates. Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev. 31, 396–412. CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pitcher T.J., Parrish J.K., 1993, Functions of shoaling behaviour in teleosts. In : Pitcher T.J. (ed.), Behaviour of teleost fishes. Chapman & Hall, London, pp. 363–439.
Pitcher, T.J., Magurran, A.E., Edwards, J.I., 1985, Schooling mackerel and herring choose neighbors of similar size. Mar. Biol. 86, 319–322. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sette, O.E., 1950, Biology of the Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) of North America. Part 2. Migrations and habits. Fish. Bull. Nat. Mar. Fish. Serv. US 51, 251–358. Google Scholar
Solberg, C., Saugen, E., Swenson, L.-P., Bruun, L., Isaksson, T., 2003, Determination of fat in live farmed Atlantic salmon using non-invasive NIR techniques. J. Sci. Food Agric. 83, 692–696. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stephen, C., Ribble, C.S., 1995, An evaluation of surface moribund salmon as indicators of seapen disease status. Aquaculture 133, 1–8. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Theodorakis, C.W., 1989, Size segregation and the effects of oddity on predation risk in minnow schools. Anim. Behav. 38, 496–502. CrossRefGoogle Scholar