Life Histories and Distributions of Copper River Fishes (.pdf)

spawning areas in this region are the Gulkana, Tazlina, Tonsina and Klutina rivers and theirassociated lakes (Fig.1).Figure 1. The major streams of the Copper River drainage (Fleming, 1999).General Salmon Life-HistoryEach salmon species has it’s own life-history traits and relative abundance. Each speciesalso divides itself into separate races in different river systems and yet again into diverse stocks orraces within the watersheds (Childerhorse, 1979). Salmon exhibit an anadromous life cycle, inwhich adult fish migrate from the ocean to spawn in freshwater (Fig. 2). Most species are alsosemelparous, spawning only once, and then dying soon after. Adults return to their natal stream,and the timing of this return is highly variable according to species, the particular run and latitude.Upon returning to the spawning grounds, females begin to dig nests in the river gravel called redds.Page 4 of 27