Distribution and Abundance of Juvenile Salmon in Two Main Channel Habitats of theTaku River, Alaska and British Columbia

摘要

Juvenile salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) abundance, species composition, and habitatuse were studied in the lower (United States), middle (Canada), and upper (Canada) sections of the Taku River. In August 1987, 12 reaches in each of 2 habitat types (channel edges and sloughs) were sampled in each river section (total N = 72). Mean salmonid density (all species combined) differed less than 10% between any two river sections and was not significantly different between river sections in either habitat type. Chinook (O. tshawytscha) and sockeye salmon (O. nerka) were the most abundant fish species in all river sections and made up 87% of the catch. Nearly all (>98%) chinook and sockeye salmon were young-of-the-year. Chinook salmon density was similar in all river sections, but sockeye salmon density decreased from the lower to the upper study section.