High rates of precocious male maturation, “minijacks”, in spring Chinook salmon hatchery

programs: Prevalence, causes and potential solutions.

Don Larsen, Brian Beckman, Walt Dickhoff - NOAA Fisheries

Kathy Cooper, Paul Parkins - University of Washington

Dave Fast, Charles Strom, Mark Johnston, - Yakama Nation Fisheries

AgeAge--2 “Minijacks”2 “Minijacks”

AgeAge--1 “Precocious parr”1 “Precocious parr”

SmoltingSmolting

SubSub--adultsadults1+ yr1+ yr

SpringSpring

OceanOcean

Spring Chinook SalmonSpring Chinook SalmonSpawning Spawning -- FallFall FryFry

AgeAge--4 4 AgeAge--55

Oce

an to

rive

r in

sprin

gO

cean

to ri

ver i

n sp

ring

AgeAge--3 M3 M

JackJack

ParrParr

Variation in Age of Male Maturity

Factors Affecting Age of Maturation

Mature male salmon

GeneticsEnvironment

• temperature• food availability• food quality

Growth &

Body energy stores

The Hatchery environment can significantly influence age of maturation

The Yakima River Basin

Columbia RiverPacificOcean

Prosser Dam

John Day Dam

We’ve been monitoring the physiology of Cle Elum Hatchery Spring Chinook since implementation in 1997

BYBY Release #Release # % of males% of males # Minijacks# Minijacks

On average 50% of male Yakima hatchery spring Chinook On average 50% of male Yakima hatchery spring Chinook precociously matured at ageprecociously matured at age--22

19971997 386,048386,048 44%44% 84,93184,931

19981998 589,683589,683 72%72% 211,107211,107

19991999 758,789758,789 50%50% 189,697189,697

20002000 834,285834,285 37%37% 153,508153,508

20012001 370,236370,236 52%52% 95,52095,520

Avg. 50%Avg. 50%

Larsen, D.A., Beckman, B.R., Cooper, K.A., Barrett, D., Johnston, M., Swanson, P., and Dickhoff, W.W. (2004). Assessment of high rates of precocious male maturation in a spring Chinook salmon supplementation hatchery program. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 133, 98-120.

How do we assess precocious male maturation?

TestesTestes

AgeAge--2 immature male chinook salmon2 immature male chinook salmon

MayMay

TestesTestes

AgeAge--2 precocious male chinook salmon2 precocious male chinook salmon

MayMay

Plasma 11Plasma 11--ketotestosterone ketotestosterone (11(11--KT)KT)

Major androgen in teleost fishMajor androgen in teleost fish

Instrumental in the regulation of spermatogenesisInstrumental in the regulation of spermatogenesis

OO

OOOHOH

00

55

1010

1515

2020Plasma Plasma

1111--KetoKeto--TestosteroneTestosterone

(ng/ml)(ng/ml) **

*

**** ***

***(161.8±12.6)(161.8±12.6)

Dec Jan Feb Apr May Jun SepDec Jan Feb Apr May Jun Sep(Campbell et al. 2004)(Campbell et al. 2004)

Laboratory based studies have clearly established thatLaboratory based studies have clearly established that1111--ketotestosterone (11ketotestosterone (11--KT) is significantly elevated in KT) is significantly elevated in

precocious males as much as a year prior to matingprecocious males as much as a year prior to mating

Precocious malePrecocious male

Immature maleImmature male* *

*

Every March the Yakima Chinook are screened for pathology just prior to volitional release

48%48%52%52%

Threshold Threshold (0.8 ng/ml)(0.8 ng/ml)

N = 541N = 541

0055

101015152020252530303535404045455050

Coun

tCo

unt

--1.751.75 --1.251.25 --.75.75 --.25.25 .25.25 .75.75 1.251.25 1.751.75

LogLog1010

1111--KT (ng/ml)KT (ng/ml)

Immature Maturing

Plasmacollection

Consequences of high levels of precocious maturation

Ecological impactsEcological impactsGenetic impactsGenetic impacts

Increased strayingIncreased straying

Skewed gender ratioSkewed gender ratio

Loss of adult productionLoss of adult production

Critical periods for maturation decision Critical periods for maturation decision –– based on body size/growth ratebased on body size/growth rate

00

1010

2020

3030

4040

5050

J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S

Body weight Body weight (g)(g)

FallFalldecision perioddecision period

SpringSpringdecision perioddecision period

SpawningSpawning

Fast growth = YesFast growth = Yes

Slow growth = NoSlow growth = No

Fast growth = YesFast growth = Yes

Fast growth = YesFast growth = Yes

MatureMature

ImmatureImmature

Comparison of wild and hatchery Comparison of wild and hatchery growth and minijack ratesgrowth and minijack rates

Minijacks(%)Minijacks(%)

25

50

75

0

J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S

FallFalldecision perioddecision period

BodyBodyWeightWeight

(g)(g)

4

8

16

20

WildWild

Hatchery BY97

Hatchery BY98Hatchery BY98

0

12

Results from this study provided the basis for production scale rearing regimes (BY 2002-2004)

Larsen, D.A., Beckman, B.R., Strom, C.R., Parkins, P.J., Cooper, K.A., Fast, D.E., and Dickhoff, W.W. 2006. Growth modulation alters the incidence of early male maturation and physiological development of hatchery reared spring Chinook salmon: a comparison with wild fish. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 135, 1017-1032.

Lab scale studies:Autumn Growth RateBody size

Weigh

t (g

)

Low

High

MonthF M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J

2004 20050

10

20

Pond4/14/05

Growth rate was adjusted via ration (BY 2002-2004)

Alteredration

Sameration

2.5-5oC

30/#

45/#

Did Growth Modulation reduce the minijack rate?

BY 2003BY 2002 BY 2004

Minijack rates before release were consistently lower in the Low growth Trt.

High Low High Low

% o

f M

inija

cks

High Low0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0

10

20

30

40

50

60a

b a

b

a

b

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Minijacks rate(% males)

10 12 14 16 18 20 22

Weight (g)

Pre-Growth Expt.BY 2000, 2001

R2

= 0.53P < 0.0001

High GrowthBY 2002-2004

Low GrowthBY 2002-2004

Post-GrowthExpt. BY 2005

The bigger they are at release, the higher the minijack rate (BY X acc.site, BY 2000-BY 2005)

What happened to juvenile and adult survival?

Juvenile Survival Index to McNary Dam is lower for the Low growth fish

0

.04

.08

.12

.16

.2

.24

Juv.

Sur

v. I

ndex

0

.04

.08

.12

.16

.2

.24

Modified from Neeley 2004-2006

High Low High Low

BY 2003BY 2002 BY 2004

0.05.1

.15.2

.25.3

.35

High Low

Adult Return, is lower for Low Growth Trt.Brood Year 2002

0102030405060708090

100

Age-3 Age-4 Age-5 Combined

PIT

Det

ectio

ns a

t Bon

n.

HighLow

Brood Year 2003

0

5

10

15

20

25

Age-3 Age-4 Age-5 Combined

PIT

Det

ectio

ns a

t Bon

n.

HighLow

Bosch 2007

Brood Year 2004

02468

10121416

Age-3 Age-4 Age-5 Combined

PIT

Det

ectio

ns a

t Bon

n.

HighLow

Loss due toPrecocious maturation

Loss due to small smolt size

How do we produce large fish that still grow slow in the autumn maturation initiation period? Earlier Pond Time

Where do the minijacks go?

How do hatchery rates compare with wild rates?

The Yakima River Basin

Columbia RiverPacificOcean

Prosser Dam

John Day Dam

Minijack rates of migrating hatchery and wild fish - Chandler smolt bypass facility

Minijacks (% of males)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

55

50

Pre-Expt.BY01

-0-

WildHigh Low

BY02

BY04

BY03

BY02BY03 BY04

BY02BY03

BY04

Minijack rates of wild fish are approx. 1/10-1/20th that of

hatchery fish

Post-Expt.BY05

Post-Expt.BY05

1015202530354045505560

% Minijacks at Release

(among males)

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22

% Minijacks at Prosser Dam (among males)

R2

= 0.43P = 0.08

BY 2003 LowBY 2003 HighBY 2002 Low BY 2002 HighBY 2001 Pre-Growth Expt.

BY 2004 HighBY 2004 LowBY 2005 Post-Growth Expt.

There is a positive (but not significant) relationship between minijacks released and minijacks captured at Prosser Dam

46

48

50

52

54

56

58

60

62

64

% Females atProsser Dam

10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60

BY 2003 LowBY 2003 HighBY 2002 Low BY 2002 HighBY 2001 Conventional

% Minijacks at Release

R 2

= 0.67p < 0.0001

BY 2004 HighBY 2004 LowBY 2005 Conventional

Higher minijack rates at time of release correlate with gender ratios skewed in favor of females during smolt migration

How unique is this issue to Yakima Spring Chinook?

Winthrop Hatchery

-2.5-2.25

-2-1.75

-1.5-1.25

-1-.75

-.5-.25

0

Log

GSI

-1.5 -1 -.5 0 .5 1 1.5Log 11-KT

-2.25

-2

-1.75

-1.5

-1.25

-1

-.75

-.5

-.25

0

Log

GSI

-2 -1.5 -1 -.5 0 .5 1 1.5Log 11-KT

-2.25

-2

-1.75

-1.5

-1.25

-1

-.75

-.5

-.25

0

Log

GSI

-2.5 -2 -1.5 -1 -.5 0 .5 1 1.5Log 11-KT

-2.5-2.25

-2-1.75

-1.5-1.25

-1-.75

-.5-.25

0

Log

GSI

-2 -1.5 -1 -.5 0 .5 1 1.5Log 11-KT

45% age-2Precocious males

Yakima Hatchery (BY’01) Leavenworth Hatchery

Entiat Hatchery

Precociousparr

Precociousparr

BY 03 13%BY 04 8%BY 05 11%

BY 03 23%BY 04 28%BY 05 35%

BY 03 15%BY 04 14%BY 05 33%

18g = 25/#

24g = 19/#22g = 22/#

19g = 24/#

Cle Elum Hatchery Staff

Ray Brunson, Joy Evered, Sonia Mumford, Chris Paterson-USFWS Pathology Lab, Olympia, WA.

Todd Pearsons and staff-WDFW

Bill Bosch-Yakama Nation

Doug Neeley-Instats consulting

Leroy Senator and staff-Yakama Nation, Chandler Smolt by-pass facility, Prosser Dam,

Steve Croci, Dan Davies, Al Jensen, Chris Pasley, Craig Eaton, Jason Reeves -Leavenworth Hatchery Complex Facilities

Debbie Docherty-BPA contract #200203100

NOAA Biop funding

Acknowledgments (most important slide)

Body

Weigh

t (gr

ams)

2007 2008J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J J A S O N

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

EarlyPond date4 Jan.

LaterPond date6 Feb.

Early Pond /High Growth

Late Pond / High Growth

Early Pond /Low Growth

Late Pond /Low Growth

CriticalPeriod

Shifting ponding date of fryCriticalPeriod

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

NOAA hatcherySeattle

Weigh

t (g

)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Early Pond /High Growth

Late Pond / High Growth

Early Pond /Low Growth

Late Pond /Low Growth

J F M A M J J A S

Early Later Current Cle Elum pond date

Prec.Parr

Mini-Jack

32% 40% 72%72%

Tot.

22% 25% 52%52%

17% 31% 48%48%

13% 22% 35%

Egg incubation temperature significantly influences life-history composition

Early/High-MJ sires 33% 47% 80%80%