Wondering if anyone knows why we don't see argulid infestation on our resident salmon? I have caught hundreds of resident coho and juvenile blackmouth and can't remember seeing very many if any argulids on them. The cutthroat on the other hand are carrying 12 to 30+ of the parasites each.
Although I tend to think of salmon as more open water fish and cutthroat more with shoreline, i catch many salmon feeding in the same tidal zones as cutthroat. Resident coho also spend a significant amount of time in Puget Sound after net pen release. Why no argulids?
SRC spend at least some time in streams spawning and in theory the freshwater should clean the parasites. I would think the amount of time between freshwater journeys and the time juvenile salmon are in the Sound would be similar in time frame. If both species are exposed to the same environment for the same amount of time, i would think we'd see similar parasitic infestation.
Is it as simple as cutthroat spending time in shallower, rockier, and possibly warmer zones? I've reached out to the Coastal Cutthroat Coalition as well and will post any insights they have.
-Steve
Although I tend to think of salmon as more open water fish and cutthroat more with shoreline, i catch many salmon feeding in the same tidal zones as cutthroat. Resident coho also spend a significant amount of time in Puget Sound after net pen release. Why no argulids?
SRC spend at least some time in streams spawning and in theory the freshwater should clean the parasites. I would think the amount of time between freshwater journeys and the time juvenile salmon are in the Sound would be similar in time frame. If both species are exposed to the same environment for the same amount of time, i would think we'd see similar parasitic infestation.
Is it as simple as cutthroat spending time in shallower, rockier, and possibly warmer zones? I've reached out to the Coastal Cutthroat Coalition as well and will post any insights they have.
-Steve