Abstract
Maturation in male parr is a common life history in Atlantic salmon, of importance for the population structure. The project performs a model study, in which both mature males and large adult males of Atlantic salmon are used to fertilize eggs in successive year classes from 2001 to 2005. The offspring, paternal half sib groups, are stocked as 0+juveniles and hatchery-reared to produce smolts for tagging and release. Microsatellite analysis will be used to identify families in the hatchery, in the river, among migrating smolts caught in a smolt trap and among the returned adults. The goal is to compare the development of the offspring of precocious mature males and large males to evaluate the consequences of using them as broodstock and to increase the general knowledge of the significance of mature male parr for population structure, maintenance and restoration.
Norway