Spatial and temporal effects of interspecific competition between Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) in winter

Previous work has shown that juvenile stream-dwelling salmonids become predominantly nocturnal during winter by emerging from daytime refuges to feed, with several species having been shown to prefer slow-flowing water while active at night. We used seminatural stream channels, landscaped to provide a choice of water depths, and hence velocities, to test whether Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, and brown trout, Salmo trutta, show similar habitat preferences during winter. We also tested whether there was any spatial or temporal displacement of Atlantic salmon when in sympatry with brown trout. Nighttime observations revealed that Atlantic salmon did have a preference for slow-flowing water. However, when in direct competition with trout, salmon either remained predominantly nocturnal but occupied shallower water, or became significantly less nocturnal, spending more time active during the day than when in allopatry. These results, which were especially marked in relatively larger fish, indicate that competition between the two species for food and resources is not restricted to the summer months and may affect both the short- and long-term growth and survival of overwintering wild Atlantic salmon