Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University YAMAMURA Orio
Eight species of the genus Oncorhynchus
have speciated in the North Pacific Ocean and reigned as “champions” of
subarctic waters. How did the ancestors of salmonids, which originally
completed their life histories in rivers, come to exploit the ocean? The key to
the answer lies in the differences in productivity of both habitats under cold
climates. This lecture will outline how salmonids utilize the productive forces
of the ocean, what is their position (niche) as members of the ecosystem, and
how they are affected by climate change.
