Olfactory Sensitivity during Parr and Smolt Developmental Stages of Coho Salmon

Abstract
The avoidance response of juvenile coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch to L-serine and D,L-alanine was measured in a two-choice Y-trough. Threshold concentration for olfactory detection and avoidance of L-serine was 10-8 M for zero-age parr, 10-7 M for yearling parr, 10-5 M for smolts in late April-early May, and 10-6 M for smolts in June. Threshold for the avoidance of D,L-alanine was 10-7 M for yearling parr, 10-6 M for smolts in late April-early May, and 10-5 M for smolts in June. These data suggest that (1) heightened olfactory sensitivity may not occur during smoltification or (2) smolts may be less disposed than parr to show avoidance behavior.

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