interpreted the data as showing that smelts may show an initially accelerated or prolonged 

 growth when introduced into a reclaimed lake, but that later the growth characteristics of 

 the transferred population return to those of the source populations. Meristlc characters 

 were little affected by the transfer. Copeman and McAllister (1978) concluded that extended 

 analysis of the transplant data did not refute the hypothesis that there are two 

 hereditarily different forms of smelt. The existence of reproductively isolated populations 

 of large and small smelt is not easily explained by the environmental hypothesis. Gill 

 raker counts suggest that the populations transferred were pygmy smelts. 



Delisle (1969a) and Legault and Delisle (1968) studied growth, life history, ecology and 

 taxonomy of smelt in Lake Heney, Gatineau County, Quebec. This lake is 143 m above sea 

 level and drains into the Gatineau River, a tributary of the Ottawa River. Delisle (1969a) 

 found the pygmy smelt population averaging 120 mm at 5 years and the sympatric population of 

 rainbow smelt exhibiting more rapid growth and averaging 230 mm total length (TL) at the 

 same age. The rainbow smelt spawned at 4 degrees C before ice break-up, March 17 to 

 April 12; the pygmy smelt at 4-8 degrees C, between April 2 and May 10, after break-up. At 

 larger sizes the rainbow smelt fed at a higher trophic level and preyed upon the pygmy 

 smelt, while the pygmy smelt was planktivorous throughout life. Delisle (1969a) also found 

 differences in meristic and morphometric characters some of which permitted 100% separation 

 of the two populations. Delisle (1969a) concluded that additional studies were needed 

 before the two populations could be distinguished as species. 



Bridges and Delisle (1974) studied visual pigments in pygmy smelt, and in anadromous and 

 lacustrine rainbow smelt. They found that pygmy smelt in Lake Utopia (in May), 

 New Brunswick had 92% rhodopsin and had 93-97% rhodopsin when transplanted to Meach Lake 

 (May) and Lake Ouimet (May-June), Quebec. Pygmy and rainbow smelt from Lake Heney 

 (March-October) had only 0-4%, while St. Lawrence River samples varied from 96.2% (in 

 spring) to 9.3% (in summer). The results are difficult to explain, but suggest at least one 

 possible difference between pygmy smelt from lakes Utopia and Heney and the existence of 

 annual changes within populations. 



Copeman (1973, 1977) performed multivariate analyses of 32 mensural and meristic 

 characters on 12 spawning site samples of anadromous and lacustrine smelts from eastern 

 North America. Pygmy smelt from Green Lake (tributary of Union River), Hancock County, 

 Maine and Lake Heney, Quebec, were morphologically 100% separable from both lacustrine and 

 anadromous rainbow smelts using all characteristics, 92.5% and 97.5% separable using total 

 gill rakers alone, and all meristic characters respectively. He did not study directly the 

 rainbow smelt reported from Green Lake, Maine, but did study smelt in lakes Superior, Huron 

 and Erie descended from a 1912 planting of rainbow smelt from Green Lake into Crystal Lake, 

 Michigan. Between anadromous and lacustrine rainbow smelts groups 99.0% correct 

 identification was achieved using all characters, 89.1% with total gill rakers and 91.3% 

 using both gill rakers and vertebrae. He indicated that identification success and 

 biological data fulfilled criteria for species recognition of the pygmy smelt, and that 

 identification levels for anadromous and lacustrine rainbow smelt suggested subspecific 

 status. He felt that before formal species recognition was accorded the pygmy smelt, that 



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