Spawning period of a southern brown trout population in a highly unpredictable stream

The spawning period of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) was studied in the river Castril, southern Spain, by means of redd counts. This mountain stream is located near to the southern limit of the species' natural distribution range and it shows a highly unpredictable flow regime. The spawning period extended from December to mid-April and the maximum reproductive activity was in February. These results represent the latest reproduction date and the longest spawning period reported in the literature along the natural distribution range of the species. However, belated spawning in the Castril is congruent with the known latitudinal cline: the lower the latitude, the later the spawning period. Our results, along with a review of the literature on natural populations, also showed that the duration of reproduction is the longer, the lower the latitude. Spawning lasted twice as long in the main stem of the river, which is connected with a reservoir, than in the isolated reaches. These differences may be linked to the influence of the reservoir and to habitat fragmentation. We discuss and support the hypothesis that a long spawning period is an advantage for survival in unpredictable habitats. The belated and protracted spawning period found in river Castril has important implications in fisheries management. A strong research effort is needed in order to fill the critical lack of data on southern brown trout populations.