Movement and homing of cutthroat trout (Salmo clarki) in Bridge and Clear creeks, Yellowstone National Park

Mature cutthroat trout (Salmo otavki.)exhibited in-season homing to tributaries and redds in Clear and Bridge Creeks, Yellowstone ' National-Park, in 1967, 1968 and 1969.Of ,532 fish displaced from a small stream tributary to Clear Creek, 135 (26.4%) homed, 116 (21.8%) strayed and 281 (52.8%) were unaccounted for.Significantly fewer anosmic and blind fish homed than controls.More blind fish strayed than other groups.Of 190 fish displaced from the North and South Forks of Bridge Creek in ,1968 and 1969, 60 (31.6%) homed, 16 (8.4%)-strayedand 114 (60.0%) were unaccounted for.Fewer anosmic and blind fish homed than control and non-anesthetized.Mean homing times were shortest for non-anesthetized and progressively greater for control, anosmic and blind fish in both Clear and Bridge Creeks.Mean homing time for all groups from Clear Creek in 1969 was double that of 1968.Twenty-nine (40.9%) of 71 fish displaced from redds in Clear Creek in 1969 homed to the same redd from which they were taken.Eighteen (25.4%) returned to within 2-3 m of the home redd.Ten (14.1%) strayed and 14 (19.7%) were unaccounted for.Homing to redds did not appear to be affected by the distance displaced.