The Quadfather
1/30/2012 9:44:00 PMI'll give you one idea on the Sea liced Kokanee.... There is at least one other parasite out there that looks VERY much like Sea Lice, although it is a different form of critter. I cannot tell you its name, but if G-man reads this I know that he is familiar with it.
Thanks for your report.
Thanks for your report.
G-Man
1/31/2012 6:22:00 AMIntially I had similar thoughts and Salama pointed me in the right direction. It is a gill louse, a fresh water parasite, that really hit the kokanee and the salmon smolts hard and in some lakes. Lake Washington is infested as well and I believe that they are in part responsible for the poor survival rate of sockeye smolts prior to making their way to the salt. True sea lice are brown and have longer tails" than the gill louse.
MotoBoat
2/2/2012 3:31:00 PMSo, a question. Since Lakes Sammamish and Washington are both connected via the slough And Washington is connected to the salt water. What makes the Kokanee (immature Sockeye) land locked? Isn't there a small run of Sockeye that return to Lake Sam?
G-Man
2/3/2012 8:22:00 AMI know that there are a few sockeye that return to Sammamish every year. The majority hit the tributaries of the Slough prior to getting to Lake Sammamish as the number of creeks, streams and rivers that run into the lake and can support sockeye spawning has nose dived due to urban development. If there is enough food in a system, there will always be a number of anadromous fish that remain in that system rather than making the trip out to sea. Kind of like children, some of them never seem to leave home.
Steelhead6438
3/3/2012 11:50:00 PMYeah... these are a type of parasite that attach themselves to the salmon. They are not sea lice. G-Man is correct in what he stated. The salmon are definitely laboring because of this parasite, but at some time each year these parasites die off and the salmon look more healthy and active.