Prevalence of thiamine deficiency in salmonines from Lake Ontario

Session: Thiamine Deficiency in the Great Lakes (1)

Jacques Rinchard, The College at Brockport, State University of New York, jrinchar@brockport.edu
Matthew Futia, The University of Vermont, mfutia@uvm.edu
Donald Tillitt, U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Ctr., dtillitt@usgs.gov
Clifford Kraft, Cornell University, Dept. of Natural Resource, cek7@cornell.edu
Katie Edwards, Binghamton University / Cornell , kedwards@binghamton.edu

Abstract

Thiamine Deficiency Complex (TDC) is a nutritional disorder affecting recruitment in salmonine species from the Great Lakes region. It is characterized by a thiamine deficiency in eggs due to poor maternal transfer, resulting in high offspring mortality prior to first feeding. To determine the prevalence and severity of low thiamine concentrations, we monitored thiamine concentrations in liver, muscle, and eggs of lake trout, steelhead trout, coho salmon, and Chinook salmon from Lake Ontario in 2016 and 2017. One of the most dominant prey species for these salmonines, Alewife, were also collected in spring and fall in the western and eastern basin for lipid and thiamine analyses. Prevalence of TDC in Lake Ontario and its potential impediment to salmonine natural reproduction will be discussed.