Dana L. Winkelman E.R. Fetherman B.W. Avila 2023 <div class="abstract-group "><div class="article-section__content en main"><p>Both biotic and abiotic factors can influence the survival and growth of age-0 salmonids. Diseases, such as whirling disease, can also affect salmonid demographics and population dynamics. Here, we conducted a supplementary analysis and evaluated specific stream characteristics that may have been responsible for the differences in growth and survival of two whirling disease resistant Rainbow Trout<span>&nbsp;</span><i>Oncorhynchus mykiss</i><span>&nbsp;</span>strains observed by Avila et&nbsp;al. (2018). We used regression modeling to analyze the influence of the biotic and abiotic characteristics of nine streams on the short-term apparent survival and growth of two Rainbow Trout strains, 5,000 German Rainbow Trout and 5,000 German Rainbow Trout × Colorado River Rainbow Trout in each stream. Akaike's information criterion (AIC<i>_c</i>) model selection was used to identify the factors that most affected short-term survival and growth. Average stream temperature had the largest (positive) effect, β_temp = 0.060, on short-term survival. Rainbow Trout strain, average stream temperature (β_temp = 1.55), competitor biomass (β_{competitor biomass} = −0.002), and predator number (β_{predator number} = 0.01) additively affected short-term growth. Our results indicate that both biotic and abiotic factors are important short-term determinants of Rainbow Trout poststocking performance and may account for the differences in survival and growth that we observed among stocking locations.</p></div></div> application/pdf 10.1002/nafm.10895 en American Fisheries Society Biotic and abiotic factors affecting short-term survival of two age-0 Rainbow Trout strains in Colorado streams article