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At least 361 records · Page 20Linked to original sources
USGS2003

Snorkeling as an alternative to depletion electrofishing for assessing cutthroat trout and brown trout in stream pools

We compared abundance and length structure estimates of cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) of 15 cm total length or greater obtained by snorkeling in stream pools with estimates obtained by depletion electrofishing . We sampled 12 pools in each of two streams formed by large springs in the Salt River Valley of western Wyoming. Snorkeling counts provided a relatively accurate index of depletion electrofishing estimates of abundance of cutthroat trout , but not brown trout . Linear regression analysis showed that snorkeling counts were significantly related to depletion electrofishing estimates for both cutthroat trout (P < 0.001) and brown trout (P = 0.002), but the coefficient of determination for brown trout (r 2 = 0.33) was low compared to cutthroat trout (r 2 = 0.95). Frequencies of fish in three length classes observed by snorkeling and depletion electrofishing were close to being significantly different for cutthroat trout (P = 0.066) and substantially different for brown trout (P= 0.005). Snorkeling frequently failed to observe fish in the shortest length class (15–29 cm total length) of both cutthroat trout and brown trout .

Journal of Freshwater Ecology↗
USGS2003

Habitat selection of the channel darter, Percina (Cottogaster) copelandi, a surrogate for the imperiled pearl darter, Percina aurora

Percina (Cottogaster) aurora is an imperiled species under consideration for listing by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. To better understand habitat use of P. aurora , we studied a related and more abundant Cottogaster species, Percina copelandi , from the Ouachita River, Arkansas. We used a laboratory stream system to examine mesohabitat selection (pools versus riffles) and microhabitat selection (substratum particle size) of P. copelandi over three temperature regimes (summer, spring, and winter). Percina copelandi selected pool habitats over riffles and selected pools with coarse substrata ( e.g. , cobble) over fine substrata ( e.g. , gravel). In riffles, P. copelandi selected large substrata during winter and spring but did not show particle size selection during summer. These data, and various published and unpublished field data for P. aurora , suggest that habitat use of P. aurora is also centered around deep runs and pools, with large substrata likely being more important at low water temperatures.

Journal of Freshwater Ecology↗
USGS2004

Fishes and habitat characteristics of the Keya Paha River, South Dakota-Nebraska

Fishes were collected in four mainstem reaches and eight tributary reaches in the Keya Paha River basin during May and June 2002. Most reaches were characteristically run habitats with sand substrates and riparian pastures. Data were combined with historical records to construct a basin-wide ichthyofaunal list which comprised 38 species from seven families. Dominant species were sand shiners ( Notropis ludibundus ; 47%), red shiners ( Cyprinella lutrensis ; 37%), and brassy minnows ( Hybognathus hankinsoni ; 8%). Dominant game species were bluegill ( Lepomis machrochirus ) and channel catfish ( Ictalurus punctatus ). We found one species previously listed as rare in South Dakota - plains topminnow ( Fundulus sciadicus ), and four species not previously found in the Keya Paha River - silver chub ( Macrhybopsis storeriana ), river carpsucker ( Carpiodes carpio ), northern pike ( Esox Indus ), yellow perch ( Perca flavescens ).

Nebraska, South Dakota↗
USGS2004

Elevation and stream-size thresholds affect distributions of native and exotic warmwater fishes in Wyoming

This study was conducted to assess the influence of elevation and stream width on the occurrence of 28 native and six exotic fish species using data collected (1954-2003) from 1,114 stream reaches in Wyoming. Medians and ranges of elevation and stream width were used to assess how elevation and stream width influenced the occurrence of individual species and to indicate which species had large and small ranges of distribution. Twenty-four species were common at elevations below 1,550 m and 31 species occurred in streams less than 20 m wide. The six exotic species had the potential to overlap all of the native species with regard to both elevation and stream width. In general, species that were collected over a wide range of elevations were also collected over a wide range of stream widths. Red shiner ( Cyprinella lutrensis ) and river carpsucker ( Carpiodes carpio ) occurred over the smallest elevation ranges (< 250 m), whereas longnose sucker ( Catostomus catostomus ) was sampled over the greatest elevation ranges (> 2,500 m). Longnose sucker and white sucker ( Catostomus commersoni ) occurred over the greatest ranges in stream widths (> 90 m), and brook stickleback ( Culaea inconstans ), black bullhead ( Ameiurus melas ), and quillback ( Carpiodes cyprinus ) were found over the lowest ranges in stream widths (< 12 m). The distributions of native and exotic species in streams that transition from the Rocky Mountains to the Great Plains were largely explained by elevation and stream width.

Wyoming↗
USGS2004

Characteristics of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) and shadow bass (Ambloplites ariommus) populations in an Ozark stream before and after rainbow trout introduction

We evaluated characteristics of smallmouth bass ( Micropterus dolomieu ) and shadow bass ( Ambloplites ariommus ) populations in a small, northeastern Oklahoma Ozark stream from February 2000 to March 2003 to evaluate potential effects of rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) introduction on these species. We experimentally stocked rainbow trout into the stream from November 2000 to March 2001 and November 2001 to March 2002. Mark-recapture and telemetry data showed patterns of limited movement among pool habitats by both bass species, and presence of rainbow trout in Brush Creek did not appear to influence movement patterns. We documented recruitment by smallmouth and shadow bass during our study, indicating that rainbow trout introduction did not inhibit spawning. Mean relative weight (Wr) of smallmouth bass ranged from 77 - 80, and we did not detect differences in relative weight among pre-stocking, the first year of stocking, and the second year of stocking. It appears that important population characteristics of these two species in our study stream were not negatively impacted by rainbow trout introduction.

Oklahoma↗
USGS2004

Factors affecting swimming performance of fasted rainbow trout with implications of exhaustive exercise on overwinter mortality

We evaluated the effects of body size, water temperature, and sustained swimming activity on swimming performance and the effects of exhaustive exercise on mortality of fasted juvenile rainbow trout. Fasting caused swimming performance to decline more rapidly for small fish than large fish, and warmer water temperatures and sustained swimming activity further decreased swimming performance. Exhaustive exercise increased mortality among fasted fish. Our observations suggest that juvenile rainbow trout with little or no food intake during winter can swim for long periods of time with little effect on mortality, but swimming to exhaustion can enhance mortality, especially among the smallest juveniles.

Journal of Freshwater Ecology↗
USGS2004

Drought responses of freshwater mussels (Unionidae) in coastal plain tributaries of the Flint River basin, Georgia

During extreme drought conditions, mussel survival and habitat conditions were monitored weekly at nine locations representing a gradient in stream size in the lower Flint River basin, Georgia, USA. Cumulative unionid mortality ranged from 13 to 93% among sites, and was associated with low flow velocity (below 0.01 m/s) and dissolved oxygen concentrations below 5 mg/L. Species assemblages demonstrated differential mortality under declining dissolved oxygen conditions. Riffle and medium-large stream mussel assemblages had greater mortality than generalist assemblages under reduced dissoloved oxygen (DO < 5 mg/L). Mussel community composition at medium-sized sites shifted toward greater dominance of generalist species and lower proportions of riffle and medium-large stream species. At other sites, community structure changed little, likely due to the dominance of drought-resilient species in small streams and less detrimental changes in stream habitat conditions in large streams. Low flow conditions and severe drought adversely affected mussel distributions and assemblages, particularly in high diversity, medium-sized streams.

Georgia↗
USGS2004

Age and growth of flathead catfish, Pylodictus olivaris rafinesque, in the Altamaha River system, Georgia

Flathead catfish were introduced to the Altamaha River system, Georgia in the 1970's. We determined the length-weight relationship, Von Bertalanffy growth parameters, and back calculated lengths by examining the sagittal otoliths of 331 individuals captured from this population. We found that there were no sex related differences in length weight relationship or Von Bertalanffy growth parameters. Flathead catfish in the Altamaha River system grow at about the same rate as individuals in other introduced populations.

Georgia↗
USGS2004

Habitat selection by two species of burrowing mayfly nymphs in the Les Cheneaux Islands region of northern Lake Huron

This study focused primarily on the habitat preferences of Hexagenia limbata and Ephemera simulans , two species prevalent in northern Lake Huron, to gain a better understanding of the key components that determined their distribution and abundance. Both species preferred habitats based upon depth and sediment type. In addition, the burrowing activity of H. limbata was examined using in-situ, underwater sampling techniques specifically designed for the study. SCUBA divers made resin casts and took clear sediment cores in order to study how the burrow densities of H. limbata related to the sediment: water volume ratios. H. limbata contributed to the bioturbation and sediment porosity in specific, fine-sediment habitats. Younger age classes of this species utilized the burrows of their larger cohorts, an adaptation that could allow for energy savings and optimized growth.

Journal of Freshwater Ecology↗
USGS2005

Effects of lowhead dams on the ephemeropterans, plecopterans, and trichopterans group in a north American River

We assessed the effects of lowhead dams on the EPT group (ephemeropterans, plecopterans, and trichopterans) by sampling habitat and macroinvertebiates monthly from November 2000 to October 2001 at eight gravel bars centered around two lowhead dams on the Neosho River, Lyon County, Kansas. Sites included a reference and treatment site upstream and downstream from each dam. Percent EFT was greater at reference sites than upstream treatment sites, and was positively correlated with stream velocity and %gravel in the substrate, but negatively correlated with substrate compaction and %boulder in the substrate. These results are similar to those for large dams and suggest that differences in habitat around these lowhead dams are unfavorable for EPT taxa, a finding important to the conservation and restoration of biotic integrity in riverine ecosystems.

Kansas↗
USGS2005

Relationships of elevation, channel slope, and stream width to occurrences of native fishes at the Great Plains-Rocky Mountains interface

Environmental gradients occur with upstream progression from plains to mountains and affect the occurrence of native warmwater fish species, but the relative importance of various environmental gradients are not defined. We assessed the relative influences of elevation, channel slope, and stream width on the occurrences of 15 native warmwater fish species among 152 reaches scattered across the North Platte River drainage of Wyoming at the interface of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. Most species were collected in reaches that were lower in elevation, had lower channel slopes, and were wider than the medians of the 152 sampled reaches. Several species occurred over a relatively narrow range of elevation, channel slope, or stream width among the sampled reaches, but the distributions of some species appeared to extend beyond the ranges of the sampled reaches. We identified competing logistic-regression models that accounted for the occurrence of individual species using the information-theoretic approach. Linear logistic-regression models accounted for patterns in the data better than curvilinear models for all species. The highest ranked models included channel slope for seven species, elevation for six species, stream width for one species, and both channel slope and stream width for one species. Our results suggest that different environmental gradients may affect upstream boundaries of different fish species at the interface of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains in Wyoming.

Journal of Freshwater Ecology↗
USGS2005

Prey selection by trout in a spring-fed stream: Terrestrial versus aquatic invertebrates

We evaluated the prey sources that contributed to the diets of brown trout ( Salmo trutta ) and rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) in Valley Creek, Minnesota during the summer of 2003. We collected drift before dawn and in the afternoon on five dates in June, July, and August 2003 in three sequential riffles. Immediately following drift sampling, we collected brown and rainbow trout, 13–20 cm in length, in pools immediately below the riffles where drift was collected. Terrestrial invertebrates numerically comprised about 3% of the drift across times and dates but made up approximately 10% by number of the overall diet of brown and rainbow trout. Trout were size-selective, preferring larger invertebrates by both length (7.0–12.9 mm) and biomass. Gammarus pseudolimnaeus made up about 75% of the diet of brown trout and about 60% of the diet of rainbow trout based on biomass. Diet overlap was >60% for both trout in relation to total individuals, length, and biomass of invertebrate prey.

Journal of Freshwater Ecology↗
USGS2005

Habitat associations of age-0 cutthroat trout in a spring stream improved for adult salmonids

Native cutthroat trout ( Oncorhynchus clarki ) in the Snake River watershed use streams formed by large springs for spawning and nursery habitat. Several spring streams have been modified to enhance abundance of adult salmonids, but the habitat associations of age-0 cutthroat trout in these systems are undescribed. We assessed the frequency of collection of age-0 cutthroat trout in riffles, riffle margins, pool margins, and backwaters from late June to the middle of August 2000 in a spring stream with such modifications. The proportion of sites in which age-0 cutthroat trout were collected increased up to the middle of July and then decreased. We found substantially lower frequencies of collection of age-0 cutthroat trout in riffles compared to the three stream-margin habitat types. Age-0 cutthroat trout appeared to select shallow, low-velocity, stream-margin habitat with cover that provided protection from piscivorous adult salmonids and avian predators. Our observations suggest that modification of spring streams for production of cutthroat trout should include efforts to manage stream margins so they provide cover in the form of aquatic macrophytes or overhanging vegetation for age-0 fish.

Journal of Freshwater Ecology↗
USGS2005

Biotic and abiotic correlates with black bullhead population characteristics in Nebraska sandhill lakes

We explored relationships among black bullhead ( Ameiurus melas ) population characteristics and physicochemical attributes in shallow lakes and quantified relationships between population characteristics of black bullhead and sport fishes. Lake characteristics and fisheries survey data were collected from the Sandhills region of northcentral Nebraska from May through June, 1998 and 1999. Relative abundance of black bullheads was inversely related to proportional stock density (r=-0.672, df=15, P=0.004); however, neither relative weight nor growth was significantly (P ≥ 0.20) related to black bullhead relative abundance. Population characteristics of common panfish species such as bluegill ( Lepomis macrochirus ), green sunfish ( L. cyanellus ), pumpkinseed ( L. gibbosus ), and yellow perch ( Perca flavescens ) were not correlated with black bullhead relative abundance or size structure. Rather, proportional stock density (r=0.655, df=10, P=0.029) and growth (r=0.59, df=11, P=0.04) of black bullhead were positively related to relative abundance of largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides. ) Similarly, black bullhead relative abundance was inversely related to largemouth bass size structure (r=-0.51, df=14, P=0.05). Black bullhead mean length at age 3 was positively related to total phosphorous concentration (r=0.65, df=16, P=0.004), and bullhead relative abundance was positively related to shoreline development index (r=0.46, df=22, P=0.03). Population characteristics of black bullhead appeared to have little influence on panfish communities. Rather, black bullhead abundance, predator density, and lake productivity exhibited stronger relationships with black bullhead population characteristics.

Nebraska↗
USGS2005

Evaluating single-pass catch as a tool for identifying spatial pattern in fish distribution

We evaluate the efficacy of single-pass electrofishing without blocknets as a tool for collecting spatially continuous fish distribution data in headwater streams. We compare spatial patterns in abundance, sampling effort, and length-frequency distributions from single-pass sampling of coastal cutthroat trout ( Oncorhynchus clarki clarki ) to data obtained from a more precise multiple-pass removal electrofishing method in two mid-sized (500&ndash;1000 ha) forested watersheds in western Oregon. Abundance estimates from single- and multiple-pass removal electrofishing were positively correlated in both watersheds, r = 0.99 and 0.86. There were no significant trends in capture probabilities at the watershed scale (P > 0.05). Moreover, among-sample variation in fish abundance was higher than within-sample error in both streams indicating that increased precision of unit-scale abundance estimates would provide less information on patterns of abundance than increasing the fraction of habitat units sampled. In the two watersheds, respectively, single-pass electrofishing captured 78 and 74% of the estimated population of cutthroat trout with 7 and 10% of the effort. At the scale of intermediate-sized watersheds, single-pass electrofishing exhibited a sufficient level of precision to be effective in detecting spatial patterns of cutthroat trout abundance and may be a useful tool for providing the context for investigating fish-habitat relationships at multiple scales.

Oregon↗
USGS2006

In situ growth of juvenile zebra mussels in a regulated stream

We investigated the in situ growth of juvenile zebra mussels ( Dreissena polymorpha ) in a reach of the Huron River (southeast Michigan) below a dam with a control gate that regulates water levels. Growth was significantly different among sample dates over a five-month-long monitoring season. Mean growth of mussels generally decreased from 0.093 mm/day just above the dam to 0.067 mm/day 4 km downstream, then increased to 0.091 mm/day at end of the 17-km-long study area. Significant differences among sites were most numerous in August during a severe drought when discharges fell substantially. Growth was positively correlated with discharges (R 2 = 0.94, p < 0.01). The positive correlation between growth and chlorophyll a levels in the study area, however, was weak (R 2 = 0.69, p < 0.1). Our study suggests that discharge may be one controlling factor for dreissenid populations in small streams.

Michigan↗
USGS2006

Diel and seasonal variation in food habits of Atlantic salmon parr in a small stream

The diel and seasonal food habits of young-of-year (YOY) and post-young-of-year (PYOY) Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) parr were assayed over the course of 11 months in the West Brook, Massachusetts USA. Gut fullness of YOY salmon did not vary significantly among months. PYOY salmon exhibited significant seasonal differences in gut fullness, with peak fullness occurring in the spring and late fall. Significant diel differences in PYOY gut fullness occurred in June and April, with peak fullness always occurring at dawn. Prey composition varied substantially among months. Dominant prey items of PYOY salmon were baetid mayflies in June, July, and August, limnephilid caddisflies in October and November, and ephemerellid mayflies in February and April. Few differences in prey composition between PYOY and YOY salmon were observed. Fish growth was unrelated to prey availability, but gut fullness explained up to 97% of growth variation across seasons. Results suggest that spring and fall are critical periods of feeding for PYOY salmon and that diel feeding intensity shifts seasonally.

Journal of Freshwater Ecology↗
USGS2007

Fish assemblages of the upper Little Sioux River basin, Iowa, USA: Relationships with stream size and comparison with historical assemblages

We characterized the fish assemblages in second to fifth order streams of the upper Little Sioux River basin in northwest Iowa, USA and compared our results with historical surveys. The fish assemblage consisted of over twenty species, was dominated numerically by creek chub, sand shiner, central stoneroller and other cyprinids, and was dominated in biomass by common carp. Most of the species and the great majority of all individuals present were at least moderately tolerant to environmental degradation, and biotic integrity at most sites was characterized as fair. Biotic integrity declined with increasing stream size, and degraded habitat in larger streams is a possible cause. No significant changes in species richness or the relative distribution of species' tolerance appear to have occurred since the 1930s.

Iowa↗