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At least 577 records · Page 32Linked to original sources
USGS1997

Irregularly shaped otoliths from saugers prevent back-calculation of length at previous ages in Wyoming

We collected otoliths from saugers Stizostedion canadense in Boysen Reservoir, Bighorn Reservoir, and the Bighorn River in Wyoming to evaluate age and growth. All otoliths in our samples (264 fish) were irregularly shaped, and the irregularities became more pronounced with increasing age of the fish. Age estimates with irregular otoliths were possible, but back-calculation of length at previous ages was not possible as a result of radically inconsistent lengths of radii. It should not be assumed that otoliths can be used for back calculation of length at age among all stocks of sauger. The assumption of regular otolith formation within a stock should be tested before obtaining samples of otoliths for age and growth assessment.

Wyoming↗
USGS1997

Survival of hatchery-reared lake trout stocked near shore and off shore in Lake Ontario

Establishing a stock of mature, hatchery-reared fish is necessary to restore a self-sustaining population of lake trout Salvelinus namaycush in Lake Ontario. Stocking fish off shore rather than near shore to reduce predation on these fish by large lake trout or piscivorous birds may enhance survival of hatchery-reared fish and accelerate establishment of a population of adults. Results of an earlier study did not support routinely stocking fish off shore by helicopter in Lake Ontario, but stresses associated with helicopter stocking suggested another method of transporting fish off shore might enhance survival. I conducted this study to determine whether stocking lake trout off shore by barge would enhance first-year survival. Two lots of yearling lake trout were stocked at each of four locations in Lake Ontario in May 1992. One lot was stocked from shore, and an identical lot was transported by barge 3.4–10.4 km off shore of nearshore locations and stocked in water 46–52 m deep. Fish were recovered during trawl, gillnet, and creel surveys in 1992–1996. First-year survival of lake trout stocked off shore tended to be better than that of fish stocked near shore. Predation by double-crested cormorants Phalacrocorax auritus likely affected survival of fish stocked near shore at two locations, 7 and 37 km, respectively, from a nesting colony of 5,443 pairs of double-crested cormorants. Predation by large lake trout remains a viable hypothesis, which explains, at least partially, lower survival of lake trout stocked near shore at two other locations. Stocking lake trout off shore of traditional nearshore stocking sites likely will enhance first-year survival of hatchery-reared fish and promote accumulation of an adult population, especially for those occassions where nearshore stocking locations are near nesting colonies of double-crested cormorants.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗
USGS2011

Proposed standard weight (W(s)) equations for interior cutthroat trout

We developed standard weight (W(s); length-specific standard weight for the species) equations for inland cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki using the regression-line-percentile technique. Length and weight data from samples of 117 cutthroat trout populations (48 lentic and 69 lotic) over the interior range of the species were used. Separate W(s) equations were developed for lentic and lotic populations, as well as an overall equation. Relative weight (W(r); individual weight/W(s)) values did not change systematically with increasing fish length. No significant differences in mean W(r) were found among subspecies of cutthroat trout. Differences between lotic and lentic populations suggested the need for two separate equations.

western United States↗
USGS1997

Habitat use and feeding ecology of riverine juvenile American shad

We examined premigratory populations of American shad Alosa sapidissima in the upper Delaware River to determine habitat and microhabitat use, differential prey use among habitat types, and habitat suitability indices for this previously unmodeled life stage. Both seining and diving techniques were used to quantify juveniles in six habitat types with six physical habitat covariables. Plankton and drift samples also were compared with stomach contents within habitats. We found no relation between relative abundance of juveniles and habitat type, which suggests general use of most riverine habitats. Physical habitat variables likewise did not affect use of habitat within ranges recorded, with two exceptions: (1) a positive relationship between abundance and water temperature in riffles and (2) a positive relationship between abundance and percent submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) cover in SAV habitats. Opportunistic use of prey items was apparent; however, juveniles selected chironomid larvae and pupae and adult terrestrial insects and avoided ephemeropterans. Overlap between diets and available prey was high for most habitat types ( C λ mean = 0.71), especially for riffles ( C λ = 0.91). However, overlap for juveniles foraging at tributary mouths, where they strongly selected adult terrestrial insects, was low ( C λ = 0.49).

Pennsylvania↗
USGS1997

Video evaluation of passage efficiency of American shad and sea lamprey in a modified ice harbor fishway

Movement and behavior of adult American shad Alosa sapidissima and sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus were monitored by closed-circuit video at several locations within a modified Ice Harbor fishway. American shad ascended and descended the fishway exclusively by surface weirs, while sea lampreys used both surface weirs and submerged orifices. Upstream movement of American shad during the day was higher than at night at both lower and middle fishway observation sites. Peak downstream movement of American shad at both locations was associated with decreasing light levels in the evening. Sea lampreys moved primarily at night at the lower and middle fishway sites. Mean daily passage efficiency was low (1% for American shad, −2% for sea lamprey) at the lower fishway surface weir, but passage efficiency at the middle fishway surface weir was moderate (70% for American shad, 35% for sea lamprey) . High water velocity, air entrainment, and turbulence of the modified Ice Harbor fishway design appeared to inhibit American shad and sea lamprey passage by disrupting upstream migratory motivation and visual and rheotactic orientation.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗
USGS1997

Influence of basin-scale physical variables on life history characteristics of cutthroat trout in Yellowstone Lake

Individual spawning populations of Yellowstone cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri differ in life history characteristics associated with broad spatial and temporal environmental patterns, but relationships between specific life history characteristics of Yellowstone cutthroat trout and physical aspects of the environment are poorly understood. We examined basin-scale physical characteristics of tributary drainages and subbasins of Yellowstone Lake in relation to timing (peak and duration) of lacustrine–adfluvial Yellowstone cutthroat trout spawning migrations and mean length of cutthroat trout spawners in 27 tributaries to the lake. Stream drainages varied along gradients that can be described by mean aspect, mean elevation, and drainage and stream size. Approximately two-thirds of the variation in the timing of the peak of the annual cutthroat trout spawning migrations and average length of spawners was explained by third-order polynomial regressions with mean aspect and basin area as predictor variables. Because most cutthroat trout ascend tributaries soon after peak runoff, it appears that the influence of basin-scale physical variables on the date of the migration peak is manifested by the pattern of stream discharge. Spawner length does not seem to be a direct function of stream size in the Yellowstone Lake watershed, and aspect of the tributary basin seems to have a greater influence on the body length of cutthroat trout spawners than does stream size. Mechanisms that explain how the interaction of basin-scale physical variables influence spawner length were not investigated directly; however, we found evidence of distinct aggregations of cutthroat trout that are related to physical and limnological characteristics of the lake subbasins, and there is some indication that lake residence may be related to tributary location.

Wyoming↗
USGS1997

Introgression and susceptibility to disease in a wild population of rainbow trout

We examined susceptibility of wild rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss from the Metolius River, a tributary of the Deschutes River, Oregon, to genetic introgression and cerato myxosis as a result of stocking nonnative hatchery rainbow trout. Ceratomyxa shasta , an enzootic myxosporean parasite that can be lethal to nonnative hatchery rainbow trout, might have been limiting the interbreeding of hatchery and wild rainbow trout in the river. However, rainbow trout from the Metolius River had allozyme frequencies intermediate between those of wild and hatchery fish at LDH‐82* and sSOD‐1* , two diagnostic genetic loci that allow the inland subspecies of rainbow trout to be distinguished from hatchery strains of coastal origin. They also had notable frequencies of ADA‐1 *85 , an allele documented in hatchery rainbow trout but rarely seen in wild populations. We also found that rainbow trout in the Metolius River averaged 138.9 scales in the lateral series, intermediate between the counts for 9 coastal or nonnative hatchery populations, which always had fewer than 140 scales, and 10 inland populations, which always had more than 140 scales. Disease challenges revealed that rainbow trout from the Metolius River had much greater susceptibility to C. shasta than rainbow trout from the Deschutes River, which have genetic resistance to the lethal disease. Based on these data, we concluded that introgression with nonnative hatchery rainbow trout has reduced the abilities of wild rainbow trout in the Metolius River to survive when conditions for ceratomyxosis infection occur.

Oregon↗
USGS1998

Seasonal migration and homing of channel catfish in the lower Wisconsin River, Wisconsin

A multiyear tag and recapture study was conducted to determine whether channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus were migratory and if they had strong homing tendencies. Over 10,000 channel catfish were tagged from the lower Wisconsin River and adjacent waters of the upper Mississippi River during the 3-year sampling period. Data on movements were obtained from study recaptures and through tag returns and harvest information provided by sport anglers and commercial fishers. Channel catfish occupied relatively small home ranges during summer, migrated downstream to the upper Mississippi River in autumn, then migrated back up the Wisconsin River in spring to spawn and to occupy the same summer home sites they had used in previous summers. Fish size was a factor in the degree of fidelity to summer home sites, with larger fish showing greater fidelity.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗
USGS2011

Sampling effort and estimates of species richness based on prepositioned area electrofisher samples

Estimates of species richness based on electrofishing data are commonly used to describe the structure of fish communities. One electrofishing method for sampling riverine fishes that has become popular in the last decade is the prepositioned area electrofisher (PAE). We investigated the relationship between sampling effort and fish species richness at seven sites in the Tallapoosa River system, USA based on 1,400 PAE samples collected during 1994 and 1995. First, we estimated species richness at each site using the first-order jackknife and compared observed values for species richness and jackknife estimates of species richness to estimates based on historical collection data. Second, we used a permutation procedure and nonlinear regression to examine rates of species accumulation. Third, we used regression to predict the number of PAE samples required to collect the jackknife estimate of species richness at each site during 1994 and 1995. We found that jackknife estimates of species richness generally were less than or equal to estimates based on historical collection data. The relationship between PAE electrofishing effort and species richness in the Tallapoosa River was described by a positive asymptotic curve as found in other studies using different electrofishing gears in wadable streams. Results from nonlinear regression analyses indicted that rates of species accumulation were variable among sites and between years. Across sites and years, predictions of sampling effort required to collect jackknife estimates of species richness suggested that doubling sampling effort (to 200 PAEs) would typically increase observed species richness by not more than six species. However, sampling effort beyond about 60 PAE samples typically increased observed species richness by < 10%. We recommend using historical collection data in conjunction with a preliminary sample size of at least 70 PAE samples to evaluate estimates of species richness in medium-sized rivers. Seventy PAE samples should provide enough information to describe the relationship between sampling effort and species richness and thus facilitate evaluation of a sampling effort.

Alabama↗
USGS1998

Estimates of loss rates of jaw tags on walleyes

The rate of jaw tag loss was evaluated for walleye Stizostedion vitreum in Escanaba Lake, Wisconsin. We estimated tag loss using two recapture methods, a creel census and fykenetting. Average annual tag loss estimates were 17.5% for fish recaptured by anglers and 27.8% for fish recaptured in fyke nets. However, fyke-net data were biased by tag loss during netting. The loss rate of jaw tags increased with time and walleye length.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗
USGS2011

Habitat associations of small fishes around islands in the upper Mississippi River

In large rivers, islands provide a variety of habitat types and increase habitat heterogeneity. Creating or modifying islands with dredged sediments from channel maintenance operations provides an opportunity to enhance habitat features that might promote certain fish communities or general fish abundance. To determine associations between fish species and habitat features of islands, we sampled fish by seining at 62 sites around 20 islands in the upper Mississippi River from Winona, Minnesota, to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin (180 km). Habitat characteristics were divided into macrohabitat features associated with islands, such as island shape, location, or maximum depth around the island, and mesohabitat features of sites, such as depth, sediment type, and vegetation abundance. Cluster analysis of islands based on macrohabitat features identified four clusters distinguished primarily by water depth and distance from the main channel. Mean fish density did not differ among island clusters. Cluster analysis of sites based on mesohabitat features produced four clusters distinguished primarily by vegetation abundance. Mean densities of most fish taxa were highest in clusters with moderate or dense vegetation and lowest in the cluster with no vegetation. For the eight most abundant fish species, multiple-regression analysis of density on mesohabitat features across all sites indicated that all species were positively correlated with vegetation abundance, which explained 7-49% of variation in density. Our results suggest that mesohabitat features of sites were more important than macrohabitat features of islands in determining density of small fishes and that modifications that increase the abundance of vegetation around islands are most likely to increase fish density.

Minnesota, Wisconsin↗
USGS2011

Thermal marking of Atlantic salmon otoliths

By exposing fry of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar to various temperature regimes, we determined conditions required to produce a readable thermal otolith mark. Marks were quantified by using a darkness index that represented the number of times darker the mark was than the background. Minimum requirements for a strong mark were 1 d at a relatively warm premark temperature of 9°C and 8 h at a lower marking temperature (1°C). Temperature decreases of 4°C (from 5°C to 1°C) resulted in strong marks if fish were held at the premark temperature for 4 d and at the marking temperature for at least 24 h.

Vermont↗
USGS1998

Evaluation of a new miniature pressure-sensitive radio transmitter

A miniature pressure-sensitive radio transmitter (tag) was evaluated and field tested as a tool for determining the depths of juvenile salmonids. The tag had an effective radiated power of −19.7 decibels (1 mW reference), dimensions of 23 mm × 7 mm, and a weight of 2.2 g in air. The pulse rate of the tag increased with pressure, resulting in an expected tag life of approximately 11 d at the water surface and 7.5 d at 10.5 m. The tags were accurate to within 16 mm with 95% of observations within ±0.32 m of the true depth. The resolution of the tags was 0.2 m. Errors in indicated depth resulting from differences between the calibration and operating temperatures were minimized by means of a correction factor. Tags surgically implanted in juvenile steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss indicated a depth 0.2 m less than the same tags in water. This difference was not affected by pressure or temperature and was rectified by adjusting data from tags in fish. A test tag in a Columbia River reservoir was detected from distances of 1,133 m at a depth of 2 m and 148 m at a depth of 14 m. Results ind

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗
USGS1998

Detection of PIT-tagged subyearling Chinook salmon at a Snake River dam: Implications for summer flow augmentation

Rearing subyearling chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (≥60 mm in fork length) were captured in the Snake River and tagged with passive integrated transponders to provide an index of their survival to Lower Granite Dam, the first of eight dams encountered by seaward migrants. Water was released from reservoirs upstream of Lower Granite Dam to augment summer flows and thereby increase subyearling chinook salmon survival. Mean summer flow and maximum summer water temperature in Lower Granite Reservoir were highly correlated ( N = 4; r = −0.999). Acknowledging this correlation, we conducted two separate least-squares regressions using detection rate as the dependent variable. Detection rate at Lower Granite Dam was positively related to mean summer flow ( N = 4; r 2 = 0.993; P = 0.003) and negatively related to maximum summer water temperature ( N = 4; r 2 = 0.984; P = 0.008). Summer flow augmentation increased flow and decreased water temperature in Lower Granite Reservoir especially in low-flow years. Our results support summer flow augmentation as a beneficial interim recovery measure for enhancing survival of subyearling chinook salmon in the Snake River. Additional research should include replicate within-year releases of PIT-tagged subyearlings as well as studies of fish guidance efficiency.

Washington↗
USGS1998

Longevity of Lake Superior lake trout

The age structure of mature lake trout Salvelinus namaycush from the Wisconsin waters of Lake Superior increased following a population recovery that has taken place since the 1960s. As the population aged, it became apparent that scales were unreliable aging structures. Beginning in 1986, we examined both scale and sagittal otolith ages from tagged fish with a known period at liberty. We found large discrepancies in scale and sagittal otolith ages of mature fish, such that scale ages were biased low. We estimated lake trout living up to 42 years, which is greater than previously reported from Lake Superior. Investigators studying lake trout population dynamics in the Great Lakes should be aware that lake trout can live longer than previously thought.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗
USGS1998

Evidence for early metamorphosis of sea lampreys in the Chippewa River, Michigan

We determined age at metamorphosis to the juvenile or parasitic phase for sea lampreys Petromyzon marinus in a highly productive Great Lakes tributary to determine if the age at metamorphosis was earlier than expected. Ages determined from statoliths, a structure analogous to otoliths in teleost fishes, indicated that many sea lampreys collected from the Chippewa River, Michigan, in September 1995 were undergoing metamorphosis at age 2, at least 1 year earlier than previously observed. In all, 141 newly metamorphosed lampreys were examined, and 81% were estimated to be only 2 years old. The length-frequency distribution of newly metamorphosed sea lampreys in the Chippewa River also indicated the possibility of metamorphsis at age 2, but to a lesser extent than indicated by statolith aging. The Chippewa River is a highly productive stream that might require more frequent treatment than previously suspected. More careful examination of other highly productive streams is needed to determine if, and to what extent, sea lampreys metamorphose at age 2 in the Chippewa River and other Great Lakes tributaries.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗
USGS1999

Effect of slope and headpond on passage of American shad and blueback herring through simple Denil and deepened Alaska steeppass fishways

Passage and transit time of adult upstream-migrant American shad Alosa sapidissima and blueback herring A. aestivalis were investigated in standard Denil and Alaska steeppass fishways with variable slope and headpond under semicontrolled conditions. Percent of American shad passed per unit time (percent passage) increased with temperature, while time required to ascend from the fishway entrance to the exit (transit time) decreased with increasing temperature for both species. Increasing fishway slope decreased percent passage of American shad, regardless of fishway type. Higher fishway slope decreased percent passage of blueback herring in the steeppass fishway only. Low headpond enhanced percent passage of American shad in the Denil fishway, but decreased percent passage of American shad in the steeppass fishway. Headpond level had no effect on percent passage of blueback herring in either fishway. Because headpond level in the steeppass fishway affected percent passage of American shad but not the smaller blueback herring, the relatively small cross-sectional area of the steeppass fishway operated at low headpond may inhibit passage of larger species such as American shad. Transit time of American shad decreased with both increasing slope and high headpond, and American shad increased through-water swimming speed under these conditions. American shad appeared to regulate their swimming speed through Denil-type fishways below maximal values. Blueback herring ascended the fishways at speeds comparable to those of American shad. Shorter transit times were not associated with increased percent passage. Turbulence and air entrainment may influence percent passage of American shad more than longitudinal water velocity.

Alaska↗
USGS1998

Effects of reservoir hydrology on reproduction by largemouth bass and spotted bass in Normandy Reservoir, Tennessee

Age-0 largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides and spotted bass M. punctulatus were collected from Normandy Reservoir, Tennessee, 1992–1996, to evaluate effects of reservoir hydrology and hatching of shad Dorosoma spp. on hatching and first-year growth and survival of these two species. Fish were collected in cove rotenone samples in early Aug and electrofishing samples biweekly throughout the summer; hatch dates and age-specific growth for both species were determined from cove samples with sagittal otoliths. Hatching of both species ranged from early April to early Jun. Initiation of largemouth bass spawning, but not spotted bass spawning, was positively related to the first day water levels achieved full pool. Mean hatch dates of both species were positively related to the first day of full pool. Timing of spawning for both species was not related to water temperature. Largemouth bass exhibited bimodal length-frequency distributions by midsummer in two wet years and length frequencies were unimodal in dry years; spotted bass always formed unimodal length-frequency distributions. When largemouth bass exhibited bimodal length distributions, earlier hatched fish grew faster than later hatched fish. Spotted bass grew at similar rates, regardless of hatch date, every year except during 1992 when later hatched fish grew faster than earlier hatched fish. Weekly survival of largemouth bass in their first summer was positively related to reservoir water level. First-year growth of both species was not directly affected by the timing of threadfin shad D. petenense or gizzard shad D. cepedianum hatching.

Tennessee↗