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USGS2011

Catfish science: Status and trends in the 21st century

Catfish science, the study of the fish order Siluriformes, is a diverse and expanding field in terms of advances and breadth of topics. We compiled literature from primary fisheries journals as an index of interest and advances in catfish science to examine temporal trends in the field. The number of catfish scientific publications varied over the past century with strong peaks during 1975–1979 and 2005–2010, which may be the result of interactive scientific and societal influences. Catfish biology was the predominant publication topic until the late 1990s, when ecology, techniques, and management publications became more prevalent. Articles on catfish ecology were most numerous in both the first and second international catfish symposia, but publications on techniques and conservation were more numerous in the second catfish symposium than the first. We summarize the state of knowledge, recent advances, and areas for future attention among topics in catfish science, including sampling and aging techniques, population dynamics, ecology, fisheries management, species diversity, nonnative catfish, and human dimensions, with an emphasis on the gains in this second symposium. Areas that we expect to be pursued in the future are development of new techniques and validation of existing methods; expansion of research to less-studied catfish species; broadening temporal, spatial, and organizational scales; interdisciplinary approaches; and research on societal views and constituent demands. Meeting these challenges will require scientists to span beyond their professional comfort zones to effectively reach higher standards. We look forward to the coming decade and the many advances in the conservation, ecology, and management of catfish that will be shared.

Conference Paper↗

USGS2013

An evaluation of liquid ammonia (ammonium hydroxide) as a candidate piscicide

Eradication of populations of nonnative aquatic species for the purpose of reintroducing native fish is often difficult because very few effective tools are available for removing aquatic organisms. This creates the need to evaluate new chemicals that could be used as management tools for native fish conservation. Ammonia is a natural product of fish metabolism and is naturally present in the environment at low levels, yet is known to be toxic to most aquatic species. Our objective was to determine the feasibility of using liquid ammonia as a fisheries management tool by evaluating its effectiveness at killing undesirable aquatic species and its persistence in a pond environment. A suite of invasive aquatic species commonly found in the southwestern USA were introduced into two experimental outdoor ponds located at the Rocky Mountain Research Station in Flagstaff, Arizona. Each pond was treated with ammonium hydroxide (29%) at 38 ppm. This target concentration was chosen because previous studies using anhydrous ammonia reported incomplete fish kills in ponds at concentrations less than 30 ppm. Water quality was monitored for 49 d to determine how quickly the natural bacteria in the environment converted the ammonia to nitrate. Ammonia levels remained above 8 ppm for 24 and 18 d, respectively, in ponds 1 and 2. Nitrite levels in each pond began to rise approximately 14 d after dosing with ammonia and stayed above 5 ppm for an additional 21 d in pond 1 and 18 d in pond 2. After 49 d all water in both ponds was drained and no fish, crayfish, or tadpoles were found to have survived the treatment, but aquatic turtles remained alive and appeared unaffected. Liquid ammonia appears to be an effective tool for removing many problematic invasive aquatic species and may warrant further investigation as a piscicide.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

USGS2025

Estimating mortality of Lake Sturgeon in the Lake Winnebago system using traditional age-based approaches and capture–recapture models

Objective The Lake Winnebago system in Wisconsin supports a popular winter spear fishery for Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens . Setting harvest caps for this fishery relies on estimating instantaneous natural mortality rate ( M ), which can be done using age-based approaches or capture–recapture models that incorporate recoveries of fish with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags or detections of fish with acoustic transmitters. Our objectives were to determine (1) if recent estimates of exploitation ( u ) have exceeded the 5% harvest cap, (2) if M and total mortality rates are similar among estimation methods that rely on age estimates or capture–recapture methods, and (3) if potential differences in mortality estimates would affect harvest caps. Methods Harvest of PIT-tagged fish was used to evaluate u from 2010 to 2019. Catch curves incorporating corrected fin ray ages were used to estimate total mortality and M for fish collected from 2010 to 2019. Capture–recapture models were used to estimate annual survival and M from detections of fish with acoustic transmitters from 2007 to 2019 and recoveries of PIT-tagged fish from 1999 to 2020. Mortality estimates were used to calculate and compare sex-specific harvest caps among estimation methods. Results Observed u did not exceed 5% for either sex between 2010 and 2019. Estimates of M varied among methods (males: M = 0.001–0.134; females: M = 0.001–0.131), with PIT-based models consistently providing the lowest and telemetry-based models providing the highest estimates. Simulations indicated that female u has limited potential to exceed 5% if M from fin ray ages or telemetry is used to set harvest caps, while PIT-based simulations showed no indication of cap exceedance. Conclusions Harvest management practices in the Lake Winnebago system appear to have kept Lake Sturgeon exploitation below the 5% harvest cap from 2010 to 2019. Capture–recapture models relying on PIT tags appear to provide the most precise approach for setting harvest caps for this fishery.

Wisconsin↗

USGS1993

Applications of bioenergetics models to fish ecology and management: where do we go from here?

Papers and panel discussions given during a 1992 symposium on bioenergetics models are summarized. Bioenergetics models have been applied to a variety of research and management questions related to fish stocks, populations, food webs, and ecosystems. Applications include estimates of the intensity and dynamics of predator-prey interactions, nutrient cycling within aquatic food webs of varying trophic structure, and food requirements of single animals, whole populations, and communities of fishes. As tools in food web and ecosystem applications, bioenergetics models have been used to compare forage consumption by salmonid predators across the Laurentian Great Lakes for single populations and whole communities, and to estimate the growth potential of pelagic predators in Chesapeake Bay and Lake Ontario. Some critics say that bioenergetics models lack sufficient detail to produce reliable results in such field applications, whereas others say that the models are too complex to be useful tools for fishery managers. Nevertheless, bioenergetics models have achieved notable predictive successes. Improved estimates are needed for model parameters such as metabolic costs of activity, and more complete studies are needed of the bioenergetics of larval and juvenile fishes. Future research on bioenergetics should include laboratory and field measurements of key model parameters such as weight-dependent maximum consumption, respiration and activity, and thermal habitats actually occupied by fish. Future applications of bioenergetics models to fish populations also depend on accurate estimates of population sizes and survival rates.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗

USGS1999

The growth-temperature relation of juvenile lake whitefish

The lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis supports major commercial fisheries in Lakes Superior, Huron, and Michigan, where it is managed on a sustained-yield basis; it also supports a recreational hook-and-line fishery in some Great Lakes embayments and nearshore areas. To better understand habitat use by juvenile lake whitefish in the Great Lakes, we acclimated groups of test fish in the laboratory to 5, 10, 15, 18, 21, and 24°C and fed them to excess twice daily for 55 d. The test fish increased in length and weight at all of the test temperatures and at the end of the study were heaviest and longest at 18.1°C. A curve fitted to the specific growth rate data indicated that the optimum temperature for growth was 18.5°C and, thus, that the fundamental thermal niche for juvenile lake whitefish is 15.5–19.5°C. Our results support the limited, published information on thermal ecology of wild, free-ranging juvenile lake whitefish in the Great Lakes.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗

USGS2024

Shellfish aquaculture farms as foraging habitat for nearshore fishes and crabs

Objective Oyster reefs across North America have declined precipitously over the past 140 years. In Washington State, Olympia oyster Ostrea lurida reefs historically provided water filtration and nearshore structural habitat for fishes and invertebrates, but this species is now functionally extinct across its historical range. In place of these naturally occurring reefs, shellfish farms consisting mainly of nonnative Pacific oysters Magallana gigas now occupy patches of nearshore habitat across Washington. These farms modify intertidal substrate by adding structural habitat via suspended oyster grow bags, predator exclusion nets, loose oyster beds, and other shellfish grow-out gear. As interest and investment in shellfish aquaculture have expanded both locally and globally, so has interest in how these farms modify intertidal habitat and whether the complex structure created by the shellfish and shellfish growing gear provides ecosystem services that are comparable to those of unfarmed areas, such as mudflats and eelgrass meadows. Methods In this study, we sought to quantify how shellfish farms are used as foraging habitat for several common nearshore species of fish and crabs in Puget Sound, Washington. We used direct observations of species-specific behaviors from underwater video to model how habitat type affected observed foraging rates. Result We obtained a total of 393 crab observations, 431 demersal fish observations, and 1856 pelagic fish observations across all seven farm sites. Several common species of pelagic fish (e.g., surfperch [Embiotocidae]) used aquaculture-growing gear more frequently than unfarmed areas as foraging habitat, but Metacarcinus spp. crabs displayed higher foraging frequency in unfarmed mudflats. Species groups such as sculpins (Cottidae) and small flatfish (Pleuronectidae) clearly used specific aquaculture-growing gear and mudflats in roughly equal proportion. Conclusion Our results indicate that shellfish farms within a larger nearshore habitat mosaic of eelgrass meadows, mudflats, bivalve aquaculture gear, and edge habitat can provide foraging habitat for several species of nearshore fish.

Washington↗

USGS2014

Blocking and guiding adult sea lamprey with pulsed direct current from vertical electrodes

Controlling the invasion front of aquatic nuisance species is of high importance to resource managers. We tested the hypothesis that adult sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus ), a destructive invasive species in the Laurentian Great Lakes, would exhibit behavioral avoidance to dual-frequency pulsed direct current generated by vertical electrodes and that the electric field would not injure or kill sea lamprey or non-target fish. Laboratory and in-stream experiments demonstrated that the electric field blocked sea lamprey migration and directed sea lamprey into traps. Rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) and white sucker ( Catostomus commersoni ), species that migrate sympatrically with sea lamprey, avoided the electric field and had minimal injuries when subjected to it. Vertical electrodes are advantageous for fish guidance because (1) the electric field produced varies minimally with depth, (2) the electric field is not grounded, reducing power consumption to where portable and remote deployments powered by solar, wind, hydro, or a small generator are feasible, and (3) vertical electrodes can be quickly deployed without significant stream modification allowing rapid responses to new invasions. Similar dual-frequency pulsed direct current fields produced from vertical electrodes may be advantageous for blocking or trapping other invasive fish or for guiding valued fish around dams.

Michigan↗

USGS2025

Impacts of lake elevation decline on spawning habitat of a critical, native forage species

Objective Lake elevation decline is a global phenomenon with pronounced effects in arid regions that changes the characteristics of nearshore habitat area available to lacustrine spawners, potentially impacting recruitment and whole-lake food web dynamics. Our objective was to understand the potential effects of lake elevation decline on spawning habitat for the Tui Chub Siphateles bicolor , a lacustrine spawner and critical component of the native food web in Pyramid Lake, Nevada. Methods We explored the distribution of ripe Tui Chub in nearshore habitat by associating habitat characteristics to ripe Tui Chub CPUE from a custom gill-net configuration, with data analyzed using generalized linear mixed-effects models. We then explored potential spawning habitat availability at all potential lake elevations using an elevation-explicit model of the basin that we developed based on several bathymetric and geospatial data sets and the knowledge of spawner distribution gained in the first component of the study. Results Ripe Tui Chub catch was primarily predicted by temperature, reaching a maximum between 14.2°C and 24.8°C found at less than 15 m of depth in Pyramid Lake throughout the summer spawning period. We estimated that with a contemporary decline in lake elevation of 8 m, Pyramid Lake will host the minimum area of spawning habitat based on morphometry alone at a 40% decrease from a theoretical maximum. Conclusions A decrease in lake elevation or an increase in lake temperatures—both of which are probable events based on future climate scenarios and estimates of water extraction upstream of Pyramid Lake—is likely to further restrict Tui Chub spawning habitat area. Our results have important implications for ecological water demand in Pyramid Lake and provide managers with information facilitating a science-based approach to managing the fish community.

Nevada↗

USGS2009

Salinity effects on behavioural response to hypoxia in the non-native Mayan cichlid Cichlasoma urophthalmus from Florida Everglades wetlands

This study quantified the hypoxia tolerance of the Mayan cichlid Cichlasoma urophthalmus over a range of salinities. The species was very tolerant of hypoxia, using aquatic surface respiration (ASR) and buccal bubble holding when oxygen tensions dropped to <20 mmHg (c. 1??0 mg l -1 ) and 6 mmHg, respectively. Salinity had little effect on the hypoxia tolerance of C. urophthalmus, except that bubble holding was more frequent at the higher salinities tested. Levels of aggression were greatest at the highest salinity. The ASR thresholds of C. urophthalmus were similar to native centrarchid sunfishes from the Everglades, however, aggression levels for C. uropthalmus were markedly higher. ?? 2009 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Journal of Fish Biology↗

USGS2016

Development and assessment of a new method for combining catch per unit effort data from different fish sampling gears: Multigear mean standardization (MGMS)

Fish community assessments are often based on sampling with multiple gear types. However, multivariate methods used to assess fish community structure and composition are sensitive to differences in the relative scale of indices or measures of abundance produced by different sampling methods. This makes combining data from different sampling gears and methods a serious challenge. We developed a method of combining catch per unit effort data that standardizes catch per unit effort data across gear types, which we call multigear mean standardization (MGMS). We evaluated how well MGMS and other types of standardization reflect underlying community structure through a computer simulation that generated model riverine-fish communities and simulated sampling data for two gears. In these simulations, combining sampling observations from two gears with MGMS produced community structure estimates that were highly correlated with true community structure under a variety of conditions that are common in large rivers. Our simulation results indicate that the use of MGMS to combine data from different sampling gears is an effective data manipulation method for the analysis of fish community structure.

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences↗

USGS2009

The Lake Huron pelagic fish community: persistent spatial pattern along biomass and species composition gradients

Spatial patterns in the biomass of pelagic fish in Lake Huron have persisted over 10 years even though biomass decreased 86% and the fish community shifted from dominance by non-native species (rainbow smelt, Osmerus mordax) to dominance by native species (bloater, Coregonus hoyi). Based on multivariate analyses of acoustic biomass data and abiotic variables from the years 1997, 2004, 2005, and 2007, the strength of relationships between abiotic variables (primarily bottom depth) and fish community composition gradients decreased with fish biomass, suggesting that at high biomass, the influence of the measured abiotic variables is minimal. We observed consistently higher biomass in the North Channel and Georgian Bay than in the Main Basin, and as a result, we conclude that these smaller basins are likely important contributors to lakewide fish biomass, production, and dynamics. These results suggest that at current biomass levels, efforts to understand ecology, population dynamics, and lakewide abundance need to incorporate the effects of depth and geographic variation on fish distributions and ecology.

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences↗

USGS1978

Survival of the salmonid viruses infectious hematopoietic necrosis (IHNV) and infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPNV) in ozonated, chlorinated, and Untreated waters

Ozone and chlorine inactivation curves were determined in three water types at 10 °C for the fish pathogenic viruses infectious hematopoietic necrosis (IHNV) and infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPNV). In phosphate-buffered, distilled water (PBDW) an ozone dose of 0.01&ensp;mg/L for 30 or 60&ensp;s inactivated IHNV or IPNV, respectively, suspended at a tissue culture 50% infective dose (TCID50) of 10 4 –10 5 /mL. In hard (120&ensp;mg/L as CaCO 3 ) and soft water (30&ensp;mg/L) lake waters, an ozone application rate of 70&ensp;mg∙h −1 ∙L −1 for 10&ensp;min destroyed IHNV. IPNV inactivation in hard water required 90&ensp;mg∙O 3 ∙h −1 ∙L −1 for 10&ensp;min but only a 30-s contact time in soft water. The IPNV was also somewhat more resistant to chlorine. In PBDW, a residual of 0.1&ensp;mg/L with contact times of 30 and 60&ensp;s, respectively, destroyed IHNV and IPNV. In soft lake water IHNV was destroyed within 5&ensp;min at 0.5&ensp;mg/L, while in hard water a 10-min contact time was required. For IPNV disinfection in soft water, 0.2&ensp;mg/L for 10&ensp;min was sufficient but this chlorine residual had essentially no effect on IPNV in hard water. Increasing this dose to 0.7&ensp;mg/L destroyed IPNV in hard water within 2&ensp;min. In untreated waters, IPNV was stable for at least 8&ensp;wk in either distilled, soft, or hard lake waters. However, IHNV survived only about 2&ensp;wk in distilled and 7&ensp;wk in the soft or hard lake waters. We suggest the serious consideration of ozone as a fish disease control agent. Key words : ozone, chlorine disinfection, fish pathogens, viruses

Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada↗

USGS1953

Therapy of bacterial fish diseases

During the past decade considerable progress has been made in the therapy of bacterial fish diseases. This progress was possible largely because of the introduction of powerful chemotherapeutic agents such as sulfonamides and antibiotics. Fish furunculosis can be treated with very good results with sulfamerazine, sulfamethazine, and sulfaguanidine as well as by chloramphenicol and terramycin. Ulcer disease caused by Hemophilus piscium resists treatment with sulfonamides but responds well to the above mentioned antibiotics. Chemotherapy of fish diseases caused by pseudomonads is possible with chloramphenicol, but sanitary measures are preferred. External disinfections with Roccal and pyridylmercuric acetate (PMA) are satisfactory in treatment and prophylaxis of gill diseases which are probably caused by superficial infections with myxobacteria. Sulfonamides are helpful in systemic infections with myxobacteria and are also being used with some success for the control of a recently described kidney disease of salmonold fishes. Also described are methods of control of other fish diseases and of immunity in cold‐blooded animals and fishes. Most of the drugs in the described treatments may be toxic to fishes, and therefore should be used with caution.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗

USGS1964

Age and growth of the round whitefish in Lake Michigan

The round whitefish, though rarely abundant, is widely distributed in northern waters. It is one of the least studied of the coregonines; the present report is but the second for Great Lakes waters. Commercial production in Lake Michigan has been tightly confined to the northern portion. The period 1924-30 showed the best production: 200,000 to 359,000 pounds. Since 1956, production has been around 10,000 pounds or less. The present age and growth study is based on 208 fish collected by gill net in December 1951. The relation between total length in inches (L) and the weight in ounces ( W ) is described by the equation log W = -2.7232 + 3.2940 log L. Age-group III made up 66.3 percent, and age-group IV, 20.6 percent of the sample; age-groups V, VI, and VII combined contributed only 5.9 percent. The average length for all fish in the sample was 14.5 inches. Growth was calculated from a previously published linear body-scale relation with an intercept of 1.1 inches on the axis of fish length. The increments of calculated length declined steadily from a maximum of 4.6 inches the first year to 1.0 inch the eighth. A 3-year-old Lake Michigan fish (12.3 inches) is as long as a 5-year-old Lake Superior fish, and an 8-year-old Lake Michigan fish (18.9 inches) is 0.9 inch longer than the oldest (12 years) from Lake Superior. The smallest mature males and females were in the length intervals 12.0-12.4 inches and 13.0-13.4 inches, respectively. All males over 1.4 inches and all females over 14.9 inches were mature. The youngest mature males were in age-group II; 36 percent of II-group males but none of the females were mature. All fish older than age-group III were mature.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗

USGS2002

Survival of stream-dwelling Atlantic salmon: Effects of life history variation, season, and age

To determine seasonal and age-class variation in the abundance and survival of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar , we conducted multiple samplings of individually tagged juveniles in a small stream (West Brook, Massachusetts). We also estimated the differences in survival and probability of smolting for mature and immature parr. Survival was approximately twofold lower during winter as compared with summer and was higher for fish in their first winter than for fish in their second winter. Parr maturation rates were high (50% of all fish) and peaked in September. The estimated numbers of mature and immature fish were equal for the March samples preceding the smolt run, indicating no overall differences in survival between mature and immature fish during stream residence. Age-2 mature fish were one-third as likely to smolt as immature fish, however, resulting in survival probabilities (from March to smoltification) of 0.22 for mature fish and 0.61 for immature fish. Approximately one-third of the fish captured in the smolt trap were estimated as mature during previous sampling, and virtually all of the age-2 fish remaining in the stream following the smolt run were previously mature. We found no differences in gill Na + , K + ATPase activity between previously mature smolts and immature smolts, but activity was significantly higher in March for fish that later smolted than for those that did not.

Massachusetts↗

USGS2003

Assessing the efficacy of single-pass backpack electrofishing to characterize fish community structure

Two-pass backpack electrofishing data collected as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program were analyzed to assess the efficacy of single-pass backpack electrofishing. A two-capture removal model was used to estimate, within 10 river basins across the United States, proportional fish species richness from one-pass electrofishing and probabilities of detection for individual fish species. Mean estimated species richness from first-pass sampling (p s1 ) ranged from 80.7% to 100% of estimated total species richness for each river basin, based on at least seven samples per basin. However, p s1 values for individual sites ranged from 40% to 100% of estimated total species richness. Additional species unique to the second pass were collected in 50.3% of the samples. Of these, cyprinids and centrarchids were collected most frequently. Proportional fish species richness estimated for the first pass increased significantly with decreasing stream width for 1 of the 10 river basins. When used to calculate probabilities of detection of individual fish species, the removal model failed 48% of the time because the number of individuals of a species was greater in the second pass than in the first pass. Single-pass backpack electrofishing data alone may make it difficult to determine whether characterized fish community structure data are real or spurious. The two-pass removal model can be used to assess the effectiveness of sampling species richness with a single electrofishing pass. However, the two-pass removal model may have limited utility to determine probabilities of detection of individual species and, thus, limit the ability to assess the effectiveness of single-pass sampling to characterize species relative abundances. Multiple-pass (at least three passes) backpack electrofishing at a large number of sites may not be cost-effective as part of a standardized sampling protocol for large-geographic-scale studies. However, multiple-pass electrofishing at some sites may be necessary to better evaluate the adequacy of single-pass electrofishing and to help make meaningful interpretations of fish community structure.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗

USGS1990

Sample size requirements and analysis of tag recoveries for paired releases of lake trout

A simple chi-square test can be used to analyze recoveries from a paired-release experiment to determine whether differential survival occurs between two groups of fish. The sample size required for analysis is a function of (1) the proportion of fish stocked, (2) the expected proportion at recovery, (3) the level of significance (∝) at which the null hypothesis is tested, and (4) the power (1 – β) of the statistical test. Detection of a 20% change from a stocking ratio of 50: 50 requires a sample of 172 (∝ = 0.10; 1 – β = 0.80) to 459 (∝ = 0.01; 1 – β = 0.95) fish. Pooling samples from replicate pairs is sometimes an appropriate way to increase statistical precision without increasing numbers stocked or sampling intensity. Summing over time is appropriate if catchability or survival of the two groups of fish does not change relative to each other through time. Twelve pairs of identical groups of yearling lake trout Salvelinus namaycush were marked with coded wire tags and stocked into Lake Ontario. Recoveries of fish at ages 2–8 showed differences of 1–14% from the initial stocking ratios. Mean tag recovery rates were 0.217%, 0.156%, 0.128%, 0.121%, 0.093%, 0.042%, and 0.016% for ages 2–8, respectively. At these rates, stocking 12,100–29,700 fish per group would yield samples of 172–459 fish at ages 2-8 combined.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

USGS2000

Effects of a spring flushing flow on the distribution of radio-tagged juvenile rainbow trout in a Wyoming tailwater

The controlled release of dammed water, designed to produce a flushing flow that would remove fine sediments from spawning habitat in a flow-regulated river, did not displace juvenile rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (20-25 cm total length) downstream. Of eight naturally spawned (wild) and nine hatchery fish that were radio-tagged, only one wild fish and two hatchery fish were found in different locations after an eight-fold increase in flow. These three fish moved upstream and the greatest movement was 96 m. Cobble and boulder substrates in main-channel pools were thought to provide slow-water-velocity refuges during the flushing flow. Our findings and the findings of other researchers suggest that flushing flows can be conducted to enhance spawning habitat for rainbow trout without causing extensive downstream movements or habitat displacement of small fish in regulated rivers.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗