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USGS1988

Use of diagnostic bones to identify and estimate original lengths of ingested prey fishes

We examined and measured cleithra, dentaries, opercles, and pharyngeal arches – bones found to persist during digestion of most prey fish – to identify 24 prey fish species and back-calculate their original fork length. Eighteen of the 24 species examined could be easily distinguished; however, for certain congenerics, identification was neither consistent nor reliable for all bones within the size ranges examined. Relations between bone length and fish length were linear for 14 species for which the sample sizes were adequate ( N > 30); coefficients of determination ( r 2 ) ranged from 0.79 to 0.99. Diagnostic characteristics and measurements of these bones provided reliable identification of genera and species and estimates of original fork lengths of partly digested prey fish from three predators. This method, compared with that of examining only prey fish in a measurable condition, greatly increased the amount of dietary information available from gut analysis.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1988

Variations in abundance of young-of-the-year channel catfish in a navigation pool of the upper Mississippi River

Spatial and temporal variations in the abundance of young‐of‐the‐year channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus were determined over 3 years based on 154 trawls taken from Navigation Pool 7 of the upper Mississippi River. No significant spatial patterns in abundance or length offish in the catch were found in seven poolwide surveys of the main channel. However, high variation among replicates existed. Temporal patterns in abundance and length‐frequency distributions varied among the study years. Seasonal catch curves were similar in 1984 and 1986, although offset due to earlier spawning in 1986. Spawning appeared to have been protracted in both years, based on analyses of back‐calculated dates of spawn and length‐frequency patterns of young. Sixty to seventy percent more young were produced in 1985, when spawning occurred over a shorter period of time and a more uniformly sized year class was produced. These annual variations in year‐class characteristics are hypothesized to have resulted in part from different river discharge patterns in the 3 years of the survey, with high discharge in 1984 and 1986 negatively affecting production of young.

upper Mississippi River↗
USGS1988

Channel hydraulics, habitat use, and body form of juvenile coho salmon, steelhead, and cutthroat trout in streams

Habitat use by juvenile coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch , steelhead Salmo gairdneri , and the coastal subspecies of cutthroat trout Salmo clarki clarki in small streams in western Washington was influenced by hydraulic characteristics of different types of channel units. Coho salmon preferred pools with average velocities less than 20 cm/s; very few fish were found in riffles with high current velocities. Steelhead occurred in riffles and also utilized deep pools with relatively high velocities along the center of the channel. Cutthroat trout were intermediate between coho salmon and steelhead in their use of swiftly flowing habitats. Variation in body shape and fin size among the three species generally fit the predicted morphologies that would be favored in different locations within the channel. Coho salmon possessed a deep, laterally compressed body with large median and paired fins. These features are believed to facilitate rapid turns and quick but transient burst swimming. Steelhead possessed a more cylindrical body shape with short median fins and relatively large paired fins, attributes that appear well adapted to holding a position in swift water. The cutthroat troutˈs lack of morphological adaptation to either fast or slow water may help to explain why this species is dominated by coho salmon and steelhead in areas of sympatry.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1988

Growth and longevity of the cui-ui and longevity of other catostomids and cyprinids in western North America

Annulus formation on opercula of the cui-ui Chasmistes cujus in Pyramid Lake, Nevada, was validated over an 8-year interval. Many fish were old, as old as 41 years of age, As many as three annuli were hidden (covered by supporting bone) in older fish. Growth was rapid during the first 10 years, slow from 10 to 20 years, and extremely slow or nil after 20 years. Age and growth were strongly correlated for about the first 10 years of life, but less so when fish became sexually mature. Examination of opercula of 15 additional species of large catostomids and cyprinids of western North America revealed that they were older than had previously been thought.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1988

Summer production of coho salmon stocked in Mount St. Helens streams 3-6 years after the 1980 eruption

We monitored habitat use and summer production of stocked underyearling coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch from 1983 to 1986 in three streams affected by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington. Two streams were in the blast area and one was on a volcanic mudflow terrace, Midsummer water temperatures frequently exceeded presumed stressful thresholds and occasionally surpassed the incipient lethal limit. Temperatures at the study sites (up to 29.5°C) may have been the highest ever recorded in small streams in western Washington. In addition, there was relatively little submerged cover and limited pool habitat. Despite the severe conditions created by the eruption, production rates of stocked coho salmon at all sites ranged from 15.1 to 143.8 mg/m 2 ·d (2.3–21.6 g/m 2 over an average 150‐d summer period) and were equal to or greater than those measured in other streams of comparable size in the region. Coho salmon production in the streams was more strongly influenced by population biomass and density than by average individual growth rate. Production was also influenced by timing and average weight at stocking; larger fish stocked later in the summer had higher survival than smaller fish stocked earlier. Apparent summer mortality (true mortality plus emigration) may have been influenced by the presence of other salmonids. Coho salmon density at the end of summer was consistently lowest in the mudflow stream, the only site to have a large population of steelhead (anadromous rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss , formerly Salmo gairdneri ). We suspected that an abundance of both terrestrial and aquatic food was partly responsible for the high summer production of stocked coho salmon in what was an otherwise hostile environment.

Washington↗
USGS1988

Toxicity of water from three South Carolina rivers to larval striped bass

The toxicity of water from three rivers in the Santee-Cooper drainage of South Carolina was evaluated in a series of on-site studies with larval striped bass Morone saxatilis . Mortality and swimming behavior were assessed daily for larvae exposed to serial dilutions of water collected from the Santee, Congaree, and Wateree rivers. After 96 h, cumulative mortality was 90% in the Wateree River, and a dose–response pattern was evident in serial dilutions of the water. Larvae exposed to water from the Santee and Congaree rivers swam lethargically, but no appreciable mortality was observed. Acutely toxic concentrations of inorganic contaminants were not detected in the rivers; however, pentachloroanisole, a methylated by-product of pentachlorophenol, was twice as high in the Wateree River as it was in the other two rivers. Phenolic compounds may have contributed to larval mortality in the Wateree River and to lethargic activity of larvae in the Santee and Congaree rivers.

South Carolina↗
USGS1989

Genetic differentiation among lake trout strains stocked into Lake Ontario

The lake trout Salvelinus namaycush is the focus of an international effort by fishery management agencies to restore this once‐native species to Lake Ontario. Evaluation of reproductive success and comparisons among stocked lake trout strains require genetic markers. We used allozyme variation to make genetic comparisons among strains of lake trout stocked into Lake Ontario. Forty‐two proteins presumed to be encoded by 102 loci were resolved electrophoretically; 18 loci were polymorphic. Among 16 samples from five principal origins (Finger Lakes, Great Lakes basin, northern New York–Adirondack, Manitoba, and mixed origins–Lake Ontario), the average observed heterozygosity was 0.029, and the proportion of polymorphic loci was 0.125. Significant differences occurred among the 16 samples at all 18 possible locus comparisons. The average F st value was 0.14. Hierarchical analysis indicated that the variation among samples within an origin was greatest within the Great Lakes basin, which included the greatest number of samples and represented the largest geographic area. Most variation observed among samples, however, occurred among origins. The 1983 and 1984 hatchery year classes produced from the 1978 Seneca brood stock did not differ significantly. The 1981 Seneca brood stock more closely resembled the sample of wild lake trout from Seneca Lake than progeny from the 1978 brood stock. The closer affinity of the 1981 brood stock to wild Seneca lake trout may be due to the larger number of wild adults from Seneca Lake used to found these fish than was used to establish the 1978 brood stock. Siscowet (“fat”) and “lean” lake trout from Lake Superior were significantly different from each other; however, the level of variation between them was not greater than that among samples from other origins, and thus did not support recognition of siscowet lake trout as a distinct subspecies. The Jenny Lake strain possessed a genetic affinity to the siscowet sample from Lake Superior. Historical reports about the origin of this strain suggest that siscowet lake trout from northern Lake Michigan may have been used to found this strain. Therefore, the Jenny Lake strain may serve as a gene source for the establishment of the siscowet lake trout in Lake Ontario. The substantial differentiation among lake trout strains reported here supports the feasibility of using allozyme markers to identify the parental sources of naturally produced young.

Lake Ontario↗
USGS1989

Distribution and migration of adult striped bass in Lake Whitney, Texas

Thirty adult (3.2–8.6 kg) striped bass Morone saxatilis were tagged with ultrasonic transmitters and tracked for up to 475 d in 9,510‐hectare Lake Whitney, a Texas reservoir, to determine seasonal distribution, migration patterns, and water temperatures occupied. Striped bass distribution in summer was limited to an area near the dam, where they survived temperatures as high as 29.0°C. Tagged fish generally were found in the coolest water available (27.0–29.0°C) that contained adequate dissolved oxygen (>4.0 mg/L) in summer and occupied the warmest water (7.4–8.8°C) in winter. For the rest of the year, the fish were distributed throughout available water temperatures. Beginning in autumn, most striped bass moved up the reservoir to and into the main tributaries and remained there until spring, when they returned to the main reservoir. No spawning run up main tributaries was observed in either of the two study years, possibly due to low inflows. Individual fish displayed a preference for certain areas to which they returned yearly.

Texas↗
USGS1989

Studies of contaminant and water quality effects on striped bass prolarvae and yearlings in the Potomac River and upper Chesapeake Bay in 1988

Simultaneous on‐site and in situ studies of survival of prolarval and yearling striped bass Morone saxatilis were conducted in the Potomac River during the 1988 spawning season. Various water quality and contaminant conditions were monitored during these experiments. In situ experiments on yearlings and monitoring of water quality and contaminants were also conducted in the Susquehanna, Elk, and Sassafras rivers of the upper Chesapeake Bay. Survival of striped bass prolarvae ranged from 1 to 20% in the Potomac River during three concurrent 96‐h on‐site and in situ experiments; survival of control fish was 78% or greater. Survival of striped bass yearlings was 15% or less during 28‐d in situ tests at two Potomac River field locations; survival of control fish was 100%. Mortality of prolarvae in the Potomac River was likely caused by a combination of cadmium, lead, chlordane, and sudden drops in temperature. Mortality of yearlings was possibly caused by a combination of cadmium, lead, zinc, chlordane, and ammonia. Survivals of striped bass yearlings tested in 28‐d tests in the Susquehanna, Elk, and Sassafras rivers were 57, 100, and 100%, respectively; survival of control fish was 100%. Mortality of striped bass in the Susquehanna River may have been partly caused by copper and lead concentrations; however, other nonidentified factors were likely more important. Water quality problems were not detected in the Elk or Sassafras rivers.

Maryland↗
USGS1989

Sensitivity of endemic Snake River cutthroat trout to acidity and elevated aluminum

Acidic episodes in waters of the western USA, do not last as long and are not as intense as those in the eastern USA, but we found that the native western cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki is sensitive to even brief reductions in pH. In laboratory studies, fish were exposed to acidity (pH 4.5–6.5) alone or in the presence of aluminum during the first 7 d of the freshly fertilized egg, eyed embryo, alevin, or swim-up larva stages of development. Following exposure to acidity and aluminum, eggs and fish were held under control water quality conditions to 40 d posthatch to assess effects of the exposure on subsequent development. Reductions in pH from 6.5 to 6.0 in low-calcium water (1.4 mg/L) did not affect survival, but reduced growth offish in the early life stages. The presence of as little as 50 μg A1/L at low pH further decreased growth and reduced survival. The most sensitive indicators of stress were loss of ions (determined from whole-body sampling) and reduced swimming in alevins, reduction in the ratio of RNA:DNA, feeding inhibition, and pathology of gill tissue in swim-up larvae. A pH of 6.0 and 50 μg Al/L reduced whole-body sodium by 72% and potassium by 50% in alevins. Reductions in the RNA: DNA ratio, correlated with lower growth rates, were observed in swim-up larvae exposed to pH 5.5 and 50 μg Al/L. Exposure to 50 μg Al/L at pH 6.0 reduced swimming activity of alevins by 68% and feeding rates of swim-up larvae by 67%. In the presence of 50 μg A1/L, pathological changes in gill tissue were observed in swim-up larvae exposed to pH 6.0 or less. Although acidification is not widespread in the western USA, cutthroat trout have a narrow margin of safety between conditions that currently exist and those at which pH and aluminum reduce survival and growth.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1989

Electrofishing mark-recapture and depletion methodologies evoke behavioral and physiological changes in cutthroat trout

We examined the behavioral and physiological responses of wild and hatchery-reared cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki subjected to a single electroshock, electroshock plus marking, and multiple electroshocks in natural and artificial streams. In a natural stream, cutthroat trout released after capture by electrofishing and marking showed distinct behavioral changes: fish immediately sought cover, remained relatively inactive, did not feed, and were easily approached by a diver. An average of 3–4 h was required for 50% of the fish to return to a seemingly normal mode of behavior, although responses varied widely among collection sites. Using the depletion method, we observed little change in normal behavior offish remaining in the stream section (i.e., uncaptured fish) after successive passes with electrofishing gear. In an artificial stream, hatchery-reared and wild cutthroat trout immediately decreased their rates of feeding and aggression after they were electroshocked and marked. Hatchery fish generally recovered in 2–3 h; wild fish required at least 24 h to recover. Analysis of feeding and aggression data by hierarchical rank revealed no distinct recovery trends among hatchery fish of different ranks; among wild cutthroat trout, however, socially dominant fish seemed to recover faster than intermediate and subordinate fish. Physiological indicators of stress (plasma cortisol and blood lactic acid) increased significantly in cutthroat trout subjected to electroshock plus marking or single or multiple electroshocks. As judged by the magnitude of the greatest change in cortisol and lactate, multiple electroshocks elicited the most severe stress response; however, plasma concentrations of both substances had returned to unstressed control levels by 6 h after treatment. It was evident that electrofishing and the procedures involved with estimating fish population size elicited a general stress response that was manifested not only physiologically but also behaviorally. These responses may affect the accuracy of population size estimates by violating key assumptions of the methods, especially the assumption of equal catchability offish.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1989

Distribution of alewives in southeastern Lake Ontario in autumn and winter: a clue to winter mortalities

Alewives Alosa pseudoharengus in the Great Lakes are thought to avoid extreme cold in winter by moving to deep water where the temperature is usually highest because of inverse thermal stratification. Information collected in Lake Ontario during autumn and winter 1981–1984 with an echo sounder and bottom and midwater trawls indicated that many alewives remained at depths above 110 m, regardless of water temperature. Alewives in the Great Lakes that did not descend to greater depths would be exposed to potentially lethal temperatures during cold winters. inters.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1990

Feeding ecology of subyearling Chinook salmon in riverine and reservoir habitats of the Columbia River

In the Columbia River, we found the diet of subyearling chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha to be predominately caddisflies (Trichoptera; 64% by weight) in riverine nursery habitats, but mostly Daphnia spp. and terrestrial insects in reservoir habitats. A preference analysis indicated that subyearlings did not eat food items in proportion to food availability; they preferred small zooplankters least and terrestrial insects most. Rank in preference of food items was correlated positively with rank in size of available food items, but not with rank in number in the diet. Only rank in number of prey items available in the habitat was consistently correlated with rank in number in the diet. The shift in diet to Daphnia spp. and terrestrial insects in the reservoir was due primarily to the high availability of those food items and the low availability of others. The switch to food items abundant in reservoirs enabled subyearling chinook salmon to use the reservoirs as nursery areas. However, the use of Daphnia spp. may entail a higher foraging cost per energy unit gained because of the small size of the prey.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1990

Immunological discrimination of Atlantic striped bass stocks

Stocks of Atlantic striped bass Morone saxatilis that were assumed to be geographically isolated during spawning showed strong antigenic differences in blood serum albumin. A discriminant function was estimated from the immunologic responses of northern (Canadian and Hudson River) and southern (Chesapeake Bay and Roanoke River) stocks to two reference antisera. The function correctly classified 92% of the northern and 95% of the southern fish in the training set. Cross-validation revealed similar percentages of correct classification for fish that were of known origin but not used to estimate the discriminant function. Monte Carlo experiments were used to evaluate the ability of the discriminant function to predict the relative contribution of northern fish in samples of various size and stock composition. Averages of predicted proportions of northern fish in the samples agreed well with actual proportions. Coefficients of variation (100 × SD/mean) in the predicted proportions ranged from 1.5 to 36% for samples of 50–400 fish that contained at least 10% northern stock. In samples that contained only 2% northern stock, however, at least 1,600 fish were required to achieve similar levels of precision.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1990

Evaluation of line transect sampling based on remotely sensed data from underwater video

We used underwater video in conjunction with the line transect method and a Fourier series estimator to make 13 independent estimates of the density of known populations of bricks lying on the bottom in shallows of Lake Huron. The pooled estimate of density (95.5 bricks per hectare) was close to the true density (89.8 per hectare), and there was no evidence of bias. Confidence intervals for the individual estimates included the true density 85% of the time instead of the nominal 95%. Our results suggest that reliable estimates of the density of objects on a lake bed can be obtained by the use of remote sensing and line transect sampling theory.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1990

Vertical distribution of adult American shad in the Connecticut River

Adult American shad Alosa sapidissima were sampled with vertical gill nets during the 1986 and 1987 spawning and postspawning migrations in the Connecticut River. Most (83%) were caught in the lower half of the water column, but not on the river bottom. The vertical distributions of gravid and spent fish were similar for both males and females. American shad showed no diel, seasonal, or yearly changes in depth distributions. Larger gravid fish swam deeper in the water column than did smaller gravid fish.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1990

Concentrations of boron, molybdenum, and selenium in chinook salmon

The concentrations of boron, molybdenum, and selenium in young chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha were determined in three partial life cycle chronic toxicity studies. In each study, fish were exposed to a mixture of boron, molybdenum, selenate, and selenite in the proportions found in subsurface agricultural drainage water in the basin of the San Joaquin Valley, California. Tests were conducted in well water and in site-specific fresh and brackish waters. No boron or molybdenum was detected in fish exposed to concentrations as high as 6,046 μg boron/L and 193 μg molybdenum/L for 90 d in well water or fresh water; however, whole-body concentrations of selenium increased with increasing exposure concentrations in well water and fresh water, but not in brackish water. Concentrations of selenium in chinook salmon were strongly correlated with reduced survival and growth of fish in well water and with reduced survival in a 15-d seawater challenge test of fish from fresh water. Concentrations of selenium in fish seemed to reach a steady state after 60 d of exposure in well water or fresh water. Fish in brackish water had only background concentrations of selenium after 60 d of exposure, and no effects on survival and growth in brackish water or on survival in a 10-d seawater challenge test were exhibited. This lack of effect in brackish water was attributed to initiation of the study with advanced fry, which were apparently better able to metabolize the trace element mixture than were the younger fish used in studies with well water and fresh water. In all three experimental waters, concentration factors (whole-body concentration/waterborne concentration) for selenium decreased with increasing exposure concentrations, suggesting decreased uptake or increased excretion, or both, of selenium at the higher concentrations.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1990

Factors influencing mercury concentrations in walleyes in northern Wisconsin lakes

We examined relations between mercury concentrations in walleyes Stizostedion vitreum and the characteristics ofclear‐water Wisconsin lakes, which spanned a broad range of pH values (5.0–8.1) and acid‐neutralizing capacities (–9 to 1,017 μeq/L). Total concentrations of mercury in axial muscle tissue of walleyes (total length, 25–56 cm) varied from 0.12 to 1.74 μg/g wet weight. Concentrations were greatest in fish from the eight lakes with pH less than 7.0; concentrations in these fish equaled or exceeded 0.5 μg/g in 88% of the samples analyzed and 1.0 μg/g in 44%. In the five lakes with pH of 7.0 and above, concentrations exceeded 0.5 μg/g in only 1 of 21 walleyes. Multiple regression revealed that lake pH and total length offish accounted for 69% of the variation in mercury concentration in walleyes. Regression models with total length and either waterborne calcium or acid‐neutralizing capacity as independent variables accounted for 67% of the variation in concentration. The observed differences in fish mercury concentration between the low‐pH and high‐pH lakes could not be logically attributed to differences in growth rate or diet among the walleye populations. Moreover, it is improbable that mercury influxes to the low‐pH lakes were greater than those to the high‐pH lakes, because of the close proximity and spatial interspersion of low‐ and high‐pH lakes. We attributed the observed pH‐related trend in mercury concentration in walleyes to variation among lakes in within‐lake processes that affected the production and bioavailability of methylmercury.

Wisconsin↗