Decreased streamflow impacts fish movement and energetics through reductions to invertebrate drift body size and abundance

Identifying factors that influence fish movement is a key step in predicting how populations respond to environmental change. Using markrecapture (four species) and trap capture (eight species) data, we examined relationships between three attributes of movement and 15 ecological variables. The probability of emigrating from a reach was positively related to intermittency (one species) and body size (one species) and negatively related to distance from the mainstem creek (two species) and habitat complexity (one species). The number of fish moving upstream through traps was positively related to increases in flow (five species), day length (three species), and water temperature (two species); the number moving through downstream traps was positively associated with increases in flow (three species). Distance moved was greater for fish moving through unsuitable reaches (one species). Floods have a pervasive effect on fish movement, and human activities that affect flows will have widespread implications. The importance of other factors varies interspecifically, which may translate into variation in persistence and colonization rates. For example, species that exhibit reach fidelity in complex habitats may increase movement if habitats are homogenized. These species may suffer population declines because of the cost of increased movement and may ultimately be replaced by ecological generalists.

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Food Abundance, Intruder Pressure, and Body Size as Determinants of Territory Size in Juvenile Steelhead Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss)

Behaviour ◽

10.1163/156853998793066393 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 135 (1) ◽

pp. 65-82 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

◽

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Body Size ◽

Atlantic Salmon ◽

Oncorhynchus Mykiss ◽

Food Abundance ◽

Territory Size ◽

Invertebrate Drift ◽

Steelhead Trout ◽

Daily Ration ◽

Fish Size

AbstractWe observed the behaviour of juvenile steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in two rivers in British Columbia, Canada, to determine the importance of invertebrate drift abundance, intruder pressure, and body size of territory holders as correlates of territory size. Territory size increased with increasing fish size, but fish smaller than 5 cm had relatively large territories for their body size, in comparison to fish that were larger than 5 cm in length. After statistically controlling for the effect of body size, territory size was inversely related to the abundance of drifting invertebrates. Territory size was not related to the number of intrusions observed on a territory per hour, but was inversely related to local fish density, a second measure of intruder pressure. Steelhead trout appear to defend territory areas that are most similar in size to juvenile Atlantic salmon. This study provides evidence that stream-dwelling salmonids scale territory size to body size in a manner that allows them to capture a maximum daily ration of food on their territories.

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Fish movement and habitat use depends on water body size and shape

Ecology Of Freshwater Fish ◽

10.1111/j.1600-0633.2008.00326.x ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 83-91 ◽

Cited By ~ 46

Author(s):

D. A. Woolnough ◽

J. A. Downing ◽

T. J. Newton

Keyword(s):

Body Size ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Water Body ◽

Fish Movement ◽

Size And Shape

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Fish movement in an Atlantic Forest stream

Neotropical Ichthyology ◽

10.1590/1982-0224-20170065 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Rosana Mazzoni ◽

Miriam Plaza Pinto ◽

Ricardo Iglesias-Rios ◽

Raquel Costa

Keyword(s):

Life History ◽

Body Size ◽

Atlantic Forest ◽

Life History Traits ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Fish Length ◽

Fish Movement ◽

Species Identity ◽

Forest Stream ◽

Specific Behaviour

ABSTRACT Given the importance of fish movement to the dynamics and maintenance of stream dwelling fish communities from the Atlantic Forest, we analysed patterns of fish movement in a coastal stream from Southeastern Brazil, using mark-recapture technique. Displacement distance of each species were presented and discussed considering seasonal (rainy and dry) and body size patterns. We marked 10 species along the stream and recaptured 440 (34.6%) of the 1,270 marked fishes. The species with significant number of upstream moving individuals were Astyanax janeiroensis, Characidium interruptum, Astyanax hastatus, Parotocinclus maculicauda and Awaous tajasica. Only Pimelodella lateristriga presented significant differences between resident and moving individuals. Characidium interruptum and A. tajasica demonstrated greater downstream and upstream movement, respectively, moving up to 2,100 m. Even after controlling for species identity we found no significant correlation between fish length and individual displacement distance. Fishes moved longer distances during the rainy season, in accordance to the breeding season. Patterns of fish movement were in agreement to life-history traits of many of the studied species and can be reflecting specific behaviour and morphologies.

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Spatial linkages between geomorphic and hydraulic conditions and invertebrate drift characteristics in a small mountain stream

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/cjfas-2017-0170 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 75 (11) ◽

pp. 1823-1835 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Piotr Cienciala ◽

Marwan A. Hassan

Keyword(s):

Body Size ◽

Flow Characteristics ◽

Low Flow ◽

Mountain Stream ◽

Invertebrate Drift ◽

Small Stream ◽

Correlational Design ◽

Spatial Linkages ◽

Bed Scour ◽

Drift Models

Although invertebrate drift plays a fundamental role in river ecosystems, spatial linkages between its characteristics and hydrogeomorphic conditions remain poorly understood. This study, conducted in a small stream in British Columbia, provides insight into such relationships. Most notably, drift concentration was positively correlated with bed scour, and mean body size was negatively correlated with bed fill. Although correlational design precludes inference regarding mechanisms, these results are consistent with protracted effects of flood-related bed disturbances on spatial pattern of drift characteristics under low flow conditions. We detected no robust associations between drift and flow characteristics that could not be explained by bed disturbances. Because of high spatial variability, drift characteristics were statistically distinct only in few habitat types. Compared with middepth, invertebrate drift concentration was higher near water surface, and mean body size was larger near the bed. Mean body size was also statistically smaller in riffle–pool transitions, which experienced largest bed fill. Possible legacy effects of bed disturbances could have broader implications for drift-related energy and nutrient fluxes in river corridors and for quantitative drift models.

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