Small tributaries of the Great Lakes serve as important habitat during critical life stages of many fish species, though temporal and spatial dynamics of the assemblage that uses these systems are seldom investigated. This study quantifies larval and adult fish assemblages captured by fyke net and light traps among small tributary mouths of Green Bay, Lake Michigan. Ten tributaries harbored a total of forty-five species representing seventeen families, with the most abundant including spottail shiner (Notropis hudsonius (Clinton 1824)) in adult assemblages and white sucker (Catostomus commersonii (Lacepède 1803)) in larval assemblages. Larval fish assemblage structures differed over five biweekly sampling events in May and June. Adult fish assemblage structures varied among tributaries but not among spring, summer, and fall samples. Larval and adult species assemblages at these rivermouths are likely influenced by hydrology, habitat structure, and species-specific ecology. Water movement may transport larvae into rivermouths, as larval assemblages were dominated by species that spawn in coastal habitats. Adult species richness varied with longitude, with the greatest diversity in tributaries on the west shore. This investigation of fish assemblages highlights the spatial and temporal variation that occurs in these systems and their role in shaping fish populations in Green Bay.
Development of a Physically-based Sediment Transport Model for Green Bay, Lake Michigan
