Larval fish drift in the Valley River, Manitoba: influence of abiotic and biotic factors, and relationships with future year-class strengths

1995 ◽  
Vol 52 (11) ◽  
pp. 2423-2431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Johnston ◽  
Marc N. Gaboury ◽  
Richard A. Janusz ◽  
Laureen R. Janusz
Keyword(s):  
Larval Fish ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Mature Female ◽  
Larval Abundance ◽  
White Sucker ◽  
Catch Per Unit Effort ◽  
Larval Drift ◽  
Class Strength ◽  
Median Date ◽  
Valley River

We examined patterns in the spring drift of larval fishes in the Valley River, Manitoba. White sucker (Catostomus commersoni) and walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) were the most common species. The median date of larval drift for walleye was significantly earlier than for all other species. Capture rates of all species were significantly greater during the night than during the day. Larval abundance was positively related to river discharge in the 35 d preceding the median date of larval drift. Larval abundance was also positively related to mature female biomass in Dauphin Lake for walleye, but not for white sucker. Year-class strength of a cohort (catch per unit effort of 3- or 4-year-old fish) in Dauphin Lake was positively related to total larval drift of the same cohort (3 or 4 years earlier) in the Valley River for walleye, but not for white sucker. Our results suggest that the year-class strength of Dauphin Lake walleye is determined very early in the life history and that factors which enhance the natural production of walleye larvae will enhance walleye recruitment.

scholarly journals Diel variation of larval fish abundance in the Amazon and Rio Negro

2001 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 357-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. R. M. ARAUJO-LIMA ◽  
V. V. da SILVA ◽  
P. PETRY ◽  
E. C. OLIVEIRA ◽  
S. M. L. MOURA
Keyword(s):  
Larval Fish ◽  
Fish Abundance ◽  
Large Rivers ◽  
Larval Abundance ◽  
Diel Variation ◽  
Larval Drift ◽  
Larval Distribution ◽  
Rio Negro ◽  
One Year

Many streams and large rivers present higher ichthyoplankton densities at night. However, in some rivers this does not occur and larvae are equally abundant during the day. Larval drift diel variation is an important information for planning sampling programs for evaluating larval distribution and production. The aim of this study was to test whether the abundance of larval fish was different at either period. We tested it by comparing day and night densities of characiform, clupeiform and siluriform larvae during five years in the Amazon and one year in Rio Negro. We found that larvae of three species of characiform and larvae of siluriform were equally abundant during day and night in the Amazon. Conversely, the catch of Pellona spp. larvae was significantly higher during the day. In Rio Negro, however, larval abundance was higher during the night. These results imply that day samplings estimate adequately the abundance of these characiform and siluriform larvae in the Amazon, but not Pellona larvae. Evaluations of larved densities of Rio Negro will have to consider night sampling.

scholarly journals Coastal winds drive a recruitment mechanism for estuarine fisheries

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayden T. Schilling ◽  
Charles Hinchliffe ◽  
Jonathan P. Gillson ◽  
Anthony Miskiewicz ◽  
Iain M. Suthers
Keyword(s):  
Larval Fish ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Larval Abundance ◽  
Spawning Period ◽  
Onshore Wind ◽  
Larval Recruitment ◽  
Australian Region ◽  
Coastal Winds ◽  
Key Driver ◽  
Catch Rates

AbstractCoastal winds transport larval fish onshore or offshore which may contribute to estuarine recruitment, yet our understanding of the mechanism underlying this relationship is limited. Here, we show that larval abundance of coastally spawned species increased with weak to moderate upwelling favourable winds 14 days prior to sampling, reflecting increased nutrient and plankton availability for larval fish. A strong decline in larval abundance was observed following strong upwelling favourable winds while abundance increased with onshore (downwelling favourable) winds, in relation to offshore and onshore wind-driven transport. Subsequently, we show that effects of wind during the spawning period can be detected in lagged estuarine commercial fisheries catch rates of coastally spawned species (lagged by 2 – 8 years depending on species’ growth rates), representing the same mechanism proposed for larval fish. Upwelling favourable winds in the southeast Australian region have increased since 1850 while onshore winds have decreased, which may reduce larval recruitment to estuaries. Coastal winds are likely an important factor for estuarine recruitment in the east Australian region and future research on the estuarine recruitment of fish should incorporate coastal winds. As global winds are changing, it is important to investigate if this mechanism is applicable to other regions around the world where coastal winds are a key driver of upwelling.

scholarly journals Ratio of Mercury Concentration to PCB Concentration Varies with Sex of White Sucker (Catostomus commersonii)

Environments ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (9) ◽  
pp. 94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Madenjian ◽  
Andrew Stevens ◽  
Martin Stapanian ◽  
David Krabbenhoft ◽  
John DeWild ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Total Mercury ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Polychlorinated Biphenyl ◽  
Elimination Rate ◽  
Mature Female ◽  
Mature Male ◽  
White Sucker ◽  
Spawning Run ◽  
Federal Guidelines ◽  
Effect Of Age

The whole-fish total mercury (Hg) concentrations were determined in 25 mature female and 26 mature male white suckers (Catostomus commersonii) caught during their spawning run in the Kewaunee River, a tributary to Lake Michigan. The age of each fish was estimated using thin-sectioned otoliths, and total length (TL) and weight were determined for each fish. When adjusted for the effect of age, males were found to be 7% higher in Hg concentration than females. Nearly all (about 98%) of the Hg found in the white suckers was determined to be methylmercury. In an earlier study on the same 51 white suckers from the Kewaunee River spawning run, males were found to be 18% higher than females in polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentration. We determined that the ratio of Hg concentration to PCB concentration in females was significantly higher than that in males. Thus, sex significantly interacted with contaminant type (Hg or PCBs) in determining contaminant concentrations. The most plausible explanation for this interaction was that males eliminated Hg at a faster rate than females, most likely due to the boosting of the Hg-elimination rate by certain androgens such as testosterone and 11-ketotestosterone. Hg concentrations in the white suckers were well below federal guidelines for fish consumption.

Winter mortality of young-of-the-year Hudson River striped bass (Morone saxatilis): size-dependent patterns and effects on recruitment

1998 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 1122-1130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas P Hurst ◽  
David O Conover
Keyword(s):  
Striped Bass ◽  
Morone Saxatilis ◽  
Hudson River ◽  
Progressive Increase ◽  
Winter Mortality ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Catch Per Unit Effort ◽  
Size Dependent ◽  
Class Strength ◽  
Young Of The Year

Winter mortality plays a significant role in the dynamics of some temperate fish populations and has been shown to be size-dependent for some species, but not for others. Our objective was to determine how winter mortality affects the recruitment dynamics of Hudson River striped bass (Morone saxatilis). We used catch-per-unit-effort data from three separate surveys targeting young-of-the-year (YOY), overwintering, and age 1 striped bass. Age 1 abundance was negatively correlated with the severity of winter. In contrast, the abundance of age 0 fish was not correlated with age 1 abundance, suggesting that winter mortality greatly modifies year-class strength. A progressive increase in the mean length of YOY fish, coupled with a decrease in the coefficient of variation in length, occurred during some winters. Laboratory experiments showed that growth in length requires temperatures in excess of 10°C; hence, these changes likely result from selective mortality of smaller fish. Direct evidence of size-dependent mortality was obtained from a laboratory experiment that exposed fish to ambient conditions throughout the winter. Accounting for interannual differences in the severity and size dependency of winter mortality may improve our ability to evaluate striped bass year-class strength in the Hudson River.

Chronology, distribution, and sizes of larval fish sampled by light traps in macrophytic Chemung Lake

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (11) ◽  
pp. 2569-2577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert S. Gregory ◽  
Perce M. Powles
Keyword(s):  
Common Carp ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Larval Fish ◽  
Larval Abundance ◽  
Low Density ◽  
Light Traps ◽  
Resident Species ◽  
Emergence Period ◽  
Pumpkinseed Sunfish ◽  
Total Length

Light traps were used to assess larval abundance and chronology of appearance in Chemung Lake in 1982. Eleven of 21 resident species were captured, totalling 7234 individuals. The most abundant were yellow perch (2809), Iowa darter (2571), pumpkinseed sunfish (1288), bluntnose minnow (200), and carp (123). Iowa darter and pumpkinseed were taken only as prolarvae (yolk-sac larvae) and postlarvae, but yellow perch, from 5 to 33 mm total length, were attracted. Common carp and bluntnose minnow entered traps almost exclusively as prolarvae (6–13 mm and 6–12 mm total length, respectively). Perch had the shortest emergence period, May 6–12 (15–17 °C), followed by darters. May 9–31 (15–21 °C). Pumpkinseed and carp emerged over a 6-week period from June 3 to July 23 (16–25 °C). Perch prolarvae preferred shallow, high-density macrophyte areas; their postlarvae preferred deep, low-density macrophyte zones. All stages of larval darter selected shallow, macrophyte-dense regions, as did the young of pumpkinseed.

Diel and tidal abundance of fish larvae in a barrier-estuary channel in New South Wales

2001 ◽  
Vol 52 (7) ◽  
pp. 995 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Trnski
Keyword(s):  
Larval Fish ◽  
Fish Larvae ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Common Species ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Marine Source ◽  
Nursery Habitats ◽  
Current Flows ◽  
June July

In four 24-h series of ichthyoplankton sampling during winter (June–July) 1996 in Swansea Channel (which connects Lake Macquarie with coastal waters of central New South Wales, Australia) 3367 fish larvae representing at least 77 species were collected. The larval fish community clustered by sampling date and by diel phase. Diel phase had a stronger influence on abundance of more common taxa than did tide phase, and also most influence on community structure. For most taxa there was no difference in abundance between flood and ebb tides, regardless of the estuarine or marine source of the eggs and larvae. All but two of 16 common species were present in Swansea Channel throughout their entire larval stage. The sparids Acanthopagrus australis and Rhabdosargus sarbawere present in the channel only at settlement-competent sizes. These two species showed evidence of selective presence in the channel during a particular diel or tidal phase, with A. australis apparently preferring night-flood tides, which would aid migration to the estuarine nursery habitats in Lake Macquarie. The ability or inclination to escape the strong bi-directional flows in channels seems limited to only a few taxa that appear to respond to physical cues and tidal current flows.

The effects of a tidal-mixing front on the distribution of larval fish habitats in a semi-enclosed sea during winter

2014 ◽  
Vol 94 (7) ◽  
pp. 1517-1530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilio A. Inda-Díaz ◽  
Laura Sánchez-Velasco ◽  
Miguel F. Lavín
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of California ◽  
Larval Fish ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Wide Distribution ◽  
Tidal Mixing ◽  
Larval Abundance ◽  
North West ◽  
North East ◽  
Tidal Mixing Front ◽  
Fish Habitats

We examined the effect of a tidal-mixing front on the three-dimensional distribution of larval fish habitats (LFHs) in the Midriff Archipelago Region in the Gulf of California during winter. Zooplankton and environmental variables were sampled from 0 to 200 m in 50 m strata. Four LFHs were defined in association with the front, two on the northern side and two on the southern side. The northern LFHs were: (1) the Mainland Shelf Habitat, located from the surface to 100 m depth on the north-east mainland shelf, characterized mainly by the presence of Citharichtys fragilis; and (2) the Wide Distribution Habitat, extending from north-west to south across the front from the surface to 200 m depth, dominated by the ubiquitous Engraulis mordax. The southern LFHs were: (3) the Eddy Zone Habitat, defined nearly on an anticyclonic eddy, with the highest larval abundance and richness from the surface to 100 m depth, dominated by Leuroglossus stilbius; and (4) the Southern Gulf Habitat, associated with low temperature waters from the southern Gulf of California, dominated by southern-gulf species (e.g. Scomber japonicus and Sardinops sagax). Despite the weak stratification and low thermal contrast (~1.5°C) across the south front compared to summer (~3°C), our results demonstrate that the frontal zone may influence the formation of planktonic habitats even during generally homogeneous periods, which may also be relevant in other regions of the world.

Effects of sampling effort, assemblage similarity, and habitat heterogeneity on estimates of species richness and relative abundance of stream fishes

2009 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 277-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse R. Fischer ◽  
Craig P. Paukert
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Habitat Heterogeneity ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
Total Abundance ◽  
Catch Per Unit Effort ◽  
Stream Fish Assemblages ◽  
Stream Segment

We estimated the sampling effort required to accurately estimate species richness and to detect changes in catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) in four Great Plains, USA, streams. The number of sampled reaches (i.e., <1 km) required to estimate stream-segment (i.e., 20–28 km) species richness decreased with increased sampled reach length (i.e., 10, 20, 40, or 60 mean stream widths, MSW), whereas total sampling effort decreased with a greater number of shorter sampled reaches. Collecting all species in a stream segment required all sampled reaches (i.e., 10) of a length equal to 40 or 60 MSW. The number of stream reaches sampled with lengths equal to 40 MSW required to detect a 50% change in CPUE of common species (i.e., total abundance > 1% of total catch) with β = 0.80 ranged from 7 to 630 (mean = 99) and decreased with longer sampled reaches. A greater number of sampled reaches were needed to detect 90% of species richness and 25% changes in CPUE when Jaccard’s similarity of samples of stream fish assemblages and habitat heterogeneity was lower within streams. Our results suggest that homogeneous stream segments require more sampled reaches to characterize fish assemblages and monitor trends in fish abundance.

Ageing, catch-at-age and relative year-class strength for snapper (Pagrus auratus) in northern Spencer Gulf, South Australia

2000 ◽  
Vol 51 (7) ◽  
pp. 669 ◽  
Author(s):  
David McGlennon ◽  
G. Keith Jones ◽  
Janine Baker ◽  
W. Bruce Jackson ◽  
Martine A. Kinloch
Keyword(s):  
South Australia ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Catch Per Unit Effort ◽  
Commercial Catch ◽  
Qualitative Comparison ◽  
Pagrus Auratus ◽  
Class Strength ◽  
Recruitment Variability ◽  
Age Structures

Commercial landings of Pagrus auratus declined to 25-year lows in South Australia in 1994, and sustainability of the fishery was questioned. This study investigated two potential explanations for the decline – changes in fishing effort and recruitment variability. Data for 1983–97 from northern Spencer Gulf, which contributes the majority of snapper catches in the State, showed that 74% of the variance in targeted catch was explained by catch per unit effort, and 20% by fishing effort. Recruitment variability was examined by analysis of age structures of the commercial catch. An ageing procedure was established by examining sectioned sagittal otoliths of 1046 snapper caught in 1991 and 1994/5; their use was first evaluated by assessing the bias and precision of multiple readings and by comparing annulus counts with ring counts from scales. The timing of annulus formation was determined by marginal increment analysis. Interpretation of the age structures suggests that year-class strength is highly variable and has a strong influence on catch patterns in the commercial fishery. A qualitative comparison of temperature with year-class strength did not show a strong relationship.

scholarly journals Distributions and assemblages of larval fish in the East China Sea during the northeasterly and southwesterly monsoon seasons of 2008

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 547-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Y. Chen ◽  
M. A. Lee ◽  
K. W. Lan ◽  
G. C. Gong
Keyword(s):  
East China Sea ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Larval Fish ◽  
Monsoon Season ◽  
East China ◽  
Larval Abundance ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Water Currents ◽  
China Sea ◽  
Southern East China Sea

Abstract. A total of 8459 larval fish were collected from the southern East China Sea during the winter northeasterly monsoon season and the summer southwesterly monsoon season of 2008. The larvae comprised 184 species belonging to 105 families and 162 genera. The abundance in terms of CPUE (number of individuals/1000 m3) of the larvae was approximately 6 times higher during the southwesterly monsoon season than it was during the northeasterly monsoon season. The primary environmental factors affecting the larval abundance were water temperature during the northeasterly monsoon season, and food availability during the southwesterly monsoon season. Three larval fish assemblages were recognized: inshore assemblage, offshore assemblage, and summer coastal assemblage. The distribution and species composition of the larvae in the assemblages reflected the hydrographic conditions and water currents resulting from the seasonal monsoons.

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