Black Bass Diversity: Multidisciplinary Science for Conservation

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
The United States ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Minimum Length ◽  
Catch And Release ◽  
Black Bass ◽  
Intensively Managed ◽  
Catch Rates ◽  
Sport Fish

<em>Abstract</em>.—Largemouth Bass (LMB) <em>Micropterus salmoides</em> is one of the most popular sport fish in the United States and is intensively managed across much of its range. Beginning in 1989, Wisconsin implemented more restrictive harvest regulations for LMB, including greater minimum length limits, reduced bag limits, and a catch-and-release-only season during the spawning period across much of northern Wisconsin. We tested for trends in LMB relative abundance, growth, and angler catch and harvest in relation to LMB management policies from 1990 to 2011. We also tested for potential sport fish community responses to changes in LMB abundances using Walleye (WAE) <em>Sander vitreus</em> as an example. Angler catch rates and electrofishing catch per unit effort of LMB greater than 8 and 14 in increased significantly statewide. Mean length of age-6 LMB decreased significantly statewide. Release rates of LMB increased from about 80% in 1991 and then plateaued at more than 96% from 2005 to 2011. Concurrent with increases in LMB, adult WAE densities declined in lakes containing LMB. Ongoing research is being conducted to test for interactions between LMB and WAE and to test for additional environmental drivers, such as climate warming, that may be associated with increased LMB abundances. Largemouth Bass abundances have increased in Wisconsin, possibly in response to changes in harvest regulations, angler behavior, and potentially other environmental drivers. These increases in LMB abundances have had negative intraspecific effects on growth and may be negatively affecting WAE stocks. We recommend that management goals for LMB consider intra- and interspecific consequences, particularly in water bodies where multispecies fisheries are desired.

Biology and Management of Inland Striped Bass and Hybrid Striped Bass

2013 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Striped Bass ◽  
The United States ◽  
Minimum Length ◽  
State Agencies ◽  
Hybrid Striped Bass ◽  
White Bass ◽  
Regulatory Strategies ◽  
Intensively Managed ◽  
Catch Rates ◽  
Sport Fish

<em>Abstract</em>.—Inland populations of striped bass <em>Morone saxatilis </em>and hybrid striped bass (white bass <em>M. chrysops </em>× striped bass) are intensively managed across the United States for their recreational value using a variety of regulations; however, the full extent of different regulatory strategies is unknown. This paper describes regulations used by states to manage their inland striped bass and hybrid striped bass fisheries. An Internet-based survey seeking information on issues such as stocking dependency, trophy potential, catch rates, and statewide and specialized regulations for both striped bass and hybrid striped bass fisheries was created and distributed to all state agencies. The survey found that 32 states have inland populations of striped bass, hybrid striped bass, or both. Daily creel limits for striped bass and hybrid striped bass ranged from 2 to 30; the most liberal creel limits were found in southern states. Half of the states reported that their statewide length limit for both taxa has few or no exceptions for conditions in particular water bodies, and 85% of states with striped bass and 92% of states with hybrid striped bass enforce a minimum length limit as their statewide length limit. Although both taxa were generally managed with similar regulations, striped bass were usually considered a more important sport fish species and were managed more intensively than hybrid striped bass. A literature review confirmed that little research has been published on the response (or lack thereof) of striped bass and their hybrids to any of the various management schemes reported herein.

scholarly journals Evidence Dorsal Spine Removal is Nonlethal and Unharmful for Largemouth Bass in Florida

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Summer Lindelien ◽  
Andrew C. Dutterer ◽  
Paul Schueller ◽  
Chris C. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Southeastern United States ◽  
Research Management ◽  
Dorsal Spine ◽  
Black Bass ◽  
New Research ◽  
Sport Fish ◽  
Management And Conservation

Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides, Florida Bass M. floridanus, and their intergrade are socially and economically valuable sport fish. In the southeastern United States, it is customary to age black bass (Micropterus) spp. using sagittal otoliths which requires killing the fish. Presently, fisheries managers and black bass anglers show reluctance to sacrifice large individuals. Development of a nonlethal ageing technique would not only allay concerns of sacrificing large black bass, but it could offer a pathway for new research, management, and conservation. We excised dorsal spines III–V from Largemouth Bass in Florida varying from 30–57 cm total length to evaluate the effects of the procedure on survival over 35 days. No mortalities were observed for fish with excised dorsal spines, and experiment-wide survival was 0.94 (0.87–1.00; 95% confidence interval). No significant differences in survival, weight change, or incidence of external injuries were observed between control and excised fish. The areas of spine excision healed with no visible infection or inflammation at the conclusion of the experiment. Therefore, dorsal spine removal offers managers a nonlethal option for collecting ageing structures of adult Largemouth Bass in Florida, including large individuals, and this result likely extends to other Micropterus spp. as well.

Fishing Mortality and Habitat Loss Affect Largemouth Bass Fishery in the Potomac River (Maryland)

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 140-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph W. Love ◽  
Mary Groves ◽  
Branson D. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
The United States ◽  
Potomac River ◽  
Fishing Mortality ◽  
Catch And Release ◽  
Negative Impacts

Abstract Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides is arguably the most popular sport fish of inland waters in the United States. The majority of anglers in the fishery practice catch and release. Catch-and-release guidelines aim to reduce negative impacts of angling on individual fish, though such impacts on populations are not widely reported. We hypothesized that a decline in the population size for Largemouth Bass from a catch-and-release fishery from the Potomac River resulted from a period of greater fishing mortality followed by habitat loss that reduced the recovery of the population. After we analyzed several years of fishery-dependent and independent data (1999–2015), it was determined that fishing mortality and relative exploitation were greater than average in the latter half of the 2000s than in previous years. Fishery-independent survey results suggested a loss of large fish and decline in population size. The relative abundance of juveniles subsequently declined possibly because the area of submerged aquatic vegetation used as nursery habitat had declined after tropical storms. For management purposes, we suggest that fishing mortality not exceed 28% for a sustainable fishery (assuming similar levels of natural mortality) in the Potomac River. Negative impacts to Largemouth Bass populations could be lessened by reduced harvest and widespread enforcement of catch-and-release guidelines, especially during times when angler effort is high, fish are highly accessible to anglers in the fishery, and habitat loss limits recruitment.

Molecular characterization ofNeoechinorhynchus cylindratusVan Cleave, 1913 (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae), a parasite of the largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) in northern Mexico

2018 ◽  
Vol 94 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. García-Varela ◽  
C.D. Pinacho-Pinacho
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Nuclear Dna ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Large Subunit ◽  
The United States ◽  
Internal Transcribed Spacers ◽  
Molecular Characteristics ◽  
Ecological Data ◽  
Northern Mexico

AbstractMembers of the genusNeoechinorhynchusStiles & Hassall, 1905 are endoparasites of freshwater fishes, brackish water fishes, and freshwater turtles distributed worldwide. In North America, 33 species have been described. One of the most widely distributed species in the eastern United States and Canada isNeoechinorhynchus (Neoechinorhynchus) cylindratus,a common acanthocephalan that infects centrarchid fishes. In the current study, adult specimens ofN. (N) cylindratuswere collected from largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) from the Purificación River in northern Mexico. In the same freshwater system, two additional congeneric species (Neoechinorhynchus (Neoechinorhynchus) emyditoidesandNeoechinorhynchus (Neoechinorhynchus) panucensis) were collected and analysed. Sequences of the large subunit, internal transcribed spacers ITS1 and ITS2, 5.8S from nuclear DNA, and sequences of the cytochromecoxidase subunit I (cox1) from mitochondrial DNA were generated and aligned with other sequences obtained from GenBank. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses inferred for each dataset showed thatN. (N) panucensis,N. (N) emyditoidesandN. (N) cylindratuswere nested within several clades, indicating that these species do not share a common ancestor. Our phylogenies also revealed that the genusNeoechinorhynchusis paraphyletic, requiring further taxonomic revision using phylogenetic systematics and re-examination of morphological and ecological data. The presence of severalN. (N) cylindratusadults in northern Mexico allowed us to typify this species for the first time using a combination of morphological and molecular characteristics. The current record shows a wide distribution range ofN. (N) cylindratusacross Canada, the United States and Mexico in the Nearctic region.

scholarly journals Walleye recruitment success is less resilient to warming water temperatures in lakes with abundant largemouth bass populations

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gretchen J.A. Hansen ◽  
Stephen R. Midway ◽  
Tyler Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Degree Days ◽  
Large Lakes ◽  
Recruitment Success ◽  
Annual Water ◽  
Catch Rates ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Annual Water Temperature ◽  
Specific Food

Lakes respond heterogeneously to climate, with implications for fisheries management. We analyzed walleye (Sander vitreus) recruitment to age-0 in 359 lakes in Wisconsin, USA, to (i) quantify the relationship between annual water temperature degree days (DD) and walleye recruitment success and (ii) identify the influence of lake characteristics — area, conductivity, largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) catch rates, and mean DD — on this relationship. The relationship between walleye recruitment and annual DD varied among lakes and was not distinguishable from zero overall (posterior mean = −0.11, 90% CI = −0.34, 0.15). DD effects on recruitment were negative in 198 lakes (55%) and positive in 161 (45%). The effect of annual DD was most negative in lakes with high largemouth bass densities, and, on average, the probability of recruitment was highest in large lakes with low largemouth bass densities. Conductivity and mean DD influenced neither recruitment nor the effect of annual DD. Walleye recruitment was most resilient to warming in lakes with few largemouth bass, suggesting that the effects of climate change depend on lake-specific food-web and habitat contexts.

Black Bass Diversity: Multidisciplinary Science for Conservation

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Model ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Fish Length ◽  
Catch Per Unit Effort ◽  
Explanatory Factors ◽  
Black Bass ◽  
Intersex Condition ◽  
Catch Rates

<em>Abstract</em>.—Reports of testicular oocytes (intersex) in fish are increasing worldwide. Intersex is often associated with estrogens in treated wastewater effluents, but few studies have explored other potentially explanatory factors. Our recent survey of intersex Largemouth Bass <em>Micropterus salmoides</em> in 11 impoundments across Georgia, USA found high incidence (>80%) of intersex fish in some impoundments but none in others. To explore factors associated with intersex in the impoundments, which did not receive wastewater, we examined potential predictor variables that varied among the levels of individual fish, impoundment, or landscape in a binomial mixed-model regression approach. Our model indicated effects of fish length, catch per unit effort (an index of fish density), and impoundment, which was the strongest effect. The probability of intersex was highest in smaller fish from impoundments with the highest catch rates. The underlying mechanism(s) for the impoundment effect remain unclear, but we hypothesize that estrogens excreted by high densities of fish and cyanobacteria may influence intersex. Additional studies are needed to understand the long-term population implications of intersex and the role of other biological and environmental factors, particularly at the impoundment level, in development of the intersex condition.

Effects of lunar cycles on the activity patterns and depth use of a temperate sport fish, the largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides

2008 ◽  
Vol 15 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 357-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. C. HANSON ◽  
S. ARROSA ◽  
C. T. HASLER ◽  
C. D. SUSKI ◽  
D. P. PHILIPP ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Lunar Cycles ◽  
Sport Fish ◽  
Depth Use

Black Bass Diversity: Multidisciplinary Science for Conservation

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Variation ◽  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Salinity Gradient ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Metabolic Cost ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Freshwater Species ◽  
Population Demographics ◽  
Bioenergetics Modeling ◽  
Black Bass

<em>Abstract.</em>—Largemouth Bass <em>Micropterus salmoides</em> is typically thought of as a freshwater species, but populations occur in oligohaline portions of estuaries throughout the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts, often with popular fisheries. These coastal populations must deal with the physiological stresses associated with salinity variation and may be isolated from inland freshwater populations, increasing the potential for differentiation. To understand factors important to the ecology and management of these coastal populations, we quantified individual- and population-level parameters for Largemouth Bass across a natural salinity gradient in the Mobile-Tensaw River delta in southwestern Alabama during 2002–2009 (including population demographics, feeding ecology, movement, recruitment, and bioenergetics processes). Combining traditional mark–recapture and telemetry techniques with otolith microchemical analyses, we demonstrated that Largemouth Bass of all ages moved very little, even in response to increasing salinity (up to 15‰) in downstream areas. Large individuals were rare in our sampling across both fresh and brackish habitats (only 7 out of 9,530 individuals were >2.27 kg), and fish body condition increased downstream with increasing marine influence. Growth responses for fish across the estuary were more complex, varying with both fish age and salinity. Faster growth was observed in the brackish, downstream areas for fish ≤age 2, while growth of older fish was faster in freshwater upstream sites. Using bioenergetics modeling, we demonstrated that a complex combination of spatial variation in water temperature, prey energetic content, and metabolic cost of salinity was responsible for age-specific spatial variation in growth. Preliminary genetic analysis suggests that these coastal Largemouth Bass may differ genetically from inland fish. Coastal Largemouth Bass populations face a number of potential conservation concerns, and their management will require different approaches compared to their inland counterparts, including different goals and expectations, likely even requiring consideration as unique stocks.

Management Implications for Different Genetic Stocks of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) in the United States

1981 ◽  
Vol 38 (12) ◽  
pp. 1715-1723 ◽  
Author(s):  
David P. Philipp ◽  
William F. Childers ◽  
Gregory S. Whitt
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Thermal Tolerance ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
The United States ◽  
Temperature Tolerance ◽  
Allelic Polymorphism ◽  
Genetic Stocks ◽  
Starch Gel ◽  
Or Genes

Genetic differences exist among 90 largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) populations from different geographic regions of the United States. Genetic variation at 28 loci was determined through the use of vertical starch gel electrophoretic analyses. Allelic polymorphism was observed at 16 of these loci. Marked differences in allele frequencies at six of these loci exist among the populations. Distinct north–south clinal distributions of the alleles at the MDH-B, SOD-A, IDH-B, and AAT-B loci suggest a possible involvement of the associated enzymes in the thermal tolerance/preference limits for this species.We conclude that one or more of these enzymes may be directly involved in temperature tolerance/preference or indirectly associated with temperature-related effects. In either instance, selection (if occurring) may be acting upon the enzyme locus or genes closely linked to it. Through a combination of ecological and genetic principles, it is becoming increasingly feasible to select or construct specific populations of marine or freshwater fish optimally suited for specific environments. Fisheries management programs would benefit from the application of these principles. Multidisciplinary approaches of this nature are essential to maximize the successful conservation and management of our natural resources.Key words: largemouth bass, allele, loci, polymorphism, selection, population

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