Black Bass Diversity: Multidisciplinary Science for Conservation

Abstract

<em>Abstract</em>.—Little is known about the movement and habitat use of Alabama Bass <em>Micropterus henshalli</em> and Redeye Bass <em>M. coosae</em>, especially in response to altered flow regimes resulting from hydropeaking operations. Therefore, 22 Alabama Bass and 20 Redeye Bass were implanted with radio tags and tracked every 3 weeks for 37 weeks from December 2010 to September 2011 to describe seasonal patterns in movement and habitat use in the Tallapoosa River, Alabama, below R. L. Harris Dam. Additionally, fish of each species were tracked weekly every 2 h over the course of 10 h to assess the effects of altered flows on movement and habitat use by the two species during different periods of the hydrograph (base, rising, peak, and falling flows). Movement of both species was strongly associated with season, with the highest movement in the spring. Total home range (95%) and core areas (50%) of both species were similar, but Redeye Bass total home range was inversely related to fish size. Alabama Bass were typically found in fine-sediment substrates and increasingly used more woody debris for cover from winter to summer, whereas Redeye Bass were typically found in rocky substrate and only used woody debris in summer. Neither Alabama Bass nor Redeye Bass daily movement appeared to be affected by the altered flow; however, Alabama Bass were found closer to shore in vegetated or woody debris habitat during high flows in spring and summer. In contrast, Redeye Bass showed little lateral movement in the river or change in habitat use in response to higher flows in most seasons but, similar to Alabama Bass, were found in shoreline vegetated habitats more often during high flows in spring. These shifts in habitat during different flows should be further investigated to evaluate possible life-history strategies.