Diel Habitat Use by Fishes in a Blue Ridge Stream, Georgia

Abstract

ABSTRACT We determined diel habitat use by fishes in a Blue Ridge stream in Georgia using direct underwater observation on two occasions in September 1999. During both day and night sampling periods, individuals in the family Centrarchidae were most commonly found in shallow (< 20 cm depth) and deep (>= 20 cm depth) areas with low water velocities (< 10 cm·s−1 average velocity). During the day, representatives of Cyprinidae were most common in deep areas with higher water velocities (> 10 cm·s−1 average velocity) but shifted to shallow areas with low water velocities during the night. Differences in diel habitat use by the two families are best explained by differences in predator avoidance strategies.