Abstract
Populations of kōura, or freshwater crayfish (Paranephrops planifrons White, 1842), were quantified along a eutrophication gradient in seven Te Arawa lakes using the tau kōura, a traditional Māori harvesting method, in April, July and November 2009. Six of the seven lakes contained kōura. No kōura were captured in hypertrophic Lake Ōkaro. Kōura catches were highly variable and mean catch per unit effort (CPUE) varied from 1.5 to 99.3kōura per whakaweku (fern bundle) in the six lakes with kōura present. The highest abundance of kōura was recorded in eutrophic Lake Rotorua and the highest biomass in oligotrophic Lake Rotomā. Kōura orbit carapace length (OCL) ranged from 6 to 52mm, with the largest kōura recorded in lakes Rotoiti and Rotomā. Our results suggest that benthic substrate is more important in determining kōura population abundance than nutrient enrichment (using chlorophyll-a as a proxy) or predatory fish (rainbow trout abundance). Nevertheless, lake trophic status in conjunction with lake morphology appeared to indirectly affect kōura distribution in the sheltered, steep-sided lakes, through hypolimnetic deoxygenation.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
