Abstract
BackgroundLittle is known about variation in catch per unit of effort (CPUE) in stickleback fisheries, or the factors explaining this variation. We investigated how nine-spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) CPUE was influenced by trap model by comparing the CPUEs of two very similar minnow trap models fished side-by-side in a paired experimental design.ResultsThe galvanized trap type (mean CPUE = 1.31 fish h–1) out-fished the black trap type (mean CPUE = 0.20 fish h–1) consistently, and yielded on average 81% more fish.ConclusionsThe results demonstrate that small differences in trap appearance can have large impacts on CPUE. This has implications for studies designed to investigate abundance and occurrence of fish using minnow traps.
Highlights
Little is known about variation in catch per unit of effort (CPUE) in stickleback fisheries, or the factors explaining this variation
The aim of this study was to test whether two commonly used and superficially similar metallic minnow trap types differ in their CPUE when catching ninespined sticklebacks
The results of this study clearly demonstrate that the silver traps out-fished the black traps, with a large margin
Summary
Little is known about variation in catch per unit of effort (CPUE) in stickleback fisheries, or the factors explaining this variation. We investigated how nine-spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) CPUE was influenced by trap model by comparing the CPUEs of two very similar minnow trap models fished side-by-side in a paired experimental design. Factors influencing the CPUE have been mainly studied in species of commercial interest. Less effort has been put towards studying factors that influence CPUE in species such as sticklebacks (Gasterostidae), which are popular models for ecological and evolutionary biology research Influence of trap type and use of bait on CPUE of nine-spined sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius) was investigated [16], and clear trap type and bait effects
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