Cottus Ricei Research Articles

The benthic fish assemblage of the soft-bottom community of the Duluth-Superior Harbor before and after round goby invasion (1989–2011)

Abstract The soft-bottom benthic fish community of the St. Louis River and Duluth-Superior Harbor was examined yearly (20 of 23 years) from 1989 through 2011 using bottom trawling. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) and fish lengths were used to assess the impact of the round goby, which appeared in trawl records in 1998, on benthic native fishes. Logperch ( Percina caprodes ), spoonhead sculpin ( Cottus ricei ), johnny darter ( Etheostoma nigrum ), channel catfish ( Ictlarus puncatus ), tadpole madtom catfish ( Noturus gyrinus ) and bullhead catfish ( Ictalurus spp.) plus the invasive Eurasian ruffe ( Gymnocephalus cernuus ) populations were assessed. After detection in the trawl record in 1998, round goby continued to increase in abundance through 2006. Logperch showed a 65% decline in median CPUE from 2.4 to 0.85, while johnny darter increased almost three-fold from 0.24 to 0.68 CPUE following round goby detection. Bullheads dropped from 7.5 CPUE to being virtually extirpated from the study area. However, their decline preceded round goby appearance, and was linked to the stocking of predator fish to combat the Eurasian ruffe. It is hypothesized that the presence of the Eurasian ruffe contributed to depressing the native fish population to the extent that the round goby appearance had less impact on the community. However, after 20 years of decline, the native fish appear to be rebounding due to declines in the Eurasian ruffe and round goby populations and improvements in water quality.

Echinorhynchus salmonis(Acanthocephala: Echinorhynchidae) in the Spoonhead Sculpin,Cottus ricei, from Lake Superior, Wisconsin, U.S.A. and a Summary of Acanthocephalans Infecting Sculpins from the Great Lakes

Ninety (64%) of 140 spoonhead sculpin, Cottus ricei (Nelson, 1876), collected in April, September, October, and November 2011 from 1 location near the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore of Lake Superior, Wisconsin were infected with Echinorhynchus salmonis (Muller, 1784) Petrochenko 1956. The overall mean intensity and mean abundance of E. salmonis in sculpins were 2.0 and 1.3, respectively. The proportions of infected sculpins and abundances of E. salmonis were significantly higher in each month of September, October, and November than in April 2011. Significant Spearman's rank correlation coefficients occurred between the intensities and abundances of E. salmonis and sculpin total length and wet weight. A total of 183 individuals of E. salmonis (98 females and 85 males) was counted in the infected sculpins. Of the female E. salmonis found, only 10 were gravid, and these occurred in sculpins in September, October, and November. Cottus ricei is a new host record for E. salmonis. Five undigested amphipods, Diporeia spp., were found infected with E. salmonis in the stomachs of sculpins. Echinorhynchus salmonis and other acanthocephalan species are common intestinal helminths of sculpin species (Cottus spp. and Myoxocephalus thompsonii) in the Great Lakes.

Conservation genetics of prickly sculpin (Cottus asper) at the periphery of its distribution range in Peace River, Canada

Populations at the edge of their range often invoke taxonomic confusion and are increasingly considered to harbour cryptic genetic diversity of significant adaptive potential. In the Peace River region of northwestern Canada, three sculpin species have been reported: spoonhead (Cottus ricei), slimy (Cottus cognatus) and prickly (Cottus asper) sculpin. Prickly sculpin occurrence in this region represents the most eastern edge of its distribution, but its status has remained uncertain following its initial discovery in 1989. These populations may represent an independently evolving lineage of special conservation concern, or be the consequence of an ongoing range expansion, possibly accompanied by interspecific hybridization with local species. Using a combination of mtDNA sequencing and microsatellite analyses, we did not find peripheral population differentiation or interspecific hybridization, suggesting that the Albertan Peace River population belongs to the same genetic group as its western counterparts. Future studies will benefit from a greater understanding of whether demographically independent prickly sculpin populations established in Alberta without the typical genetic signatures of expansion at the periphery of their range.

Habitat use by fishes of Lake Superior. I. Diel patterns of habitat use in nearshore and offshore waters of the Apostle Islands region

Diel patterns of distribution of fishes in nearshore (15–80 m depth) and offshore (>80 m) waters of the Apostle Islands region of Lake Superior were described using bottom trawls, mid-water trawls, and acoustic gear during day and night sampling. These data revealed three types of diel migration: diel vertical migration (DVM), diel bank migration (DBM), and no migration. DVM was expressed by fishes migrating from benthopelagic to pelagic strata and DBM was expressed by fishes migrating horizontally from deeper waters in the day to shallower waters at night while remaining within the benthopelagic stratum. Most fishes that did not exhibit diel migration showed increased nighttime densities as a result of increased activity and movement from benthic to benthopelagic strata. Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax), Cisco (Coregonus artedi), Bloater (C. hoyi), Kiyi (C. kiyi), juvenile Trout-Perch (Percopsis omiscomaycus), and adult siscowet (Salvelinus namaycush siscowet) exhibited DVM. Lake Whitefish (C. clupeaformis), lean Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush namaycush), and juvenile siscowet exhibited DBM. Adult Trout-Perch and adult Pygmy Whitefish (Prosopium coulteri) exhibited a mixture of DBM and DVM. Burbot (Lota lota), Slimy Sculpin (Cottus cognatus), Spoonhead Sculpin (C. ricei), and Deepwater Sculpin (Myoxocephalus thompsonii) did not exhibit diel migration, but showed evidence of increased nocturnal activity. Ninespine Stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) exhibited a mixture of DVM and non-migration. Juvenile Pygmy Whitefish did not show a diel change in density or depth distribution. Species showing ontogenetic shifts in depth distribution with larger, adult life stages occupying deeper waters included, Rainbow Smelt, lean and siscowet Lake Trout, Lake Whitefish, Pygmy Whitefish, Ninespine Stickleback and Trout-Perch. Of these species, siscowet also showed an ontogenetic shift from primarily DBM as juveniles to primarily DVM as adults. Across all depths, fishes expressing DVM accounted for 73% of the total estimated community areal biomass (kg ha−1) while those expressing DBM accounted for 25% and non-migratory species represented 2% of the biomass. The proportion of total community biomass exhibiting DVM increased with depth, from 59% to 95% across ≤30 m to >90 m depth zones. Along the same depth gradient, the proportion of total community biomass exhibiting DBM declined from 40% to 1%, while non-migrators increased from 1% to 4%. These results indicate that DVM and DBM behaviors are pervasive in the Lake Superior fish community and potentially provide strong linkages that effect coupling of benthic and pelagic and nearshore and offshore habitats.

Effects of Culverts on Stream Fish Assemblages in the Alberta Foothills

AbstractWatercourse‐crossing structures are ubiquitous anthropogenic features in the Rocky Mountain foothills of Alberta. We performed physical and habitat assessments at 295 watercourse‐crossing sites in 15 subbasins of the Athabasca River during the summer and early fall of 2007, 2008, and 2009, sampling for fish at 110 sites (32 bridges and 78 culverts). We used bootstrapping analysis to examine how several culvert parameters (hang height, outlet plunge pool depth, water velocity, length, and slope) altered the upstream abundances of eight fish species relative to those at reference bridge sites. Physical drops at the outlet (hang heights), slope, and outlet water velocities were the most important culvert parameters shaping non‐sport‐fish distributions. Some culvert types (e.g., hanging culverts) acted as complete barriers to burbot Lota lota and partially impeded the movements of spoonhead sculpin Cottus ricei, suckers Catostomus spp., and minnows (family Cyprinidae). For example, at culverts with high outlet water velocities (>0.59 m/s), the upstream proportion of the total catch for burbot was 0.32 units lower than that at bridge crossings. We did not find evidence that culverts acted as barriers to the upstream passage of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss; rather, the abundances of rainbow trout significantly increased upstream of the highest‐hanging, steepest, and longest culverts. One explanation may be that culverts that exclude burbot, a voracious predator, offer a competitive release for rainbow trout upstream of culverts. However, culverts had significantly higher water temperatures and silt and sand substrates upstream (versus downstream), whereas instream habitat did not differ at bridges. Given the large number of culverts that may be barriers in the Alberta foothills, our research emphasizes the need to better understand how species respond to the characteristics of culverts. Such data are needed to assist with making informed regulatory and planning decisions.Received March 26, 2011; accepted January 19, 2012

Interspecific Resource Competition between the Invasive Round Goby and Three Native Species: Logperch, Slimy Sculpin, and Spoonhead Sculpin

AbstractThe invasive round goby Apollonia melanostomus (formerly Neogobius melanostomus) has negatively affected benthic fish communities throughout the Great Lakes. In this study, we compared the sensory physiology and behavior of three native species—slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus, spoonhead sculpin C. ricei, and logperch Percina caprodes—with those of the round goby to determine the mechanisms that allow the round goby to dominate native fish. The reaction and strike distances of the four species were examined during predator‐prey trials using natural amphipod prey Gammarus spp. under varying light intensities (0‐130 lx) to compare input from the mechanosensory lateral line and visual systems. Trials in the dark (0 lx) indicated that the sculpins and the round goby had similar lateral line sensitivity. However, all three native species had a significant advantage in reaction and strike distance over the round goby at higher light intensities. Interspecific resource competition was assessed by pairing a round goby with a native fish in an artificial stream. Round gobies gained significantly more weight than the native fishes during all trials. Slimy sculpins were able to maintain their weight in the presence of the round goby; however, spoonhead sculpins and logperch lost a significant amount of weight during the trials. These experiments indicate that although the round goby does not possess an inherent sensory advantage, it can dominate resources and outcompete native fish. Thus, round gobies may pose risks for a wide variety of native benthic fishes.

Hearing in eight species of northern Canadian freshwater fishes

The hearing thresholds of eight fish species from northern Canada were measured using auditory evoked potential techniques. The species with the best hearing was the lake chub Couesius plumbeus, followed by the longnose sucker Catastomus catastomus, both which had relatively sensitive hearing over the frequency range tested from 100 to 1600 Hz. The remaining species (troutperch Percopsis omiscomaycus, nine‐spined stickleback Pungitius pungitius, pike Esox lucius, spoonhead sculpin Cottus ricei, burbot Lota lota and broad whitefish Coregonus nasus) all showed most sensitivity to low frequencies (<400 Hz) and had relatively insensitive high frequency hearing. The two species with the best hearing are otophysan fishes with connections between the swimbladder and inner ear. The spoonhead sculpin lacks a swimbladder, while the other non‐otophysan species have swimbladders, but no specialized connection to the inner ear. These results can be used to predict the potential impact of anthropogenic noise, such as seismic air gun blasts, on hearing in these species. The species with the most sensitive hearing (lake chub and longnose sucker) are most likely to be affected by activities such as seismic air gun surveys.

Erratum: Fish community change in Lake Superior, 1970-2000

Fig. 6. Biomass of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) (a), bloater (Coregonus hoyi) (b), kiyi (Coregonus kiyi) (c), ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) (d), burbot (Lota lota) (e), slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus) (f), spoonhead sculpin (Cottus ricei) (g), and deepwater sculpin (Myoxocephalus thompsoni) (h) in U.S. ( ) and Canadian ( ) waters determined by lakewide bottom trawl surveys in nearshore waters (15–100 m), 1978–1999 conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Inshore-offshore Distribution of Larval Fishes in Lake Superior off the Western Coast of the Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan

We surveyed the larval fish community in Lake Superior off the western coast of the Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan, as a first component in understanding how the Keweenaw Current affects larval fish distribution and survivorship. On transects at Ontonagon, Houghton, and Eagle Harbor, we collected larval fishes with a 1-m diameter plankton net towed through surface and deep (below metalimnion) waters at an inshore location (1 km from shore) and an offshore location (5–9 km from shore) during day and night in 1998 and 1999. The most abundant larvae caught were lake herring ( Coregonus artedii), rainbow smelt ( Osmerus mordax), burbot ( Lota lota), deepwater sculpin ( Myoxocephalus thompsoni), and spoonhead sculpin ( Cottus ricei). Lake herring was generally most abundant at the surface during the day, while the other four species avoided the surface by day but not at night. Overall, larval fish density was greater inshore than offshore, with exceptions for particular locations and seasonal periods (1.24x for lake herring, 12.93x for rainbow smelt, 1.27x for burbot, 1.25x for deepwater sculpin, and 4.26x for spoonhead sculpin). Differences in the sizes of larvae between inshore and offshore locations, in conjunction with density patterns, suggest a seasonal inshore to offshore movement. Despite the presence of the Keweenaw Current, the overall distribution patterns of larval fishes follow those of previous studies conducted in the Great Lakes, but with lower densities.

Monitoring aquatic environments receiving industrial effluents using small fish species 1: Response of spoonhead sculpin (Cottus ricei) downstream of a bleached‐kraft pulp mill

AbstractLarger fish species may not always be suitable for monitoring the response to industrial effluents because they are mobile and capable of extensive movement beyond effluent exposure areas. Spoonhead sculpin (Cottus ricei) was collected upstream and downstream of a large bleached‐kraft pulp mill on the Athabasca River, Alberta, Canada, during fall and spring periods to determine whether small, sedentary fish species demonstrate responses reflecting local exposure conditions. During the fall sampling period, exposed fish were older and larger than upstream fish and showed increases in condition, gonad size, egg weight, liver weight, and hepatic mixed function oxygenase activity (7‐ethoxyresorufin O‐deethylase [EROD]). Sculpin collected from the opposite river bank, where exposure was reduced, showed condition factors, gonad size, egg weight, liver weight, and EROD activity that were not significantly different from reference sites or intermediate between reference and downstream values. In the spring after a prolonged overwinter exposure to higher effluent concentrations, exposed fish were larger, showed increased size‐at‐age, condition, liver weight, ovary size, and EROD activity. Far‐field collections showed that most responses persisted downstream for at least 48 km. The general response of exposed spoonhead sculpin was consistent with a nutrient enrichment effect described in studies investigating water quality, algal growth, and benthos communities at this site but also may be related to reduced competition associated with the loss of older fish observed in the spring. The use of small species for sentinel monitoring provided a viable alternative to use of larger, more mobile species.

Reappearance of Spoonhead Sculpins ( Cottus Ricei) in Lake Michigan

Spoonhead sculpins ( Cottus ricei) were collected at night in bottom trawls during fall 1990 in Lake Michigan. Specimens were collected at depths from 9 to 91 m at three sites in northern Lake Michigan and at one site in southern Lake Michigan. These specimens represent the first documented collection of this species in Lake Michigan since 1973.

Status of the Spoonhead Sculpin, Cottus ricei, in Canada

Status of the Spoonhead Sculpin, Cottus ricei, in Canada

Comparative Biology of the Sculpins of Lake Superior

The slimy sculpin ( Cottus cognatus), spoonhead sculpin ( Cottus ricei), and deepwater sculpin ( Myoxocephalus thompsoni) are abundant fishes in Lake Superior. Slimy and spoonhead sculpins occupy a zone from near shore to depths of 210 m but are generally most abundant in waters 50 to 90 m deep. Deepwater sculpins are found in waters from 15 to 407 m deep and are most abundant at depths greater than 70 m. All three species of sculpins eat mainly burrowing amphipods ( Pontoporeia affinis) although deepwater sculpins also eat substantial quantities of opossum shrimp ( Mysis relicta). The three sculpins grow at similar rates. Among the fishes aged, the maximum age of slimy sculpins was 5 years, compared with 6 years for spoonhead sculpins, and 7 years for deepwater sculpins. Indirect evidence indicates that slimy and spoonhead sculpins spawn in the spring, and deepwater sculpins spawn in midwinter.

Recent Changes in Lake Michigan's Fish Community and Their Probable Causes, With Emphasis on the Role of the Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus)

Major changes in fish populations occurred in Lake Michigan between the early 1970s and 1984. The abundance of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and several nonnative species of salmonines increased greatly as a result of intensive stocking. The exotic alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), which had proliferated to extremely high levels of abundance in the mid-1960s, declined, particularly in the early 1980s. We believe that the sharp decline in alewives in the 1980s was caused primarily by poor recruitment during the colder than normal years of 1976–82. Several of Lake Michigan's endemic species of fish appeared to be adversely affected by alewives: bloater (Coregonus hoyi), lake herring (C. artedii), emerald shiner (Notropis atherinoides), yellow perch (Perca flavescens), and deepwater sculpin (Myoxocephalus thompsoni), and possibly spoonhead sculpin (Cottus ricei). All declined when alewives were abundant, and those that did not become rare, i.e. the bloater, perch, and deepwater sculpin recovered when alewives declined. We present evidence suggesting that the mechanism by which alewives affect native species is not by competition for food, as has often been hypothesized, and discuss the possibility that it is predation on early life stages. Despite the decreased availability of alewives in the early 1980s, salmonines continued to eat mainly alewives. The highly abundant alternate prey species were eaten only sparingly, but alewives still may have been abundant enough to meet the forage requirements of salmonines. Two new exotics, the pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), increased in abundance in the 1980s, and could become detrimental (particularly the salmon) to other species.

Brief observations concerning the visual pigments of some selected fishes from Lake Heney, Quebec, a relict of glacial Lake Gatineau

The visual pigments and liver vitamins A of several races of Osmerus eperlanus mordax (rainbow smelt). Coregonus artedii (cisco), Myoxocephalus quadricornis thompsonii (deepwater sculpin). Cottus ricei (spoonhead sculpin) and Salrelinus namaycush (lake charr) have been examined. With the exception of Salvelinus and certain specimens of Osmerus, all were taken from Lake Heney. originally part of glacial Lake Gatineau at the time of the Champlain Sea episode, a marine inundation of the St Lawrence Lowlands that occurred some 9,000–12,000 yr ago. Osmerus has a rhodopsin with λ max at 512 nm and a porphyropsin at 541 nm, the latter practically absent in the sympatric dwarf (including young-of-the-year) and giant races of Lake Heney. Coregonus has a rhodopsin with λ max at 510–511 nm, perhaps with a trace of porphyropsin : Salvelinus has a rhodopsin and porphyropsin in variable amounts with respective maxima at 511 and 540 ± 2 nm. Of the two cottids. Cottus has a rhodopsin with λ max at 503 nm but Myoxocephalus is unusual in having a mixture of two rhodopsins with maxima separated by only 7 nm. located at 508 and 515 nm respectively. All species have the precursor of porphyropsin. 3-dehydroretinol. in their livers in proportions ranging from 17 to 50 per cent of the total liver retinols. These findings are related to observations on kindred species in other habitats or other regions, and the visual pigments of the two cottids are discussed in relation to the recent evolution of these fish.

First Records of the Sculpins Myoxocephalus thompsonii and Cottus ricei from the Ottawa Valley, Southwestern Quebec

not available

Distribution and Taxonomy of Fishes in the Mackenzie Drainage of British Columbia

New and previously published records are listed for 28 species of freshwater fishes in tributaries of the Mackenzie River in northern British Columbia. Distribution patterns are discussed for all species reaching the continental divide at the Peace River headwaters; some are restricted to one or other side, but 17 species are common to the Peace and Fraser Rivers, suggesting that mountain ranges have served as a check but not an insurmountable obstacle to postglacial expansion. Five species indigenous to the Pacific slope—Catostomus macrocheilus, Richardsonius balteatus, Ptychocheilus oregonense, Mylocheilus caurinum, and Cottus asper—have evidently penetrated to the Peace River in comparatively recent times. Three species—the flathead chub Platygobio gracilis, the trout-perch Percopsis omiscomaycus, and the spoon-head sculpin Cottus ricei—have not previously been recorded from the province. Evidence is presented that subspecific distinctions are invalid in Couesius plumbeus (Agassiz) and Lota lota (Linnaeus). Coregonus coulieri and Hybognathus hankinsoni are reported for the first time from the Mackenzie drainage.