Golden Shiner Notemigonus Crysoleucas Research Articles

Hatching Rates of Golden Shiner Eggs in Tanks

Abstract Egg-hatching rates for golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas) on spawning mats were calculated by estimating egg numbers on nine mats, holding mats in separate tanks, and estimating fry numbers 3 d after hatching. Mean hatching success was 22.5%. The number of fry hatched was directly proportional to the number of eggs on a mat.

Technical Notes: Estimating Numbers of Golden Shiner Eggs on Spawning Mats

Abstract A method for estimating numbers of eggs of golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas) on spawning mats was developed and tested. Eggs were removed from small plugs of mat material with 1.5% sodium sulfite solution. These samples were highly correlated with total egg numbers determined volumetrically.

A pharmacokinetic analysis of the uptake of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by golden shiners

A 96-h, static, nonconstant exposure design was used to assess pharmacokinetic parameters and to identify the rate-limiting process in polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) uptake by golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas). Fish were exposed individually to 14C-labeled PCBs corresponding to Aroclor 1254 (A1254). After various intervals (2–96 h), fish and water were analyzed for total radioactivity. Uptake of PCBs and decline of the external water concentration were both rapid. A clearance constant-based one-compartment model was used to represent the fish. Model-based equations for PCB concentrations in the fish and in the water were fitted simultaneously to the observed data with the PCNONLIN™ computer program. The absorption clearance constant was 30.8 ml·h−1·g−1 fish, which identified gill blood flow as the uptake rate-controlling process. The model-predicted apparent volume of distribution, Vd, and bioconcentration factor, Kb, were 5,280 ml/g fish and 9,059 ml water per gram fish, respectively. The model-predicted elimination rate constant, ke, was 5.84 × 10−3h−1, corresponding to a t1/2 of 4.9 d.

An Intergeneric Hybrid of a Native Minnow, the Golden Shiner, and an Exotic Minnow, the Rudd

The hybrid golden shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas × rudd Scardinius erythrophthalmus is the first known nonsalmonid, intergeneric hybrid of an exotic species and a North American native species. The cross is also the first valid record of a viable hybrid involving the native golden shiner. Meristic and mensural characters of 30 artificially produced hybrids of male golden shiners and female rudds were analyzed. Forty-seven percent of the meristic traits exhibited character states intermediate between those of parents. Twenty-seven percent of the meristic characters were supernumerary, suggesting developmental instability of the hybrid genome. Mensural hybrid characters were significantly skewed to the golden shiner phenotype. The skewed mensural inheritance and other skewed patterns of morphological inheritance also suggest problems in canalization of the hybrid phenome or atypical patterns of dominance. All hybrids were identifiable by intermediate squamation of the cultrate abdomen: the keel was mostly scaled but exhibited a small fleshy ridge posteriorly. This minnow hybrid allows general inferences to be made about the phylogenetic affinity of the golden shiner to other cultrate cyprinids of Eurasia. The hybrid cross has important management and conservation implications for fishes in North America. The hybrid is an example of how an exotic species may negatively affect a native species.

Characterization of a Virus Associated with Head and Lateral Line Erosion Syndrome in Marine Angelfish

Abstract The morphological and biophysical characteristics were determined for a previously unreported angelfish reovirus isolated from a moribund angelfish Pomacanthus semicirculatus exhibiting clinical signs associated with head and lateral line erosion syndrome. Viral particles were nonenveloped, possessed a segmented double-stranded RNA genome enclosed by a double nucleocapsid, and were resistant to inactivation by ether and low pH. Electrophoretic and serologic characteristics of this viral agent were compared with those of other aquatic reoviruses isolated from different fish hosts (chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta, golden shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas, and channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus). Based upon these findings, molecular weights were estimated for the 11 genomic segments (0.34–2.4 × 106) and some of the major structural viral polypeptides (34.4–137.0 × 103).

Perturbation Planktivory, and Pelagic Community Structure: The Consequence of Winterkill in a Small Lake

The top predator (largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides) in eutrophic Wintergreen Lake, Michigan, was eliminated by successive winterkills in 1978 and 1979. Within 2 yr, the golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas), a facultative planktivore, dominated the fish community. The zooplankton, previously consisting of large Daphnia pulex and D. galeata mendotae, concomitantly shifted to a community consisting of smaller species: Bosmina and small copepods. In situ fish enclosure experiments in 1981 and 1982 revealed that the large Daphnia species would grow in Wintergreen Lake in the absence of the golden shiner. Golden shiners exhibit both a particulate and filtering mode of planktivory on large and small zooplankton, respectively. This flexible feeding behavior suggests that golden shiners are able to prevent the reestablishment of Daphnia, while Bosmina and the other small zooplankton support a high and apparently stable golden shiner density.

Hatching of Golden Shiner Eggs in Hatchery Tanks and Subsequent Fry Survival in Rearing Ponds

Abstract Spawning mats were transferred from brood ponds for golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas) to 700-L fiberglass tanks in a hatchery. Tanks were supplied with recirculated pond water, and water was constantly aerated with diffused air during incubation. Hatching occurred after 3 d at 21 °C. Ten heavily covered mats yielded over 1,250,000 fry. Two-day-old fry were stocked into six fertilized rearing ponds at 741,000 fry/ hectare. Mean survival was 73% (SE, 8.61%) after a 32-d rearing period.

Dietary Toxicity of Selenium-Contaminated Red Shiners to Striped Bass

Abstract Red shiners Notropis lutrensis (weight, about 1 g each) from the selenium-affected areas of Belews Lake, North Carolina, a cooling reservoir for an electric power plant, were fed to striped bass Morone saxatilis (about 250 g each) in a laboratory experiment. Consumption of red shiners (whole-body selenium concentration, 9.6 μg Se/g wet weight) by striped bass was followed by modified behavior, little increase in weight, a reduced condition factor (105·weight/length3), an elevated selenium concentration in muscle (3.8 ug Se/g wet weight), histological damage to the liver and trunk kidney, and the death of all fish within 78 d. Striped bass fed a comparable, uncontaminated diet of golden shiners Notemigonus crysoleucas (about 1 g each) gained weight, increased their condition factor, had muscle selenium concentrations averaging 1.1 μg Se/g wet weight, and exhibited no histological abnormalities or reduced survival during the 80-d experiment. Toxicity and death induced by selenium-contaminated prey ...

Use of Coded Wire Tags for Marking Fingerling Fishes

Abstract We examined the feasibility of implanting coded wire tags in several size-classes (47–189 mm, total length) of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, bluegill Lepomis macrochirus, walleye Stizostedion vitreum, largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, and golden shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas. Tags were implanted in three anatomical locations (nasal capsule, cheek musculature, or nape). Growth of tagged and untagged fish was not significantly different, and tag-related mortalities ranged from 0 to 12% throughout the study. In 7 of 26 experiments, survival of tagged fish was significantly different from (usually lower than) survival of control fish (P < 0.05). After 6–9 months, tag retentions varied from 91 to 100%.

An Oligochaete as a Potential Food Source for Fish in Aquaculture

Abstract The oligochaete Aeolosoma heinprichi was successfully cultured in an aquatic environment with single-cell protein as its sole food source. Aeolosoma heinprichi grew throughout a pH range of 5.0–7.0 and a temperature range of 20–32°C. Decreased pH caused an increased doubling time (DT), i.e., a decreased reproductive rate. Increased temperatures resulted in decreased DT; growth was similar between 25 and 32°C. At pH 7.0 and 25°C, minimum DT was 36 h. Population densities depended on the bottom area of the culture vessel and reached a maximum of 330 organisms/cm2. Moderate concentrations of inorganic ions were toxic to the organism. The oligochaete proved to be an adequate food for fry and adult guppies (Poecilia reticulata) and adult golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas).

An Inexpensive Flyscreen Trap for Sampling Small Fish

Abstract A modified design of a windermere trap, suitable for the capture of small fish, is presented. In direct comparison with more conventional gear, the trap was equally efficient in 26 southern Ontario lakes for pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) and brown bullhead (Ictalurus nebulosus). Efficiency was slightly reduced for largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui), yellow perch (Perca flavescens), rock bass (Amploplites rupestris), and golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas). Length selectivity bias was minimal. Unlike standard gears, the trap weighs 1.5 kg, is stackable, and can be manufactured for approximately $10 (Canadian) in materials cost (polyvinyl chloride tubing, fiberglass flyscreen, and bamboo stakes) plus 4 hours of labour. Minimal impact on populations is possible because fish are captured live. The economy of construction and ease of deployment due to the light weight, stackability, and absence of leads or tensioning lines make it attractive for the s...

Olfactory organ morphology and histology in the yellow perch and golden shiner

The structure of the olfactory organs of adult yellow perch Perca flavescens and golden shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas is described. The yellow perch has 14–16 primary lamellae and the golden shiner 17–20. Yellow perch olfactory epithelium is best developed in the proximal portions of the lamellae and consists of basal cells, sensory cells, and ciliated and unciliated sustentacular cells. Distal regions of the lamellae are made up of mucous cells and undifferentiated epithelium. The general structure of the yellow perch olfactory organ is similar to that of the Eurasian perch Perca fluviatilus. In the shiner sensory cells are organized into clusters. These clusters are interspersed throughout the epithelium and are surrounded by mucous and unciliated sustentacula cells. Ciliated sustentacular cells are rare, while neural pits are common. This type of epithelial organization has not previously been described from cyprinids.

Cool-weather Growth of Channel Catfish Held in Pens Alone and with other Species of Fish

Abstract During late March and April in each of two years, channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) stocked in pens with golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas) and Tilapia aurea grew faster than did equal numbers of only channel catfish stocked in identical pens in the same pond and fed at the same rate. The other species seemed to stimulate feeding by the channel catfish, which were generally lethargic at water temperatures that prevailed during the experiments (11-21°C).

Comparison of Techniques Used for Isolation of Spores of Pleistophora ovariae (Microsporida)

Although numerous techniques are available for the isolation of spores from myxosporidan and microsporidan parasites, little information is available on the comparative suitability of these procedures in procuring clean preparations of spores for experimental and morphological studies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate four techniques that had been applied previously to microsporidan and myxosporidan spores, for the isolation of Pleistophora ovariae spores from naturally infected golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas). O'Grodnick's method (1975, J. Wildl. Dis. 11: 54-57) was not included. Infected ovaries from golden shiners were collected in the spring and supplied by the Oklahoma Cooperative Fishery Research Unit (Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma) or Ozark Fisheries (Stoutland, Missouri). Each technique was performed twice, once on infected tissue from each location. Spores were judged viable by their characteristic refractive appearance under the microscope and by their ability to extrude the polar filament when stimulated by mechanical pressure. The first method evaluated was a mortarand-pestle grinding procedure. We strained homogenate resulting from the pulverization of infected ovaries through several layers of cheesecloth, using a sterile physiological saline rinse. Then this suspension was centrifuged at 840 g for 10 min. The pellet was resuspended in saline. Spores isolated by this method were mixed with considerable debris, including large yolk droplets and particles of ovarian tissue. Although large numbers of spores were recovered, the usefulness of the preparation was limited because of the large amount of tissue material present. The second method of spore isolation was triangulation technique adapted from Cole (1970, J. Invertebr. Pathol. 15: 193-195), which involves repeated, 5-min centrifugations of 40 g and 3 g. With centrifugation at 40 g, the higher concentration of spores was in the second tube, along with large particles of debris. With centrifugation at 3 g, spores were evenly distributed among all tubes. Debris was also present in all tubes; the larger particles were in the first two tubes and smaller particles in the last two tubes. Cole, (loc. cit.) and Fowler and Reeves (1974, J. Invertebr. Pathol. 23: 3-12) prepared clean suspensions of spores from 10 species of microsporidans-all from insect hosts-by this method. Because P. ovariae infects a vertebrate host, the nature of tissue differs from that of insects and may have inhibited the separation of spores from host cells. Centrifugation at other forces, not evaluated in the present study, may be more effective for isolation of P. ovariae spores. The third method of spore isolation was a modification of the sucrose density gradient technique described by Markiw and Wolf (1974, J. Fish. Res. Bd. Can. 31: 15-20) for Myxosoma cerebralis (Myxosporida). Because

Larval Development of Golden Shiner and Comely Shiner from Northeastern Pennsylvania

Abstract Total length (TL) of newly hatched golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas) ranged from 4.0 to 4.3 mm (average, 4.2 mm); standard length ranged from 3.9 to 4.2 mm (average, 4.1 mm). Newly hatched larvae had pigmented eyes, pectoral fin buds, straight urostyles, and incomplete mouths. Transformation to the postlarval phase occurred in larvae 5.0 mm TL and to the late postlarval phase by 14.7 mm TL. Total length of newly hatched comely shiner (Notropis amoenus) ranged from 5.1 to 5.5 mm (average, 5.4 mm); standard length ranged from 4.9 to 5.3 mm (average, 5.2 mm). Newly hatched larvae had pectoral fin buds, straight urostyles, and incomplete mouths. Eyes of newly hatched larvae were pigmented around the outer margin. Transformation to the postlarval phase occurred in 7.3-mm TL larvae and to the late postlarval phase by 13.2 mm TL. Size, pigmentation patterns, and preanal myomere number can be used to separate these two species.

Population Biology and Host-Parasite Relationships of Triganodistomum attenuatum (Trematoda: Lissorchiidae) Infecting the White Sucker, Catostomus commersoni (Lacépède)

Triganodistomum attenuatum demonstrated similar seasonal infection patterns in white suckers, Catostomus commersoni, from the Bellamy and Oyster rivers, New Hampshire. Mean intensity was highest in spring 1975 and 1976. Nongravid and gravid worms were common in the spring, and in the spring and summer, respectively. Most individuals of T. attenuatum parasitized the posterior portion of the sucker's intestine. No definite changes in prevalence and mean intensity were evident at either river as fish size increased. Male and female suckers had similar prevalences and mean intensities of infections. Although a significantly larger number of suckers from the Oyster River was infected than from the Bellamy River, the mean intensities were similar. Triganodistomum attenuatum was found to be host specific to the white sucker. Other fish species examined for the presence of T. attenuatum were as follow: creek chubsucker (Erimyzon oblongus), fallfish (Semotilus corporalis), golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas), bridle shiner (Notropis bifrenatus), common shiner (N. cornutus), longnose dace (Rhinichthys cataractae), redfin pickerel (Esox americanus), pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus), and swamp darter (Etheostoma fusiforme). The state of New Hampshire is a new locality record for T. attenuatum.

Rotenone Resistance of Golden Shiners from a Periodically Reclaimed Pond

Abstract Golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas) generally reinrested Ball Pond, New Fairfield, Connecticut in greater numbers after each of six successive rotenone reclamations carried out from 1957 to 1974. To determine if Ball Pond golden shiners had developed resistance to rotenone, paired bioassays were completed with golden shiners from Ball Pond and from seven comparison ponds. Based on tolerance ratios, Ball Pond golden shiners were 4.0–7.1 times more tolerant of synergized and unsynergized formulations of rotenone than were golden shiners from unreclaimed ponds. Fish from Ball Pond were only 2.4 times more tolerant of synergized rotenone than were golden shiners from a pond reclaimed once with synergized rotenone in 1974. Golden shiners from comparison ponds also succumbed earlier to the effects of both rotenone formulations than did fish from Ball Pond. These findings suggest that Ball Pond golden shiners developed increased resistance to rotenone through the selective forces of reclamation.

Catchability of Northern and Florida Largemouth Bass in Ponds

Abstract Four 0.1-ha ponds were used to evaluate differences in vulnerability to angling between 1- and 2-year-old northern largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides salmoides) and Florida largemouth bass (M. s. floridanus). In a total of 32 man-hours of fishing in two 3-day periods in June and July 1976, anglers captured 91.5% of the northern bass but only 58.3% of the Florida bass. Only a trivial difference was observed in the vulnerability of age I and age II bass of either subspecies. Of the 37 northern bass marked and released during a June fishing interval, 22% were recaptured during a July fishing interval; none of the 10 marked Florida bass were recaptured. Fishing was with plugs, spinners, and live golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas). Of the Florida bass, 52% were caught with plugs, 43% with shiners, and 5% with spinners; of the northern bass, 20% were caught with plugs, 53% with minnows, and 27% with spinners.

Diel Variations in Sensitivity of Fishes to Potentially Lethal Stimuli

Abstract Fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) and golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas) exhibited differences in sensitivity to potentially lethal levels of chlorine, formalin, or heat, depending on the time of day of treatment.

Feeding Behavior of Adult Striped Bass, Roccus saxatilis, in Relation to Stages of Sexual Maturity

We determined stomach contents of 1,070 adult striped bass from the Roanoke River, North Carolina, during their upstream migration. Of these, 259 were taken downstream by gill nets in April in the Williamston area, some 93 miles below the major spawning ground. Nearly half (46.3%) of the stomachs contained food, which consisted solely of blueback herring,Alosa aestivalis, or alewife,A. pseudoharengus, or, both. All striped bass examined from the downstream station were in a prespawning stage. The remaining 811 specimens came upriver in May from the Weldon area, the major spawning site of striped bass in the Roanoke River. Here, fish caught by hook and line revealed that 4 out of 20 (20.0%) stomachs of females and 10 out of 69 (14.5%) stomachs of males contained food. These fish were in a prespawning or spent state. Drift nets caught 34 females, which had empty stomachs, and 433 males, of which 11 (2.3%) had food. Of the females, 32 were in a spawning and 2 were in a prespawning stage. Of the males, all but 22 were in a spawning or spent stage. Food items in order of importance were: golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas), unidentified minnows, blueback herring, and gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum). Fight net catches, accounted for 29 females and 226 males; all had empty stomachs, and all were in a spawning or spent stage. Thus, we conclude that fasting occurs for only a brief period just before and during the act of spawning.