Notropis Girardi Research Articles

Still time for action: genetic conservation of imperiled South Canadian River fishes, Arkansas River Shiner (Notropis girardi), Peppered Chub (Macrhybopsis tetranema) and Plains Minnow (Hybognathus placitus)

Still time for action: genetic conservation of imperiled South Canadian River fishes, Arkansas River Shiner (Notropis girardi), Peppered Chub (Macrhybopsis tetranema) and Plains Minnow (Hybognathus placitus)

Evaluation of Visual Implant Elastomer, PIT, and p‐Chip Tagging Methods in a Small‐Bodied Minnow Species

AbstractReliable fish tagging methods are needed to conduct studies (e.g., movement, habitat, abundance) that inform conservation and management decisions; however, dependable tagging approaches are lacking for many small‐bodied fishes. Therefore, our study objective was to determine survival, tag retention (visible implant elastomer [VIE], PIT, or light‐activated microtransponder [“p‐Chip”]) and tagging effects on short‐term growth of the federally threatened Arkansas River Shiner Notropis girardi. We also examined the use of anesthesia to reduce fish mortality (i.e., reduce handling time) and improve tagging efficiency. Fish tagged with p‐Chips had the highest survival (87%), whereas VIE‐tagged fish had the second highest survival (67%). Visible implant elastomer tags were retained in our fish 88% of the time, and retention was also high using p‐Chips (72%). Location of the VIE tag did not significantly affect survival or retention rates. Survival of PIT‐tagged fish significantly increased from 53% to 83% when handling time was reduced; however, tag retention was relatively low in both cases (50% and 45%, respectively). The majority of tagged fish across experiments (83–100%) gained weight regardless of tag type. If the research or management goal is to tag Arkansas River Shiner or similar species with individual identification, p‐Chips appear to be an appropriate tag. Particularly if cost is limiting or higher tag retention is needed, VIE tags would also be appropriate for batch tagging (i.e., no individual identification). Additional studies to broaden application of tagging to other small‐bodied species would be beneficial.

Quantifying Seining Detection Probability for Fishes of Great Plains Sand‐Bed Rivers

AbstractSpecies detection error (i.e., imperfect and variable detection probability) is an essential consideration when investigators map distributions and interpret habitat associations. When fish detection error that is due to highly variable instream environments needs to be addressed, sand‐bed streams of the Great Plains represent a unique challenge. We quantified seining detection probability for diminutive Great Plains fishes across a range of sampling conditions in two sand‐bed rivers in Oklahoma. Imperfect detection resulted in underestimates of species occurrence using naïve estimates, particularly for less common fishes. Seining detection probability also varied among fishes and across sampling conditions. We observed a quadratic relationship between water depth and detection probability, in which the exact nature of the relationship was species‐specific and dependent on water clarity. Similarly, the direction of the relationship between water clarity and detection probability was species‐specific and dependent on differences in water depth. The relationship between water temperature and detection probability was also species dependent, where both the magnitude and direction of the relationship varied among fishes. We showed how ignoring detection error confounded an underlying relationship between species occurrence and water depth. Despite imperfect and heterogeneous detection, our results support that determining species absence can be accomplished with two to six spatially replicated seine hauls per 200‐m reach under average sampling conditions; however, required effort would be higher under certain conditions. Detection probability was low for the Arkansas River Shiner Notropis girardi, which is federally listed as threatened, and more than 10 seine hauls per 200‐m reach would be required to assess presence across sampling conditions. Our model allows scientists to estimate sampling effort to confidently assess species occurrence, which maximizes the use of available resources. Increased implementation of approaches that consider detection error promote ecological advancements and conservation and management decisions that are better informed.

Effects of Temperature, Total Dissolved Solids, and Total Suspended Solids on Survival and Development Rate of Larval Arkansas River Shiner

Abstract Decreases in the abundance and diversity of stream fishes in the North American Great Plains have been attributed to habitat fragmentation, altered hydrological and temperature regimes, and elevated levels of total dissolved solids and total suspended solids. Pelagic-broadcast spawning cyprinids, such as the Arkansas River Shiner Notropis girardi, may be particularly vulnerable to these changing conditions because of their reproductive strategy. Our objectives were to assess the effects of temperature, total dissolved solids, and total suspended solids on the developmental and survival rates of Arkansas River Shiner larvae. Results suggest temperature had the greatest influence on the developmental rate of Arkansas River Shiner larvae. However, embryos exposed to the higher levels of total dissolved solids and total suspended solids reached developmental stages earlier than counterparts at equivalent temperatures. Although this rapid development may be beneficial in fragmented waters, our data suggest it may be associated with lower survival rates. Furthermore, those embryos incubating at high temperatures, or in high levels of total dissolved solids and total suspended solids resulted in less viable embryos and larvae than those incubating in all other temperature, total dissolved solid, and total suspended solid treatment groups. As the Great Plains ecoregion continues to change, these results may assist in understanding reasons for past extirpations and future extirpation threats as well as predict stream reaches capable of sustaining Arkansas River Shiners and other species with similar early life-history strategies.

Landscape and flow metrics affecting the distribution of a federally-threatened fish: Improving management, model fit, and model transferability

Truncated distributions of pelagophilic fishes have been observed across the Great Plains of North America, with water use and landscape fragmentation implicated as contributing factors. Developing conservation strategies for these species is hindered by the existence of multiple competing flow regime hypotheses related to species persistence. Our primary study objective was to compare the predicted distributions of one pelagophil, the Arkansas River Shiner Notropis girardi, constructed using different flow regime metrics. Further, we investigated different approaches for improving temporal transferability of the species distribution model (SDM). We compared four hypotheses: mean annual flow (a baseline), the 75th percentile of daily flow, the number of zero-flow days, and the number of days above 55th percentile flows, to examine the relative importance of flows during the spawning period. Building on an earlier SDM, we added covariates that quantified wells in each catchment, point source discharges, and non-native species presence to a structured variable framework. We assessed the effects on model transferability and fit by reducing multicollinearity using Spearman’s rank correlations, variance inflation factors, and principal component analysis, as well as altering the regularization coefficient (β) within MaxEnt. The 75th percentile of daily flow was the most important flow metric related to structuring the species distribution. The number of wells and point source discharges were also highly ranked. At the default level of β, model transferability was improved using all methods to reduce collinearity; however, at higher levels of β, the correlation method performed best. Using β=5 provided the best model transferability, while retaining the majority of variables that contributed 95% to the model. This study provides a workflow for improving model transferability and also presents water-management options that may be considered to improve the conservation status of pelagophils.

Fragmentation and drying ratchet down Great Plains stream fish diversity

Abstract Stream fragmentation alters the structure of aquatic communities on a global scale, generally through loss of native species. Among riverscapes in the Great Plains of North America, stream fragmentation and hydrologic alteration (flow regulation and dewatering) are implicated in the decline of native fish diversity. This study documents the spatio–temporal distribution of fish reproductive guilds in the fragmented Arkansas and Ninnescah rivers of south‐central Kansas using retrospective analyses involving 63 years of fish community data. Pelagic‐spawning fishes declined throughout the study area during 1950–2013, including Arkansas River shiner (Notropis girardi) last reported in 1983, plains minnow (Hybognathus placitus) in 2006, and peppered chub (Macrhybopsis tetranema) in 2012. Longitudinal patterns in fish community structure in both rivers consisted of strong breaks associated with dams, and pelagic‐spawning fishes were missing from shorter fragments upstream of those barriers. Among downstream and longer fragments, probability of occurrence for pelagic‐spawning fishes declined or fell to zero during periods of drought. Based on these data, interactions between fragmentation and drying are hypothesized as operating as an ecological ratchet mechanism in which forward movement toward pelagic‐spawning fish extirpation occurs during desiccation, and reciprocated reverse movement toward recolonization following return of flows is blocked by fragmentation. The ratchet mechanism is capable of explaining the long‐term 'ratcheting down' of fish diversity in Great Plains rivers and has implications for managing biodiversity in fragmented riverscapes where water is scarce or might become so in the future. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Backcasting the decline of a vulnerable Great Plains reproductive ecotype: identifying threats and conservation priorities

Conservation efforts for threatened or endangered species are challenging because the multi-scale factors that relate to their decline or inhibit their recovery are often unknown. To further exacerbate matters, the perceptions associated with the mechanisms of species decline are often viewed myopically rather than across the entire species range. We used over 80years of fish presence data collected from the Great Plains and associated ecoregions of the United States, to investigate the relative influence of changing environmental factors on the historic and current truncated distributions of the Arkansas River shiner Notropis girardi. Arkansas River shiner represent a threatened reproductive ecotype considered especially well adapted to the harsh environmental extremes of the Great Plains. Historic (n=163 records) and current (n=47 records) species distribution models were constructed using a vector-based approach in MaxEnt by splitting the available data at a time when Arkansas River shiner dramatically declined. Discharge and stream order were significant predictors in both models; however, the shape of the relationship between the predictors and species presence varied between time periods. Drift distance (river fragment length available for ichthyoplankton downstream drift before meeting a barrier) was a more important predictor in the current model and indicated river segments 375-780km had the highest probability of species presence. Performance for the historic and current models was high (area under the curve; AUC>0.95); however, forecasting and backcasting to alternative time periods suggested less predictive power. Our results identify fragments that could be considered refuges for endemic plains fish species and we highlight significant environmental factors (e.g., discharge) that could be manipulated to aid recovery.

Introduced populations as genetic reservoirs for imperiled species: a case study of the Arkansas River Shiner (Notropis girardi)

The Arkansas River Shiner is a threatened species that has been extirpated throughout much of its native range (Arkansas River drainage) and remaining populations are imperiled. Prior to 1978, this species was accidently introduced to the Pecos River (Rio Grande drainage) via bait bucket, and has since persisted for over 30 years. Genetic data show that the Pecos River population maintains comparable levels of diversity at mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite loci relative to native range populations. Hence, we examined several factors that could be responsible for high introduced genetic diversity including (a) multiple introductions from genetically distinct sources (b) introduction of individuals from a genetically diverse source followed by rapid population expansion, (c) presence of life-history traits that foster propagule diversity and wide spatio-temporal demographic and genetic mixing; and (d) introduction to a suitable habitat in the non-native range. Our findings indicate Arkansas River Shiner was likely introduced from the Canadian River and subsequently experienced rapid population expansion that mitigated loss of diversity during the founding event. Threats to native Arkansas River Shiner have increased due to ongoing drought and water resource development, thus a finding of high diversity in the Pecos River suggests conservation significance of this non-native population. Further, it identifies the Pecos River as both a refuge for native endemic fishes and of genetic diversity of introduced, yet threatened, species.

Sampling Efficiency of the Moore Egg Collector

AbstractQuantitative studies focusing on the collection of semibuoyant fish eggs, which are associated with a pelagic broadcast‐spawning reproductive strategy, are often conducted to evaluate reproductive success. Many of the fishes in this reproductive guild have suffered significant reductions in range and abundance. However, the efficiency of the sampling gear used to evaluate reproduction is often unknown and renders interpretation of the data from these studies difficult. Our objective was to assess the efficiency of a modified Moore egg collector (MEC) using field and laboratory trials. Gear efficiency was assessed by releasing a known quantity of gellan beads with a specific gravity similar to that of eggs from representatives of this reproductive guild (e.g., the Arkansas River Shiner Notropis girardi) into an outdoor flume and recording recaptures. We also used field trials to determine how discharge and release location influenced gear efficiency given current methodological approaches. The flume trials indicated that gear efficiency ranged between 0.0% and 9.5% (n = 57) in a simple 1.83‐m‐wide channel and was positively related to discharge. Efficiency in the field trials was lower, ranging between 0.0% and 3.6%, and was negatively related to bead release distance from the MEC and discharge. The flume trials indicated that the gellan beads were not distributed uniformly across the channel, although aggregation was reduced at higher discharges. This clustering of passively drifting particles should be considered when selecting placement sites for an MEC; further, the use of multiple devices may be warranted in channels with multiple areas of concentrated flow.Received August 8, 2012; accepted October 12, 2012

Composition and Abundance of Drifting Fish Larvae in the Canadian River, Texas

ABSTRACT We documented the species composition and abundance of drifting ichthyoplankton in the Canadian River, Texas during the 2000 and 2001 reproductive seasons. Eleven species of fishes representing four families were collected. Arkansas River shiner (Notropis girardi), red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis), peppered chub (Macrlzybopsis tetranema), and plains minnow (Hybognathus placitus) were the most abundant species in the drift. The density of drifting larvae ranged from 0 to 10 fish 100 m−3 in 2000 and from 0 to 4 fish.100 m−3 in 2001. However, density was typically less than 3 fish. 100 m−3 except for June in both years when the greatest peaks in density occurred. The overall abundance of drifting larvae was much greater during the 2000 reproductive season than it was during the 2001 reproductive season. This is likely a result of consistently greater stream discharge that occurred during 2000.

OCCURRENCE OF THE RIVER SHINER, NOTROPIS BLENNIUS, IN LAKE MEREDITH, TEXAS

The river shiner, Notropis blennius, was collected from Lake Meredith, Texas and outside of its reported native range. This specimen likely represents a bait-bucket release. Within its native range, the river shiner readily acclimates to lentic conditions, increases in abundance, and displaces other riverine fishes following flow regime alterations. Its occurrence and possible establishment might have similar negative impacts on the Canadian River fish assemblage upstream from Lake Meredith, which includes the threatened Arkansas River shiner, Notropis girardi.

Current status of native fish species in Kansas

A re-evaluation of the status of fishes in Kansas suggests that 54 of the 116 native species should be assigned special conservation status due to substantial declines in distribution or abundance and/or their rarity in the state. Nine species are recommended for retention in their existing status of endangered, threatened, or species in need of conservation. We recommend elevated conservation status for 44 additional species, and provide information on trends in distribution and abundance for these taxa. A single species, the Arkansas River Shiner, Notropis girardi, is considered to be extirpated recently from Kansas.

Effects of Turbidity on Prey Consumption by Prairie Stream Fishes

Abstract Reduced suspended-sediment loads (i.e., turbidity) in many Midwestern prairie rivers have been hypothesized as contributing to the replacement of species that historically occupied highly turbid main-channel habitats by visually feeding species that are competitively superior in less-turbid waters. We examined the relationship between prey consumption and turbidity for six fish species from the Canadian River (New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas) and found experimental support for this hypothesis. Among species adapted to highly turbid main-channel habitats, we found that prey consumption by the peppered chub Macrhybopsis tetranema and flathead chub Platygobio gracilis was unaffected (P > 0.12) by elevated turbidity, whereas prey consumption by the Arkansas River shiner Notropis girardi was reduced (P < 0.01). Among species characteristic of less-turbid habitats, prey consumption by the emerald shiner N. atherinoides, red shiner Cyprinella lutrensis, and sand shiner N. stramineus was reduced (P < 0.0...

Occurrence of Lernaea cyprinacea on Arkansas River Shiners and Peppered Chubs in the Canadian River, New Mexico and Texas

Parasitic cyclopoid copepods of the genus Lernaea commonly parasitize freshwater fishes. Infestations have been reported from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America (Hoffman, 1999), and most reports have involved the cosmopolitan species Lernaea cyprinacea (Marcogliese, 1991). All naupliar and the first 4 copepodid stages follow the general developmental pattern for cyclopoid copepods (Grabda, 1963). Mating between males and females takes place during the fifth copepodid stage, and then females attach to the skin and gills of fish where they continue to develop. At maturity, female Lernaea have an unsegmented body, are several millimeters in length, and attach to the host fish by a basal cephalic anchor, from which their common name, anchor worm, is derived. Although substantial mortality of fishes due to Lernaea parasitism is most closely associated with fish culture and aquaria-propagated populations (Dempster et al., 1988), a number of studies have reported the prevalence and effects of Lernaea parasitism in stream fish populations (Amin et al., 1973; Whitaker and Schlueter, 1975; Bulow et al., 1979; Adams, 1984; Medeiros and Maltchik, 1999). Prevalence of Lernaea parasitism on stream fish populations typically is less than 20% during the summer (Wilson et al., 1966; Bulow et al., 1979; Robinson et al., 1998); however, during periods of extreme environmental conditions, prevalence can exceed 60% (Medeiros and Maltchik, 1999). Members of the family Cyprinidae are among those fishes most susceptible to Lernaea infestation (Shariff et al., 1986; Goodwin, 1999). In the Arkansas River drainage, 2 cyprinids, the Arkansas River shiner, Notropis girardi, and peppered chub, Macrhybopsis tetranema, have been extripated from 85% and 90%, respectively, of their historic ranges (Larson, 1991; Luttrell et al., 1999); however, both species remain common in the Canadian River upstream from Lake Meredith, Texas (Bonner and Wilde, 2000). The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and potential effects of L. cyprinacea parasitism on Arkansas River shiners and peppered chubs in the Canadian River, New Mexico and Texas. Arkansas River shiners and peppered chubs were collected during September 1996 through August 1998 at 3 locations on the Canadian River, New Mexico and Texas, between Ute Reservoir (Quay Co., New Mexico) and Lake Meredith (Potter, Moore, and Hutchinson counties, Texas). Fish were sampled monthly except during May through August, when sampling was conducted twice per month. Fish were collected with a 1.8 X 3.4-m

Diets of the Arkansas River Shiner and Peppered Chub in the Canadian River, New Mexico and Texas

ABSTRACT We examined the digestive tract contents of 1,437 Arkansas River shiners (Notropis girardi) and 1,943 peppered chubs (Macrhybopsis tetranema) collected from the Canadian River in New Mexico and Texas from September 1996 to August 1998. Both the Arkansas River shiner and peppered chub are generalist feeders, with terrestrial and aquatic insects representing 28 and 31%, respectively, by weight, of their diets. Detritus, plant materials, and sand-silt represented 26, 6, and 40%, respectively, of the Arkansas River shiner diet and 25, 28, and 17% of the peppered chub diet. The presence of sand-silt in the diets of both species suggests they forage among sediments on the river bottom. The common occurrence of terrestrial insects (i.e., Coleoptera, Hymenoptera) in the diet of the Arkansas River shiner indicates this species also feeds in the water column on drifting invertebrates.

Changes in the Canadian River Fish Assemblage Associated with Reservoir Construction

ABSTRACT The fish assemblage of the Canadian River in Texas historically was dominated by Hybognathus placitus and Notropis girardi. These species represented > 90% of fishes collected from the Canadian River in 1954–1955. Construction of two reservoirs on the Canadian River in the 1960s (Ute Reservoir, New Mexico, 1962; Lake Meredith, Texas, 1965) altered hydrologic conditions in the river and affected the fish assemblage. Downstream from Ute Reservoir, mean annual discharge decreased by about 38% after impoundment, but H. placitus, N. girardi, and other mainstem species still dominate the assemblage. Downstream from Lake Meredith, mean annual discharge decreased by 76% and the historic mainstem fish assemblage has been almost completely replaced by species that formerly were restricted to tributary streams. The magnitude of post-impoundment changes in the fish assemblage of the Canadian River appears to be related to the degree that discharge has declined, especially during the spawning season.

The Microhabitat Distribution of the Arkansas River Shiner, Notropis girardi: A Habitat-mosaic Approach

I evaluated the microhabitat distribution of the Arkansas River shiner, Notropis girardi, a candidate species for protection under the Endangered Species Act over a two-year period. Seasonal microhabitat samples were taken at three localities along the South Canadian River in central Oklahoma. The microhabitats sampled were defined subjectively based on structural and substrate characteristics: adjacent to stream banks, underwater sand ridges, or exposed sand islands, and within stream pools, midchannels, or backwaters. At each microhabitat, the following physicochemical measurements were made: depth, temperature, current speed, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and pH. Notropis girardi used many microhabitats and the patterns varied seasonally and ontogenetically. Contingency tests indicated that bank, island, and sandridge habitats had significantly more N. girardi than the others (p<0.01), whereas midchannel habitats were used significantly less often than other habitat types. A greater number of individuals were found in microhabitats defined by depths of 0–50 cm and current speeds of 0–50 cm s-1 although faster current speeds were used with high frequency. Selection of deeper water was only apparent during the summer. Juveniles selected shallow, slow flowing backwater habitat types more frequently than did adults. Habitats adjacent to underwater sand ridges were important to both adults and juveniles, but similar types such as islands and banks also were used. No single physicochemical feature was linked to high densities of this species. During its life cycle, N. girardi used most of the range of features encountered in the S. Canadian River; thus, maintenance of the riverine landscape (i.e. all of the attributes of rivers in the native range of N. girardi) will be necessary to ensure that this species has access to appropriate habitat types throughout its life cycle.

Reproductive Strategies and Egg Types of Seven Rio Grande Basin Cyprinids

Reproductive strategy and egg type of Hybognathus amarus, H. placitus, Macrhybopsis aestivalis, Notropis girardi, N. jemezanus, N. simus pecosensis, and N. stramineus were determined from laboratory experiments conducted between 1991 and 1995. The first six taxa were pelagic-broadcast spawners that produced nonadhesive, semibuoyant eggs, whereas N. stramineus was a broadcast spawner that laid demersaladhesive eggs. High-speed cinematography revealed that a spawning event consisted of a single male wrapping around the female's midsection and fertilizing the eggs upon expulsion. The perivitelline space of recently expelled nonadhesive eggs filled rapidly with water, thereby increasing both egg diameter and buoyancy. Semibuoyant eggs remained in suspension as long as water current was maintained. Discovery of the spawning behavior and egg types of these species allowed for the development of hypotheses to explain extirpations and extinctions of several endemic Rio Grande Basin fishes. We believe the synergistic effects of downstream transport of eggs and larval fishes and dam-related modifications of flow and habitat was probably responsible for the decline and demise of these taxa in the Rio Grande Basin.

Dispersal and Life History Traits of Notropis girardi (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae), Introduced into the Pecos River, New Mexico

-The Arkansas River shiner Notropis girardi was introduced into the Pecos River, New Mexico, in 1978 and was common in collections made in 1986-1987. From collections made since 1978 in the Pecos River drainage, we analyzed patterns of dispersal and abundance, and compared life history traits with a native population of N. girardi from Revuelto Creek, New Mexico. Notropis girardi dispersed downstream, presumably from a single introduction, colonizing much of the mainstream Pecos River (260 km) by 1981. Since 1981, the distribution and abundance of introduced N. girardi has expanded slightly. Age structure, growth and mortality rates of the Pecos River population are similar to those reported in the literature and to a native population of N. girardi in New Mexico. Timing of reproduction was similar for non-native and native populations, and both may exhibit multiple spawning peaks. Notropis girardi reproduction in the Pecos River coincided with large increases in flow. High discharge presumably initiates spawning and promotes downstream dispersal. Similarity of flow regimes of the Pecos River to those formerly found in lotic systems in the native range of N. girardi (e.g., Cimarron River, Kansas and Oklahoma) may account for the relative success of this introduced population.

The Red River Shiner, Notropis bairdi, in Kansas with Notes on Depletion of Its Arkansas River Cognate, Notropis girardi

Within the past 15 years, Notropis bairdi has become common throughout the Cimarron River in Oklahoma and Kansas, largely replacing its cognate species N. girardi. Apart from the Cimarron neither N. girardi nor N. bairdi has been found recently in the Arkansas River basin in western Kansas. Reduced especially in summer when N. girardi needs high flows for reproduction, probably account for depletion of N. girardi in the upper Arkansas mainstream. Notropis bairdi Hubbs and Ortenburger, formerly endemic to the Red 'River Basin in Oklahoma and Texas, now seems firmly established in the Cimarron ~iver drainage oLthe Arkansas River basin. Following initial capture of the species in 1976 by Marshall (1978), in Logan County, Okla­