Smallmouth Buffalo Ictiobus Bubalus Research Articles

Advancing Environmental Flows Science: Hindcasting and Forecasting Flow–Ecology Relationships

To advance current environmental flow standards in Texas, we developed field, laboratory, and analytical methods to model recruitment dynamics of indicator species selected to cover a range of population responses to flow variation. Preliminary investigations were conducted in three central Texas river basins to evaluate the feasibility of these methods for formulating and evaluating the state's environmental flow standards. Age analysis allowed back‐calculation of dates of fish hatching, mussel recruitment, and tree germination for estimation of temporal variation in recruitment. Recruitment data were then analyzed in relation to flow regime components. Statistical models were derived for flow–recruitment relationships of Shoal Chub Macrhybopsis hyostoma, Smallmouth Buffalo Ictiobus bubalus, threeridge mussel Amblema plicata, and boxelder Acer negundo. The Shoal Chub model was used to hindcast recruitment dynamics in the Brazos River, revealing a decline in recruitment after dam construction. The Smallmouth Buffalo model revealed that strong year‐classes were positively associated with springtime pulses of long duration but negatively associated with frequent short‐duration pulses. Results for the threeridge mussel were not as easily interpreted, but for all three river basins generally showed weaker recruitment during periods with extreme low and high flows. The boxelder model revealed positive associations between recruitment and high flow components and was used to forecast the probability of germination under five simulated flow regime scenarios, thereby providing an additional means for evaluating the suitability of environmental flow standards. Assessment of how hydrology influences recruitment provides an evidence‐based method to hindcast responses to past flow regimes and forecast responses to future flow scenarios, thereby providing a basis for evaluating environmental flow standards and water management options.

Using fish hard‐part microchemistry and genetics to quantify population impacts of low‐use lock‐and‐dam structures on the Alabama River

AbstractObjectiveWe used two approaches, fish hard‐part microchemistry and genetics, to quantify effects of low‐use lock‐and‐dam structures on riverine fish movement. Each approach varied in temporal scope, with microchemistry addressing effects within a lifetime and genetics addressing effects across generations.MethodsWater samples and individuals of two species (Paddlefish Polyodon spathula and Smallmouth Buffalo Ictiobus bubalus) were collected from four river sections that were separated by three low‐use lock‐and‐dam structures on the Alabama River. Quarterly water samples were collected from 15 sites during 2017–2018, and concentrations of Sr, Ba, Mn, Mg, and Ca were quantified using mass spectrometry.ResultWater elemental signatures were spatially variable but temporally consistent. The Sr:Ca ratios in fish hard parts differed significantly among river sections for both species. Additionally, discriminant function analyses classified fish to their river capture section with accuracy between 55% and 74% for Paddlefish (errors nearly always assigned individuals to adjacent river sections) and 37–47% for Smallmouth Buffalo. Population genetic analyses included fish from each river section, as well as from Alabama River tributaries and a neighboring watershed. Genotyping‐by‐sequence techniques identified 1,889 and 3,737 single nucleotide polymorphisms postfiltering in Paddlefish and Smallmouth Buffalo, respectively, which we used to estimate population diversity indices and conduct differentiation analyses. Analysis of molecular variance, discriminant analysis of principal components, Bayesian clustering, and pairwise comparisons of FST values indicated no strong evidence for genetic divergence in either species among river sections.ConclusionWithin‐lifespan results based on hard‐part microchemistry suggested a potential for population isolation. However, longer‐term genetic effects were not apparent, possibly because the life span of these large and relatively long‐lived species means that few generations have passed since dam construction, and there could be sufficient mixing or population connectivity to prevent genetic divergence across river sections, particularly at the most downstream structure.

Evaluating Fish Passage and Tailrace Space Use at a Low‐Use Low‐Head Lock and Dam

AbstractImpacts of low‐head, run‐of‐the‐river dams on migratory fish movements depend on the structure of the dam, river hydrology, and the ability of fish to navigate the tailrace environment. Here, we present results from a 3‐year movement study in which telemetered Paddlefish Polyodon spathula and Smallmouth Buffalo Ictiobus bubalus were tracked as they approached and sometimes migrated past Claiborne Lock and Dam (CLD), a low‐use low‐head lock‐and‐dam structure on the Alabama River. A spillway portion of the dam is periodically inundated during early spring, dependent on precipitation and releases from the next upstream dam. Our goals were to (1) quantify dam passage rates for both species, (2) assess the importance of factors affecting passage success, and (3) quantify space use patterns in the tailrace. Both species exhibited annual upstream migrations during the study period. Correlation of daily average river position versus the CLD hydrograph showed that movements by both species appeared to be related to flow variation. Passage efficiency (range = 10.7–30.2%) varied between species and among years, with tailrace gauge height being the most important factor affecting passage success for both species. Using an acoustic positioning system in the tailrace, we quantified space use by individuals of both species. Time spent in the tailrace (mean = 3.9 continuous days; range = 0–94 continuous days) did not differ between individuals that passed and those that did not pass. Fine‐scale position estimates showed that space use differed between species, across gauge heights, and between individuals that passed and those that did not pass. Differential space use may be due to the species’ habitat preferences or swimming abilities. Our findings provide information to inform potential design of mitigation structures, and they also identify the need for additional work required to more fully understand the mechanisms of passage success versus failure for these and other native potamodromous species.

The First Record of Bigscale Logperch and Range Expansions of Smallmouth Buffalo, White Crappie, and Gizzard Shad in Arizona

AbstractBigscale Logperch Percina macrolepida is reported and substantiated for the first time in Arizona. A single specimen was collected during a routine survey of Cow Springs Lake on September 26, 2017, preliminarily identified as Percina sp., preserved, and retained for species identification. We verified the specimen was a Bigscale Logperch through genetic analysis. Review of published literature and the U.S. Geological Survey Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database suggests that this is the first known occurrence of Bigscale Logperch in Arizona. Further, three additional nonnative species were detected during our sampling events on June 21 and September 26, 2017—Smallmouth Buffalo Ictiobus bubalus, White Crappie Pomoxis annularis, and Gizzard Shad Dorosoma cepedianum—representing the first collection of these species in the Little Colorado River basin that we are aware of. We recommend further evaluation of the ecology, distribution, and abundance of these four nonnative species to better understand their effect on the native fishes of the watershed and the likelihood of establishment in the watershed and elsewhere in Arizona.

Water guns affect abundance and behavior of bigheaded carp and native fish differently

Water guns have shown the potential to repel nuisance aquatic organisms. This study examines the effects of exposure to a 1966.4 cm3 seismic water gun array (two guns) on the abundance and behavior of Bighead Carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, Silver Carp H. molitrix (collectively referred to as bigheaded carp) and native fishes (e.g., Smallmouth Buffalo Ictiobus bubalus). Water guns were deployed in a channel that connects the Illinois River to backwater quarry pits that contained a large transient population of bigheaded carp. To evaluate the effect of water guns, mobile side-looking split-beam hydroacoustic surveys were conducted before, during and between replicated water gun firing periods. Water guns did not affect abundance of bigheaded carp, but abundance of native fish detected during the firing treatment was 43 and 34% lower than the control and water guns off treatments, respectively. The proximity of bigheaded carp to the water gun array was similar between the water guns on and water guns off treatments. In contrast, the closest detected native fish were detected farther from the water guns during the water guns on treatment (mean ± SE, 32.38 ± 3.32 m) than during the water guns off treatment (15.04 ± 1.59 m). The water gun array had a greater impact on native fish species than on bigheaded carp. Caution should be taken to the extrapolation of these results to other fish species and to fish exposed to water guns in different environments (e.g., reduced shoreline interaction) or exposure to a larger array of water guns, or for use of water guns for purposes other than a barrier.

Myxobolus ictiobus n. sp. and Myxobolus minutus n. sp. (Cnidaria: Myxobolidae) from the gills of the smallmouth buffalo Ictiobus bubalus Rafinesque (Cypriniformes: Catostomidae).

The smallmouth buffalo Ictiobus bubalus Rafinesque (Catostomidae) is native to North American waterways and occasionally grown in pond aquaculture. Species of Myxobolus Bütschli, 1882 have been reported from the gills, integument, and intestinal tract of buffalo fish, although there is ambiguity in some host records. In the summer of 2013, thirteen adult smallmouth buffalo were seined from a 0.1-acre (0.04-hectare) experimental research pond at the Thad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Center in Stoneville, Mississippi, USA, and examined for the presence of parasitic infection. Two previously unknown species of Myxobolus were observed parasitising the gills. Plasmodia of the two species differed from each other in both size and shape. Morphologically the two species were distinct from one another and from other Myxobolus spp. previously reported from buffalo fish. Myxospores of Myxobolus ictiobus n. sp. were spherical and measured 12.7-14.5 (13.9 ± 0.4) µm in length and 10.7-13.6 (12.5 ± 0.7) µm in width with a thickness of 10.3-14.8 (12.6 ± 2.3) µm. Polar capsules measured 5.6-7.4 (6.6 ± 0.4) µm in length and 3.7-4.9 (4.5 ± 0.8) µm in width and each contained a coiled polar filament with 5-6 turns. Myxospores of Myxobolus minutus n. sp. were circular in shape and measured 7.4-9.6 (8.6 ± 0.7) µm in length and 7.5-9.9 (8.8 ± 0.7) µm in width with a thickness of 6.5-7.3 (6.7 ± 0.3) µm. Polar capsules measured 3.6-4.9 (4.3 ± 0.3) µm in length and 2.8-3.8 (3.3 ± 0.3) µm and each contained a coiled polar filament with 5-6 turns. Supplemental 18S rRNA gene sequencing identified unique sequences for each isolate. Phylogenetic analysis of 18S rRNA sequences demonstrated a strong clustering of both isolates with other species of Myxobolus from cypriniform fish.

Effects of Smallmouth Buffalo, Ictiobus bubalus Biomass on Water Transparency, Nutrients, and Productivity in Shallow Experimental Ponds

The smallmouth buffalo Ictiobus bubalus is a native benthivore to floodplain lakes in the Yazoo River Basin, USA. Based on evidence from other benthivorous fish studies we hypothesized high biomasses of I. bubalus contribute to poor water quality conditions. We tested this hypothesis in shallow (<1.5m) 0.05ha earthen ponds at three stocking biomasses over a 10-week period during the summer of 2012. The most notable results from the permutational multivariate analysis of variance suggest I. bubalus at high and moderate biomasses significantly (p<0.05) enhanced turbidity and suspended solid levels while decreasing Secchi depth. Our results suggest that effects of I. bubalus on water clarity may have considerable ecological implications in natural habitats such as shallow floodplain lakes.

A Survey of Bowfishing Tournaments in Arkansas

AbstractBowfishing is an understudied method of fishing that appears to be legal throughout the United States. Therefore, species composition and harvest rates were determined at six bowfishing tournaments held in Arkansas at the lower White River, the Arkansas River at Lake Dardanelle, the Arkansas River at Piney Bay, Lake DeGray, Bull Shoals Lake, and Lake Ouachita between July 1999 and May 2000. A total of 3,280 fish were harvested at the six tournaments; of this total, 2,751 fish representing 19 species were identified. Total harvest per tournament ranged from 179 to 1,674 fish and from 6 to 12 species. Mean (±SD) harvest rate for tournament participants was 3.8 ± 1.1 fish/h; among tournament winners, the harvest rate was 7.7 ± 2.8 fish/h, which appears high compared with other sport fisheries (range = 0.28–2.59 fish/h). Five species accounted for 84% of fish harvested: spotted gar Lepisosteus oculatus, common carp Cyprinus carpio, shortnose gar L. platostomus, spotted sucker Minytrema melanops, and smallmouth buffalo Ictiobus bubalus. Rank number of each species harvested at the tournaments was correlated (P &lt; 0.05) for only 4 of 15 pairwise comparisons, which suggests that harvest often varies by tournament. Tournaments held at the Arkansas and White rivers had correlated harvest, as did spring tournaments held at the Ouachita River drainage reservoirs (i.e., Lake DeGray and Lake Ouachita). Harvest of fish smaller than published size‐at‐maturity estimates was generally not problematic but appeared to be of greatest concern for smaller‐bodied catostomid species. This study indicates that tournament bowfishers have higher harvest rates than traditional rod‐and‐reel anglers. Results of this survey should provide baseline information that may assist natural resource agencies with management of bowfishing.

Effects of Smallmouth Buffalo and Potassium Permanganate Treatment on Plankton and Pond Water Quality

AbstractThere is recent interest in using smallmouth buffalo Ictiobus bubalus and treatment with potassium permanganate (KMnO4) to control Dero digitata, the aquatic oligochaete host involved in the life cycle of proliferative gill disease. To complement those investigations, we determined the changes in water quality, phytoplankton, and zooplankton resulting from KMnO4 treatment and stocking of smallmouth buffalo into nursery ponds for channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus; we did not evaluate the attendant control effectiveness on Dero spp. Stocking buffalo at a rate of 75/ha in nursery ponds did not cause changes in water quality, nutrients, or zooplankton concentrations. Ponds treated with KMnO4 (applied at 57 g/ha when partially filled to about 30 cm deep) contained higher total dissolved solids (230 mg/L) than untreated ponds (204 mg/L). Phytoplankton and zooplankton concentrations in the KMnO4 ponds increased 2−5 weeks after application compared with the control ponds. The observed changes in KMnO4 ponds may be related to nutrient regeneration through oxidation by KMnO4 or may indicate that potassium is a limiting nutrient for phytoplankton in these ponds. The increase in green algae, diatoms, and copepods would be beneficial to catfish fry culture because these algae blooms are desirable over cyanobacteria blooms and copepods are a preferred food resource of catfish fry.

Estimating Mortality Rates of Adult Fish from Entrainment through the Propellers of River Towboats

We developed a method to estimate mortality rates of adult fish caused by entrainment through the propellers of commercial towboats operating in river channels. The method combines trawling while following towboats (to recover a fraction of the kills) and application of a hydrodynamic model of diffusion (to estimate the fraction of the total kills collected in the trawls). The sampling problem is unusual and required quantifying relatively rare events. We first examined key statistical properties of the entrainment mortality rate estimators using Monte Carlo simulation, which demonstrated that a design-based estimator and a new ad hoc estimator are both unbiased and converge to the true value as the sample size becomes large. Next, we estimated the entrainment mortality rates of adult fishes in Pool 26 of the Mississippi River and the Alton Pool of the Illinois River, where we observed kills that we attributed to entrainment. Our estimates of entrainment mortality rates were 2.52 fish/km of towboat travel (80% confidence interval, 1.00–6.09 fish/km) for gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum, 0.13 fish/km (0.00–0.41) for skipjack herring Alosa chrysochloris, and 0.53 fish/km (0.00–1.33) for both shovelnose sturgeon Scaphirhynchus platorynchus and smallmouth buffalo Ictiobus bubalus. Our approach applies more broadly to commercial vessels operating in confined channels, including other large rivers and intracoastal waterways.

Interspecific Comparisons and the Potential Importance of Nutrient Excretion by Benthic Fishes in a Large Reservoir

Fishes can provide an important link between benthic and pelagic habitats by removing nutrients from sediments and excreting them into the water column. The relative importance of nutrients excreted by fishes to ecosystem productivity may vary among species and with abiotic conditions. I measured excretion rates of three benthic feeding fishes, gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum, smallmouth buffalo Ictiobus bubalus, and river carpsucker Carpiodes carpio, to examine the potential contribution of these species to the nutrient budget of a large southern reservoir. All species showed a significant relationship between log excretion rate and log body mass but no differences among species in the slopes or intercepts. For all species combined, the slope of the relationship was less than 1, suggesting a less than proportional increase in excretion rate with size. Using mean standing crop estimates from published cove rotenone surveys in Oklahoma, the nutrient loading to Lake Texoma by these fishes was estimated to be 0.0096 kg · ha−1 · d−1 for phosphorus and 0.3580 kg · ha−1 · d−1 for nitrogen. These values exceeded external nutrient-loading rates from the watershed 12% and 43% of the time for phosphorus and nitrogen, respectively.

Physicochemical Effects of the Flood Pulse on Fishes in the Atchafalaya River Basin, Louisiana

We examined the relationships between physicochemistry and the distribution and abundance of fishes at 36 sites in the lower Atchafalaya River basin (ARB), Louisiana, a bottomland hardwood swamp fed by waters (distributaries) of the Mississippi and Red rivers. We used principal components analysis (PCA) of the 29 most common ARB fishes to examine fish assemblage structure and then related the first two components to physical habitat (e.g., standing timber, submerged macrophytes, and brushy cover) and water quality (e.g., dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, and specific conductance) variables. To further examine the relationship between physicochemistry and species abundance and distribution, we regressed the habitat and water quality variables on the abundance of common ARB fishes. Regression analysis indicated that DO concentration, DO differential (surface less bottom), specific conductance, and current velocity were most strongly associated with fish distribution and abundance. A PCA of these four variables separated sample sites into green-water (lakes, lentic bayous, and canals), brown-water (lotic distributaries of the Atchafalaya River and Intracoastal Waterway), and black-water (hypoxic (DO < 2.0 mg/L) interior bayous and canals) habitats. Analyses of variance of rank fish abundance showed that 15 of the 29 most common fish species had significant differences in mean abundance (P < 0.05) among black-, brown-, and green-water habitats. Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus, gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum, threadfin shad D. petenense, white bass Morone chrysops, largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, redear sunfish L. microlophus, and black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus had higher abundances in green-water than in black-water or brown-water habitats. The bullhead minnow Pimephales vigilax was significantly more abundant in brown-water than in black-water or green-water areas, and warmouth L. gulosus had higher abundance in black water than in other water types. Four species (smallmouth buffalo Ictiobus bubalus, longear sunfish L. megalotis, freshwater drum Aplodinotus grunniens, and spotted bass Micropterus punctulatus) showed similar abundance patterns in both green and brown water and were collected at higher abundances there than in black-water habitats. The results of this study indicate that water quality (particularly DO) is more important than physical habitat characteristics in determining fish distribution and abundance in the lower ARB during the flood pulse. The ARB has historically been managed for flood control and navigation, and flow management has resulted in substantial sedimentation and widespread water quality problems. Thus, improved water circulation in the ARB would probably increase production of commercially valuable and sport fish species.

Relations between Physicochemical Factors and Abundance of Fishes in Tributary Confluences of the Lower Channelized Missouri River

We sampled fish from seven tributary confluences in the lower channelized Missouri River from June 1996 through July 1998 to examine the influence of physicochemical factors in the Missouri River and tributary confluences on the abundance of fishes in tributary confluences. Twenty-six species and one hybrid were collected during the course of the study, but 10 species (river carpsucker Carpiodes carpio, goldeye Hiodon alosoides, sauger Stizostedion canadense, common carp Cyprinus carpio, shortnose gar Lepisosteus platostomus, freshwater drum Aplodinotus grunniens, channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum, white crappie Pomoxis annularis, and smallmouth buffalo Ictiobus bubalus) composed 90% of the fish collected. Catch per effort (log10[(number of fish/100 m2) + 1]) of fishes was significantly greater in early spring (March 1997) and summer (June 1996) than in winter (December 1996 and January 1997) samples. Multivariate ordination partitioned physicochemical factors into two discrete principal components (PC) describing (PC 1) water temperature in the Missouri River and tributary confluences, and (PC 2) Missouri River turbidity, Missouri River discharge, maximum depth in tributary confluences, and turbidity in tributary confluences. Catch per effort of fishes in the tributary confluences was significantly related (R2 = 0.47, P < 0.0001) to PC 1 and PC 2 scores. Catch per effort was curvilinear along PC 1, but linear along PC 2 in the multiple regression model. Our results indicate that tributary confluences provide favorable habitat for several species in the lower channelized Missouri River. However, use of these habitats is strongly influenced by spatial and temporal changes in physicochemical factors in the Missouri River and tributary confluences and may be related to feeding, resting, and reproduction.

Retention of Anchor and Spaghetti Tags by Paddlefish, Catfishes, and Buffalo Fishes

Tag retention was measured for paddlefish Polyodon spathula, channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, blue catfish Ictalurus furcatus, smallmouth buffalo Ictiobus bubalus, and bigmouth buffalo Ictiobus cyprinellus. Fish were captured in 1986 and 1987, triple-tagged with spaghetti tags (Floy FT-4 lock-on), anchor tags (Floy FD-6813), and fin or opercular marks, and released into Energy Lake, Kentucky. After testing for homogeneity, we constructed spaghetti tag retention curves for combined buffalo species and for combined catfish species. Fifty percent of spaghetti tags were lost from buffaloes after 190 d and from catfish after 250 d. Relative tag retention rates after 540 d were higher for anchor than for spaghetti tags on buffalo fish (97 versus 47%) but not different for catfish (74 versus 69%) and paddlefish (97 versus 95%). Spaghetti tags were retained for as long as 4.1 years by channel catfish and 5.2 years by paddlefish. Anchor tags were retained for as long as 3 years by paddlefish, 4.1 years by channel catfish, and 4.4 years by smallmouth buffalo.