Suitable Spawning Substrate Research Articles

Evaluation of fish spawning habitat at offshore reefs in southwest Lake Michigan using side‐scan sonar and underwater video

Abstract Offshore reefs in the Laurentian Great Lakes provide critical spawning habitats for native lake trout. Though many historic spawning reefs have been documented, thorough evaluation of the habitat they contain is rare. After decades of stocking, natural recruitment of lake trout has increased dramatically in the Illinois waters of Lake Michigan since 2010, reinforcing the need for information about the viability and distribution of spawning habitats. Using side‐scan sonar and underwater video, this study sought to map bottom substrates at Lake Bluff Reef and Gumby's Reef, offshore of the northern Illinois coast of Lake Michigan, to describe and quantify the availability of substrates suitable for lake trout spawning. Substrates were manually delineated in ArcGIS using side‐scan sonar imagery mosaics. Underwater video was used to verify substrate classifications through direct observation. Suitable spawning substrate consisting of fractured bedrock debris and piled boulder/cobble was observed at both reefs. Underwater video revealed the presence of lake trout at both reefs in the weeks leading up to the spawning season. The largest congregation of fish was observed in the vicinity of the shallowest points, steep slopes, and the largest patches of spawning substrate. The distribution, amount, and condition of spawning substrate available at each reef was in line with others studied in the region and their likely importance for lake trout spawning was reinforced by observed aggregations of mature fish. This study has expanded the inventory of well‐documented offshore reefs in the Illinois waters of Lake Michigan, enhancing appreciation of what is coming to be understood as the Illinois Reef Complex. Knowledge of the distribution and status of habitats critical to the life history of native fishes in the Great Lakes are necessary for managers to properly assess, manage, and conserve lake trout and other fish populations.

Factors associated with Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) restoration success in Oklahoma

AbstractThe Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) has been extirpated from portions of its native range due to anthropogenic habitat degradation and fragmentation, most notably the impoundment of rivers. To mitigate some of these losses in Oklahoma, Paddlefish have been stocked into reservoirs throughout the state, with variable success in establishing self‐sustaining populations. Two factors thought to contribute to success of Paddlefish stocking are spawning substrate and prey availability, which were quantified in six reservoirs and nine reservoir tributaries. Side‐scan sonar and supervised classification of aerial imagery were used to classify 4517‐ha of river substrate upstream of the river‐reservoir interface in reservoir tributaries. Zooplankton community structure, water clarity, and nutrient availability were also assessed in the same reservoirs and tributaries. One tributary had suitable spawning substrate (>40%), and the rest had minimal (<1.5%), which suggested that availability of suitable spawning substrate was not directly correlated with Paddlefish stocking success. Reservoirs with self‐sustaining Paddlefish populations had higher abundance of large zooplankton (copepods and cladocerans) than reservoirs without a reproducing population. Notably, tributaries associated with Lake Texoma, the one known example of failed restoration, were much more turbid than other rivers. We conclude that abiotic factors such as water clarity may contribute more to variable recruitment than spawning substrate or zooplankton abundance by mediating foraging success of Paddlefish post‐larvae.

Use of artificial structures to enhance fish diversity in the Youjiang River, a dammed river of the Pearl River in China.

The fragmentation and homogenization of habitats have seriously affected the fishery resources of the Pearl River. To protect the fishery resources, a novel artificial habitat, constructed using bamboo and palm slices, was deployed in the Youjiang River, a tributary of the Pearl River in China. The results of field and laboratory experiments showed that fish abundance, species richness and Shannon–Wiener diversity index were higher in the artificial habitats than at the control sites. There was no significant impact on fish biomass, as the artificial habitats attracted more Cultrinae and Gobioninae fish that are of a smaller size. Artificial habitats can serve as spawning grounds for fish that produce sticky eggs and refuges that improve the survival rates of juvenile fishes. This study revealed that this novel artificial habitat created suitable habitats and suitable spawning substrate for fish, improved fish richness and diversity in the structureless freshwater ecosystem like the Youjiang River.

Comparing water-level policies in a boreal reservoir: How wave and ice energy can help maintain walleye spawning habitat

ABSTRACTPapenfuss JT, Cross T, Venturelli PA. 2017. Comparing water-level policies in a boreal reservoir: how wave and ice energy can help maintain walleye spawning habitat. Lake Reserve Manage. 00:00–00.Water levels in reservoirs affect the timing and depth of wave and ice forces that help maintain walleye (Sander vitreus) spawning habitat. We studied how changes in a water-level management policy (“rule curve”) in 2000 affected these forces on 3 lakes of the Namakan Reservoir, a large boreal reservoir on the border of Canada and the United States. The 2000 rule curve increased mean water levels (0.1 m) during open-water seasons and caused a significant increase in the amount of time each year that wave energy over suitable spawning substrates suspended <0.2 mm sediments at known spawning locations (6–18%, P < 0.01). Conversely, a decrease in the mean range (0.7 m) of water-level elevations during winter seasons caused an 11% decrease (P < 0.01) in the interaction of ice with spawning substrates at known spawning locations. However, ice scour still affected those substrate elevations that were used frequently by walleye during typical spawning seasons. Our findings suggest that water-level management is important for maintaining suitable walleye spawning habitats, and that policies can be designed to optimize those habitat conditions.

Quantification of Walleye Spawning Substrate in a Northern Minnesota River using Side‐Scan Sonar

AbstractEvaluating aquatic habitats is an important component of many ecological studies and natural resource assessments, but traditional habitat evaluations are time and labor intensive and do not provide continuous data. Side‐scan sonar (SSS) can provide a low‐cost method that collects continuous aquatic habitat data. We used SSS mapping to quantify suitable spawning substrate available to Walleye Sander vitreus during the 2015 spring spawning migration in a 10.8‐km reach of the Tamarac River, Minnesota. The SSS map had 78.0% agreement with reference points classified in the field, and the proportion of reference points predicted as suitable using the SSS map was not significantly different than the proportion of reference points observed to be suitable. Suitable substrate for Walleye spawning comprised 8.4% (26,392 m2) of the total area mapped. The estimated number of females that suitable substrate could support was lower than the number that likely migrate up the Tamarac River and suggests that access to spawning substrate may sometimes limit reproductive success. This study demonstrates that a relatively inexpensive SSS unit can be used to efficiently map aquatic habitat while acquiring quantitative and qualitative data.Received July 6, 2016; accepted November 5, 2016 Published online March 10, 2017

The efficacy of new spawning substrates for Sepia esculenta oosperm adhesion

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 金乌贼新型产卵附着基的实验研究 DOI: 作者: 作者单位: 1. 中国海洋大学, 教育部海水养殖重点实验室, 山东 青岛 266003;2. 青岛海洋科学与技术国家实验室, 海洋渔业科学与食物产出过程功能实验室, 山东 青岛 266072 作者简介: 牛超(1991-),男,硕士研究生,从事渔业资源增殖学研究.E-mail:niuchao1231@163.com 通讯作者: 中图分类号: Q96 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金项目（41676153）；国家海洋公益性行业科研专项（201405010）. The efficacy of new spawning substrates for Sepia esculenta oosperm adhesion Author: Affiliation: 1. The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education;Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China;2. Functional Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes;Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266072, China Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:2015年6-7月和2016年6-7月在青岛金沙滩水产有限公司室内产卵池中开展了不同材料、不同颜色、不同水深金乌贼（）产卵附着基附卵效果对比实验，以及柽柳附卵器对附卵效果的影响实验。实验用产卵附着基为0.33 m×0.33 m×0.33 m的十字形可折叠钢丝框架，上覆黑白2种聚乙烯网衣材料；每个产卵池中金乌贼亲体数量约35只，雌雄比约为1：1，胴长（139.2±1.1）mm，体重（435.9±8.5）g。同时选用等比例放大的1.0 m×1.0 m×1.0 m钢筋框架与不同颜色网衣制作的十字形可折叠附着基，于2015年6-7月在青岛斋堂岛附近海域（35°36'6"N，119°54'8"E）和杨家洼湾前附近海域（35°36'6"N，119°50'50"E），以及2016年6-7月在青岛薛家岛近海（35°57'24"N，120°16'22"E）和杨家洼湾前附近海域（35°35'45"N，119°50'38"E）开展了海区附卵验证实验。结果表明：室内同一水体环境中柽柳附卵效果最佳，其次是十字形附着基，海参框附卵效果最差；白色十字形附着基的附卵效果显著优于黑色（<0.05）；柽柳附卵器对附卵效果有积极影响，加装柽柳附卵器的十字形附着基附卵效果明显提高；产卵池底层摆放的十字形附着基的附卵效果显著优于表层悬挂的十字形附着基（<0.01）。海区附卵验证结果表明：2015年和2016年海区投放的十字形附着基附卵效果良好，最高附卵率分别为82.14%和56.72%；海区投放的黑色和白色十字形附着基的附卵效果差异不显著（<0.05）。综合分析认为，在金乌贼产卵繁殖季节，选择其重要产卵场和主要增殖放流海区水深15~20 m的缓流区，底层设置十字形可折叠产卵附着基，可有效进行资源增殖与产卵场修复。 Abstract:In recent years, stock enhancement in Shandong province has been carried out in two ways. One is to release hatchery-reared juvenile . The other is to provide suitable spawning substrates made of salt cedar branches or sweet wormwood branches. The materials for the spawning substrates are cheap, and the substrates are also appropriate for conservation and enhancement. However, the materials can't be reused and are easily damaged on transportation and deployment. Furthermore, successive cuttings of salt cedar and sweet wormwood significantly damage the two terrestrial plant species. Therefore, in order to improve stock enhancement and to further expand the stock enhancement scale, identification of environment-friendly spawning substrates has become an important issue. A study on different types of spawning substrates for oosperm adhesion was conducted in an indoor spawning pool. Additionally, the adhesion of oosperms to the spawning substrates was also examined in the field. The results of the indoor experiment showed that the adhesion of the oosperms on salt cedar branches was the best, followed by that on the cruciform spawning substrates, with that on the sea cucumber frame being the worst. The adhesion of oosperms on the white cruciform spawning substrates was significantly better than on the black ones (<0.05). Attaching salt cedar branches to the cruciform spawning substrates significantly increased oosperm adhesion. In addition, oosperm adhesion on the cruciform spawning substrates, which were placed at the pool bottom, was significantly better than those hung in the upper water (<0.01). In the field experiment, the results showed that oosperm adhesion to the cruciform spawning substrates was good in both 2015 and 2016, with highest oosperm adhesion rates being 82.14% and 56.72%, respectively. Oosperm adhesion was not significantly different between the black and the white cruciform spawning substrates (>0.05). Oosperm adhesion to cruciform spawning substrates that were hung at the sea bottom was significantly better than on those hung near the sea bottom (S. esculenta, resource enhancement and comprehensive protection of the spawning population can be achieved effectively by deploying artificial cruciform and collapsible spawning substrates at the sea bottom in its spawning grounds and in the main enhancement and releasing areas of slack water with depths of 15-20 m. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Mapping Lake Sturgeon Spawning Habitat in the Upper Tennessee River using Side‐Scan Sonar

AbstractThe Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens is a fish species that was once dispersed widely throughout the Mississippi River drainage but was largely extirpated from the southern portions of its range by overfishing and habitat degradation. There is an ongoing restoration effort to reestablish the Lake Sturgeon to rivers of the southeastern United States. Reintroduced juvenile Lake Sturgeon now occupy several reservoirs separated from each other by hydroelectric dams along the upper Tennessee River. To complete their life history, Lake Sturgeon will migrate upriver from reservoir habitats to more lotic habitats and spawn over coarse rocky substrate, even in the tailwaters of impassable dams. Using low‐cost, consumer‐grade, side‐scan sonar and a GIS, we mapped the substrate of four tailwaters that may be future spawning locations for Lake Sturgeon. We used video imagery collected from random locations within the mapped areas to validate our digitization of sonar imagery. We calculated the area of four substrate classes displayed in the maps to evaluate that aspect of the suitability of each of the tailwaters for Lake Sturgeon spawning. The revised maps showed that the best spawning substrate (unembedded, coarse, rocky substrate, 6–25 cm in diameter) comprised 17.0–30.5% of the total area mapped at each tailwater, while the least suitable substrate class (fine sediment, &lt;0.2 cm in diameter) comprised 6.2–30.7% of the mapped areas. Our results suggest that any future spawning events by Lake Sturgeon below each of these dams are likely to encounter some suitable spawning substrate patches, while management opportunities exist to supplement tailwater areas with suitable spawning substrate.Received March 11, 2016; accepted May 30, 2016 Published online August 31, 2016

Use of sibling relationship reconstruction to complement traditional monitoring in fisheries management and conservation of brown trout.

Declining trends in the abundance of many fish urgently call for more efficient and informative monitoring methods that would provide necessary demographic data for the evaluation of existing conservation, restoration, and management actions. We investigated how genetic sibship reconstruction from young-of-the-year brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) juveniles provides valuable, complementary demographic information that allowed us to disentangle the effects of habitat quality and number of breeders on juvenile density. We studied restored (n = 15) and control (n = 15) spawning and nursery habitats in 16 brown trout rivers and streams over 2 consecutive years to evaluate the effectiveness of habitat restoration activities. Similar juvenile densities both in restored and control spawning and nursery grounds were observed. Similarly, no differences in the effective number of breeders, Nb(SA) , were detected between habitats, indicating that brown trout readily used recently restored spawning grounds. Only a weak relationship between the Nb(SA) and juvenile density was observed, suggesting that multiple factors affect juvenile abundance. In some areas, very low estimates of Nb(SA) were found at sites with high juvenile density, indicating that a small number of breeders can produce a high number of progeny in favorable conditions. In other sites, high Nb(SA) estimates were associated with low juvenile density, suggesting low habitat quality or lack of suitable spawning substrate in relation to available breeders. Based on these results, we recommend the incorporation of genetic sibship reconstruction to ongoing and future fish evaluation and monitoring programs to gain novel insights into local demographic and evolutionary processes relevant for fisheries management, habitat restoration, and conservation.

Shifting Distributions of Adult Atlantic Sturgeon Amidst Post-Industrialization and Future Impacts in the Delaware River: a Maximum Entropy Approach

Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) experienced severe declines due to habitat destruction and overfishing beginning in the late 19th century. Subsequent to the boom and bust period of exploitation, there has been minimal fishing pressure and improving habitats. However, lack of recovery led to the 2012 listing of Atlantic sturgeon under the Endangered Species Act. Although habitats may be improving, the availability of high quality spawning habitat, essential for the survival and development of eggs and larvae may still be a limiting factor in the recovery of Atlantic sturgeon. To estimate adult Atlantic sturgeon spatial distributions during riverine occupancy in the Delaware River, we utilized a maximum entropy (MaxEnt) approach along with passive biotelemetry during the likely spawning season. We found that substrate composition and distance from the salt front significantly influenced the locations of adult Atlantic sturgeon in the Delaware River. To broaden the scope of this study we projected our model onto four scenarios depicting varying locations of the salt front in the Delaware River: the contemporary location of the salt front during the likely spawning season, the location of the salt front during the historic fishery in the late 19th century, an estimated shift in the salt front by the year 2100 due to climate change, and an extreme drought scenario, similar to that which occurred in the 1960’s. The movement of the salt front upstream as a result of dredging and climate change likely eliminated historic spawning habitats and currently threatens areas where Atlantic sturgeon spawning may be taking place. Identifying where suitable spawning substrate and water chemistry intersect with the likely occurrence of adult Atlantic sturgeon in the Delaware River highlights essential spawning habitats, enhancing recovery prospects for this imperiled species.

Kootenai River velocities, depth, and white sturgeon spawning site selection – a mystery unraveled?

The Kootenai River white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus population in Idaho, US and British Columbia (BC), Canada became recruitment limited shortly after Libby Dam became fully operational on the Kootenai River, Montana, USA in 1974. In the USA the species was listed under the Endangered Species Act in September of 1994. Kootenai River white sturgeon spawn within an 18-km reach in Idaho, river kilometer (rkm) 228.0–246.0. Each autumn and spring Kootenai River white sturgeon follow a ‘short two-step’ migration from the lower river and Kootenay Lake, BC, to staging reaches downstream of Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Initially, augmented spring flows for white sturgeon spawning were thought to be sufficient to recover the population. Spring discharge mitigation enhanced white sturgeon spawning but a series of research investigations determined that the white sturgeon were spawning over unsuitable incubation and rearing habitat (sand) and that survival of eggs and larvae was negligible. It was not known whether post-Libby Dam management had changed the habitat or if the white sturgeon were not returning to more suitable spawning substrates farther upstream. Fisheries and hydrology researchers made a team effort to determine if the spawning habitat had been changed by Libby Dam operations. Researchers modeled and compared velocities, sediment transport, and bathymetry with post-Libby Dam white sturgeon egg collection locations. Substrate coring studies confirmed cobbles and gravel substrates in most of the spawning locations but that they were buried under a meter or more of post-Libby Dam sediment. Analysis suggested that Kootenai River white sturgeon spawn in areas of highest available velocity and depths over a range of flows. Regardless of the discharge, the locations of accelerating velocities and maximum depth do not change and spawning locations remain consistent. Kootenai River white sturgeon are likely spawning in the same locations as pre-dam, but post-Libby Dam water management has reduced velocities and shear stress, thus sediment is now covering the cobbles and gravels. Although higher discharges will likely provide more suitable spawning and rearing conditions, this would be socially and politically unacceptable because it would bring the river elevation to or in excess of 537.66 m, which is flood stage. Thus, support should be given to habitat modifications incorporated into a management plan to restore suitable habitat and ensure better survival of eggs and larvae.

Failure of Walleye Recruitment in a Lake with Little Suitable Spawning Habitat Is Probably Exacerbated by Restricted Home Ranges

ABSTRACT Over eight million walleye (Sander vitreus) fry are stocked annually in Honeoye Lake, a small lake in the Finger Lakes region of west-central New York. The objectives of our study were to find and describe the spawning locations and habitats of walleye and to assess natural production of fry. Twenty-three adult walleye were radio-tagged and tracked for up to 2.5 years. They established relatively small home ranges (24–188 ha) and moved more during the three-week spawning season (149 m/d) than the rest of the year (37 m/d). No naturally produced walleye eggs were collected in the Honeoye Lake inlet channel where adults congregated during the 2002 and 2003 spawning seasons, nor were fry collected in the lake until after 8.7 million were stocked in 2003. Radio-tagged walleye exhibited homing and site fidelity in Honeoye Lake but not to the few known areas with suitable spawning substrates (no eggs were collected at these locations).

Spawning habitat enhancement in the European bullhead (Cottus gobio), an endangered freshwater fish in degraded lowland rivers

Due to river regulation, the natural habitat of the European bullhead (Cottus gobio) has been degraded and often there is an apparent lack of suitable spawning substrates (hard objects like stones). Addition of artificial structures to degraded habitats may be a very promising tool for habitat enhancement. In this study, we evaluated the use of ceramic tiles as artificial spawning substrates in canalised and (remaining) meandering parts of anthropogenically perturbated lowland rivers in Flanders (northern part of Belgium). Furthermore, we examined whether water depth and velocity were important determinants for the choice of tiles in these different river trajectories. Tiles were successfully used by the bullhead as spawning substrates. In the meandering parts of the river, the number of egg deposits was significantly positively correlated with water depth, while in canalised river parts, water depth and velocity were of no importance for tile usage. In general, supplementation of rivers with artificial substrates like tiles may be a promising, inexpensive and easy-to-use enhancement technique for degraded bullhead spawning habitat.

Spring Movements of Paddlefish in a Prairie Reservoir System

ABSTRACT Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) movements and habitat use were monitored in the Keystone Reservoir System, Oklahoma during 1996–1998 to determine reproductive activity patterns. Paddlefish spring spawning migrations were more dependent on water flows than water temperature or photoperiod. Paddlefish moved up the Cimarron River and Arkansas River in 1997 and 1998 when spring flows increased. However, they did not migrate up the rivers in 1996, a year with extremely low flows. Suitable spawning substrate was found in the Salt Fork River, a major tributary of the Arkansas River, and the tailwaters of Kaw Dam on the Arkansas River. Paddlefish were located over suitable spawning substrate in the Salt Fork River; however, no larvae were collected. Although paddlefish migrate up the Cimarron River in spring, minimal spawning habitat may limit successful spawning in that river. In 1998, paddlefish moved into the Salt Fork River rather than the Kaw Dam tailwaters, presumably because there was limited flow from Kaw Dam that spring. Paddlefish in the Keystone Reservoir system appear to have adapted to the high spring water temperatures and fluctuating flows enabling successful reproduction.

Reproductive biology and spawning habitat supplementation of the relict darter, Etheostoma chienense, a federally endangered species

We investigated the reproductive biology of Etheostoma chienense in the Bayou du Chien drainage of western Kentucky. Etheostoma chienense is similar in its ecology and reproductive biology to other members of the E. squamiceps complex. However, E. chienense is opportunistic in its choice of egg deposition substrates, as nests were found on a variety of natural and anthropogenic items. Due to an apparent lack of suitable spawning substrates, we added half-cylindrical ceramic tiles to several stretches of stream to increase potential nest productivity. Egg-clutches attached to artificial substrates were twice the size of egg clutches attached to naturally occurring materials. Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine nest rock size and mate choice preferences. Both the size of the male and of the nest rock appeared to be important parameters to spawning females. The life history information gathered here has significant management implications. Artificial spawning substrates should be placed in appropriate microhabitats (i.e., shallow, low-flow reaches in headwaters). Nest cavity vertical height should be about 3.0 cm and tiles should be spaced at least 0.5 m apart. We feel the use of surrogates (e.g., E. oophlyax) to investigate other types of spawning cover, and restoration of riparian buffer zones among other actions, would particularly benefit recovery efforts for this endangered species.

Reproductive ecology and early life history of a lacustrine sculpin, Cottus extensus (Teleostei, Cottidae)

Using a variety of sampling techniques and observations we describe aspects of the reproductive ecology and early life-history of Bear Lake sculpin, Cottus extensus, a species endemic to Bear Lake, Utah-Idaho. Adult sculpin spawned in shallow water (0.5–6.0 m depths) in cavities beneath large cobbles and boulders. During 1993, egg mass densities were highest (> 4.0 m2) at 1.0–2.0 m depths. Electivity indices verified substrate selection and also indicated an avoidance of s and- and gravel-embedded materials. During years of low water elevation, suitable spawning substrates were restricted to one or two limited areas of the lake and comprised < 0.004% of the total benthic area. Disturbance from turbulence, as would be produced by storm-induced waves, appeared to initiate hatching. After hatching, embryos passed through a pelagic interval that lasted for approximately one week. Laboratory experiments confirmed the short duration of this surface-swimming behavior. The pelagic behavior of free embryos appears to aid in dispersal of fish via currents from limited spawning habitats to areas throughout the 282 km2 lake.

Influence of Spawning and Other Stream Habitat Features on Spatial Variability of Wild Brown Trout

Abstract Total densities of wild brown trout Salmo trutta ages 1 to 7 varied widely (range, 130–1,304/hectare) among 12 sample sections in Spring Creek, a 35-km-long stream in a limestone area of central Pennsylvania. During a 2-year study we determined the relative importance of spawning habitat and other habitat features on spatial variation in density. Densities of age-0 and of all age-1 and older brown trout were positively correlated with redd densities. Embryo survival was lowest in sections with low brown trout densities, but embryo survival was not as important as redd density in determining population size. Redd density appeared to be a function of availability of suitable spawning substrate. Habitat variables such as depth, pool area, cover, and substrate were not correlated with brown trout density. Spawning habitat and other habitat features were quantified with the habitat suitability index model. Scores derived from the model were poorly correlated with densities of age-0 and of age- l and o...