Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

Volume 1 Number 52 Number 52 (December 2010) Article 4

12-1-2010

Invasion of Gulf Menhaden in the Alabama River

T. Heath Hayley

R. Kyle Bolton

Carol E. Johnston

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Recommended Citation Hayley, T. Heath; Bolton, R. Kyle; and Johnston, Carol E. (2010) "Invasion of Gulf Menhaden in the Alabama River," Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings: No. 52.

Available at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/sfcproceedings/vol1/iss52/4

This Original Research Article is brought to you for free and open access by Volunteer, Open Access, Library Journals (VOL Journals), published in partnership with The University of Tennessee (UT) University Libraries. This article has been accepted for inclusion in Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings by an authorized editor. For more information, please visit https://trace.tennessee.edu/sfcproceedings. Invasion of Gulf Menhaden in the Alabama River

This original research article is available in Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings: https://trace.tennessee.edu/ sfcproceedings/vol1/iss52/4 SFC PROCEEDINGS No. 52 Invasion of Gulf Menhaden in the Alabama River

T. HEATH HALEY, R. KYLE BOLTON, AND CAROL E. JOHNSTON *

Fish Biodiversity Lab, Department of Fisheries, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849

*Corresponding author: [email protected]

ABSTRACT Although many marine species are commonly found in the Alabama River as far upstream as Claiborne Lock and Our recent survey of the Alabama River (river miles Dam (eg., Hogchocker, Trinectes maculatus (Bloch and 22.9 – 72) for fishes has revealed the presence of Gulf Schneider); Southern Flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma Menhaden in extremely large numbers throughout the Jordan and Gilbert; Striped Mullet, Mugil cephalus study area. Historical records of this marine species are Linnaeus; Atlantic Needlefish, Strongylura marina confined to coastal areas. Typically this species migrates (Walbaum); Boschung and Mayden, 2004), this is the first to open Gulf waters in the winter and spring for spawning. record of Gulf Menhaden in this portion of the Alabama Our samples suggest that large numbers of young adult River. Our objective is to report the numbers of individu - Gulf Menhaden migrated up the Alabama River instead, als and collection localities of Gulf Menhaden collected in where we found them in both summer and fall samples. the Alabama River during a 2010 survey. We also collected Gulf Menhaden during day and night samples on sand/gravel bars. The presence of larval indi - MATERIALS AND METHODS viduals in our samples suggests that spawning may have occurred in the river. The presence of this planktivorous Nineteen sand/ gravel bars were sampled from river fish in such large numbers has the potential to profoundly mile 22.9 – 72 during June-August and October 2010 (Fig. affect the aquatic ecosystem of the Alabama River, and 1; Appendix). Fishes were collected on these habitats needs to be monitored. using 30, 15, and 9 m seines (5-10 efforts per site). The length of each haul was dictated by depth of the reach and INTRODUCTION presence of obstructions, but generally ranged between 30 - 100 m. Selected sites were re-sampled at night and dur - Gulf Menhaden ( Brevoortia patronus Goode), is a ing the fall to document diurnal and seasonal assemblage marine species common to the central Gulf of Mexico changes (41 samples total). Species that were easily iden - (Hoese and Moore, 1977; McEachran and Fechhelm, 1998). tified and those of conservation concern were returned to The species forms large schools near the surface that sup - the river. Others were preserved and taken back to the lab port purse seine fisheries throughout the Gulf of Mexico. for identification. These specimens were anesthetized in The Gulf Menhaden fishery is one of the largest by weight MS 222 (tricaine methanesulfonate) and preserved in a and most valuable in the United States (Christmas et al., 10% formalin solution. 1982; Ross, 2001; Vaughan et al., 2000). This commercially Due to the extremely high numbers of Gulf Menhaden important species is tolerant of a wide range of salinities, collected, subsampling was used to approximate total and can be found from offshore areas of the Gulf of Mexico numbers per haul. In these circumstances Gulf Menhaden to the lower reaches of major Gulf drainages, including the were distributed evenly in a square and divided into pro - Tombigbee and Tensaw Delta (Lassuy, 1983; Mettee et al., portionate fractions until a reasonable subsample could be 1996; Ross, 2001; Boschung and Mayden, 2004). Typically, counted. Subsamples ranged from 1/4 to 1/64 of the total spawning takes place in open waters of the Gulf in fall and catch. Standard length (SL) of preserved specimens was spring (Ahrenholz, 1991). After hatching from pelagic measured in millimeters (mm) to assess age structure. eggs, larvae are carried to inshore marshes via currents. Juveniles spend a variable amount of time in estuarine RESULTS AND DISCUSSION habitat before migrating offshore (Lassuy, 1983; Ahrenholz, 1991). Menhaden selectively predate on zooplankton and Gulf Menhaden were collected at 12 of 19 sites during phytoplankton as larvae, and then transition to non-selec - our survey (Table 1). The species was absent from the tive filter feeders as adults (Ross, 2001). lowermost sample sites of our survey (Fig. 1; Table 1).

13 December 2010 Alabama River Gulf Menhaden

Numbers of individuals ranged from 1 to over 144,000 and LITERATURE CITED was greater during the fall sample, likely related to lower water levels. Gulf Menhaden were also present in night Ahrenholz, D. W. 1991. Population biology and life histo - samples (Table 1). ry of the North American menhadens, Brevoortia spp . Lengths of Gulf Menhaden suggest that two age Marine Fisheries Review 53:3-19. classes were present in the summer samples. While most Boschung, H.T., and R.L. Mayden. 2004. Fishes of individuals were age 0 (mean = 54 mm SL, n = 94), larval Alabama. Smithsonian Books, Washington D.C. 736 pp. specimens were also collected in summer samples (mean Christmas, J.Y., J.T. McBee, R. S. Waller, and F.C. Sutter, III. = 21 mm SL, n = 13). These lengths fall into year classes 1982. Habitat suitability index models: Gulf described by Lassuy (1983). While the age 0 class also Menhaden. U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and dominated fall samples, larger individuals (90-100 mm SL) Wildlife Service. FWS/OBS–82/10.23. 23 pp. were present in small numbers (n = 10). These larger indi - Fore, P.L., and K.N. Baxter. 1972. Diel fluctuations in the viduals either grew to this size class over this summer or catch of larval Gulf Menhaden, Brevoortia patronus , were missed in earlier samples. at Galveston Entrance, Texas. Transactions of the The presence of extremely large numbers of Gulf American Fisheries Society 101:729-732. Menhaden upstream to river mile 72 in the Alabama River Hoese, H.D., and R.H. Moore. 1977. Fishes of the Gulf of is clearly a rare occurrence. It is possible that inshore Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and Adjacent Waters. W.L. movement was a result of some stimulus in their typical Moody, Jr. Natural History Series; No.1. Texas A&M marine habitat. Although the timing and length of use of University Press. College Station, TX. 327 pp. marsh habitat is labile for this species, certainly by fall Lassuy, D.R. 1983. Species profiles: life histories and these individuals should have migrated offshore for environmental requirements (Gulf of Mexico): Gulf spawning (Fore and Baxter, 1972). The presence of very Menhaden. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of small individuals may be an indication that Gulf Menhaden Biological Services, FWS/OBS-82/11. U.S. Army Corps spawned in the Alabama River. By 21 mm SL, individuals of Engineers, TR EL-82-4. 13 pp. ordinarily move into marsh habitat using offshore currents McEachran, J.D., and J.D. Fechhelm. 1998. Fishes of the (Christmas et al., 1982; Ross, 2001; Vaughan et al. 2000). Gulf of Mexico, Vol 1. University of Texas Press. Predicting the impact of such large numbers of Austin, TX. 1112 pp. planktivorous fish on the ecosystem of the Alabama River Mettee, M.F., P.E. O’Neil, and J.M. Pierson. 1996. Fishes of is difficult, and should be the topic of future work. Of spe - Alabama and the Mobile Basin. Oxmoor House, Inc. cial concern is their impact on other filter feeding fishes, Birmingham, AL. 820 pp. including Alabama Shad. If large numbers of this species Ross, S.T. 2001. Inland Fishes of Mississippi. University persist in the river, there will undoubtedly be an impact on Press of Mississippi. Jackson, MS. 624 pp. the existing food web. Our future work is aimed at moni - Vaughan, D.S., J.W. Smith, and M.H. Prager. 2000. toring the potential migration, abundance, and distribution Population characteristics of Gulf Menhaden, of Gulf Menhaden in the Alabama River, as well as moni - Brevoortia patronus . NOAA Technical Report NMFS toring the entire fish assemblage. 149. U.S. Department of Commerce. Seattle, WA. 19 pp. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to thank Steve Rider, Travis Powell, Jeff Powell, Kasie Goodsen and Katelyn Dowling for field assistance. This project was funded by the USFWS.

14 Number of Gulf Menhaden collected in sand/gravel bar samples in the Alabama SFC PROCEEDINGS No. 52 R

TABLE 1 . Nu mber of Gulf Menhaden collected in sand/gravel bar samples in the Alabama River in 2010. Site numbers correspond to locality data in the Appendix and to the map (Fig. 1).

Site # Number of individuals

Summer Fall Day Night Day Night 1 5,649 8,159 18,590 493 2 8 - - - 3 1 - - - 4 4 1 144,464 29,776 5 0 - 109,052 - 6 1 - - - 7 1,200 - - - 8 321 0 0 - 9 12,279 0 420 71 10 0 0 0 36 11 14 - 14,067 - 12 0 - 690 - 13 808 - 2,472 - 14 29,195 - - - 15 8,520 - - - 16 2,616 - - - 17 0 - - - 18 0 - - - 19 0 - - -

15 December 2010 Alabama River Gulf Menhaden

FIGURE 1. Collection sites in the Alabama River, Alabama. Site numbers correspond to locality data in the Appendix.

16 SFC PROCEEDINGS No. 52

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17 December 2010 Alabama River Gulf Menhaden

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