Texas and Colorado River Fishes UT Biodiversity Center Fishes of Texas and Colorado River UT Biodiversity Center Specimen-based data in FoTX UT Biodiversity Center
44 fish collections, 871 species, 91034 localities, 1852–present 30k • 124,451 species occurrence records (each = 1 jar of specimens) • (Soon 308,803 specimen-based + 1,284,000 other observations)
20k Occurrences Number of Occurrence
Records by Decade 10k Number of 1850 1920 1970 1884 1968 2007 Data compilation/cleaning UT Biodiversity Center
http://fishesoftexas.org How many species? Check our checklists UT Biodiversity Center Colorado River basin checklist says: • 105 freshwater species (in 20 families) • 77 native • 28 non-native Range and sample size examples UT Biodiversity Center
3,349 36 records records
Cyprinella venusta Dionda sp3 (undescribed) Blacktail Shiner Colorado Roundnose Minnow Endangered single spring endemic UT Biodiversity Center
846 records
Gambusia heterochir Close-up - total range < 1 mile in Menard Clear Creek Gambusia Co., San Saba (Colorado River) drainage. Federally endangered Single spring endemic. The State Fish – Guadalupe Bass UT Biodiversity Center
370 records
Micropterus treculii records Micropterus treculii Close-up with major river basins Guadalupe Bass (it should be “Colorado Bass”) The State Fish – Guadalupe Bass UT Biodiversity Center
Bean, Preston T. 2017. “Guadalupe Bass Conservation Plan: A Ten-Year Plan for Restoring and Preserving the State Fish of Texas 2017-2026.” Available from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744, USA. New invasive and possible impact UT Biodiversity Center
201 records 486
+ 15 new records introduced locations
Gobiosoma bosc Etheostoma lepidum Naked Goby Greenthroat Darter Invasive vs endangered UT Biodiversity Center
1,083 122 records records
Herichthys cyanoguttatus Notropis oxyrhynchus Río Grande Cichlid Sharpnose Shiner Widely introduced in TX Federally endangered FoTX Trend analyses UT Biodiversity Center
Notropis oxyrhynchus Sharpnose Shiner Federally endangered
Herichthys cyanoguttatus Río Grande Cichlid Widely introduced in TX outside of Río Grande native range Species Distribution Models UT Biodiversity Center Micropterus treculii Guadalupe Bass Two surveys helped test SDMs UT Biodiversity Center Testing models in BARTON CREEK WATERSHED SURVEYS 1 James River (Llano)
0.9 Data source N species Collected Not (yet) collected Recent surveys 26 0.8 Historical data Same 26 + 7 0.7 Modeled community Same 33 + 7 0.6 More likely to occur occurrence in James River Jamesin occurrence 0.5 50% probability cut off line Less likely to occur 0.4
0.3
0.2
Modeled probability of of probability Modeled 0.1
0 Modeled community (species) Native Fish Conservation Areas UT Biodiversity Center
We then used models for all species and conservation planning software to identify and prioritize focal watersheds for preservation of freshwater fish diversity in Texas.
This multispecies, watershed- based conservation prioritization is now being used to facilitate cooperative conservation of aquatic resources within Texas, supporting local implementation of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan through stakeholder planning and facilitation workshops. American & European Eel life history UT Biodiversity Center
“classical” life history of Anguilla rostrata Catadromous – live in freshwater - 4 reproduce in Sargasso Sea: 5 1. 400,000 - 20 million eggs/female 3 2. larvae (leptocephali) - marine 3. glass eels enter estuaries & move upstream gaining pigment, becoming 4. Elvers that gradually transform into 2 6 5. yellow eels (immature). Unagi. Live up to 20+ years in freshwater (~ 2 ft). 6. mature into silver eels (3-5 ft long) - head 1 downstream and to Sargasso to
http://www.naturalhistoryillustration.com/website%20images/American%20Eel.html (Natural History Magazine, Nov. 2009) spawn/die Global Eel production history UT Biodiversity Center
All eel aquaculture still requires wild-caught glass 2010 – 260,000 tonnes eels, and now 3 closely related species are exploited.
Glass eel fishery closed 2010
Culture Glass eels sold for started 1990s, $2,600/pound in New collapsing England in 2014 Japanese glass Culture eel fishery started 1880s 2000 – 11,000 tonnes US eel distribution – USGS / Natureserve UT Biodiversity Center Prominent and authoritative national and international sources of biodiversity data have long lacked data for Texas eels.
map from: http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=310 Texas Comptroller assessment updated UT Biodiversity Center In 2014, Texas Comptroller determined that the economic impacts of USFWS’s proposed listing of the eel as endangered would be felt mostly in lower parts of rivers (blue counties).
Data we compiled showed many recent occurrences far upstream of dams in many Texas rivers.
1964 – 1990 Base map from http://www.keepingtexasfirst.org/ (11/2014) 1991 – present others older or unknown FoTX assessment of eel native range UT Biodiversity Center
The native range of American eel in Texas clearly included all of the state’s major rivers from their mouths to near headwaters of most.
Though we have never found any report (let alone specimen) of a glass eel from TX, obviously they must be showing up here or none of those specimen-based dots would exist. How do leptocephali get to Texas? UT Biodiversity Center
Approximate birthplace of eels in Sargasso |------2000 miles------| It’s unknown how eel leptocephali get from the Sargasso to the Gulf of X México.
The Gulf Current around tip of Florida would seem to exclude a direct route to TX.
Leptocepahali increasing in size were tracked leaving Sargasso into Caribbean. That route to TX is >> 3,000+ miles!
Adapted from: http://www.eoearth.org/edit/article/51cbefea7896bb431f69f769//?topic=51cbfc79f702fc2ba812a1b7 Glass eel migration UT Biodiversity Center
Glass eels are key for monitoring populations on the east coast, and so are well known. They: • Arrive to Atlantic rivers predictably every spring • Form groups & head upstream en masse over 4-6 week period. • Move 3-13 mi / night, increasing pigmentation and becoming elvers (4+ Glass eel inches) • But, they have never been seen in Texas rivers (at least not by biologists) Where to see eels in the Austin area UT Biodiversity Center There is almost always a yellow eel or two in Barton Springs, a tributary of …
little dam How do they get into Ladybird Lake? UT Biodiversity Center
Longhorn (big) Dam History of Austin area yellow eel records UT Biodiversity Center
Lots of old and new yellow eel records in Austin area, including: 1. still 1 or 2 yellow eels seen regularly in Barton Springs Pool. 2. 1950’s – 1970s eels caught regularly in Barton Creek headwaters on Shield Ranch (~25 miles above Longhorn Dam). 3. Before 1961 in Lake Austin, and in Lake Austin 4. Shoal Creek. They are still in Ladybird Lake. 3 5. Currently also relatively common below Longhorn Dam and in Mouth of Shoal tributaries entering below it (e.g. Onion Creek) Creek,
2 4 Shield Ranch 1 Downtown Austin
Barton Springs Longhorn dam 5
Image from http://americaneel.org/eel-thefts-spur-action/ Onion Creek Connecticut - baby eels go for it! UT Biodiversity Center “Horseshoe Pond dam abutment. Trickles of water leak through the cracks in the granite from the pond above, and the eels follow. It's about a three foot vertical climb to the1674 -1824 uppermost seam below the red line. How they make their way through the granite to the pond and river above is a mystery of sorts, but some of them do make it.”
Image from http://www.glooskapandthefrog.org/eel%20gallery.htm Glass/elvers aggregating for ascent UT Biodiversity Center
NOTE HIGH CURRENT VELOCITY
1674-1824
Image from http://www.glooskapandthefrog.org/eel%20gallery.htm Getting organized at the base of the wall UT Biodiversity Center
1674-1824
Image from http://www.glooskapandthefrog.org/eel%20gallery.htm The ascent begins UT Biodiversity Center
Leaving the river and heading up wet wall
1674-1824
Image from http://www.glooskapandthefrog.org/eel%20gallery.htm The front line UT Biodiversity Center
Negotiating a vertical wall
1674-1824
Image from http://www.glooskapandthefrog.org/eel%20gallery.htm Image from http://www.glooskapandthefrog.org/eel%20gallery.htm Helping each other??? UT Biodiversity Center
Cooperating to get past an overhang?
1674-1824
Image from http://www.glooskapandthefrog.org/eel%20gallery.htm Alternative routes UT Biodiversity Center
Taking another route at different discharge
1674-1824
Image from http://www.glooskapandthefrog.org/eel%20gallery.htm A crack into Ladybird Lake for baby eels? UT Biodiversity Center
Some of Longhorn Longhorn Dam – 36 feet high dam’s lift gates (used with 7 lift gates like this one. only in emergencies) leak. The result looks a lot like custom- 1674-1824 made glass/elver sampling traps used in monitoring programs in the eastern US. Colorado River to Gulf of Mexico Lake Ladybird Recent Coleto Creek sample UT Biodiversity Center
May 2016 (afternoon – 2:30 AM) So, we’re learning how to sample – using every kind of passive & catch elvers and bigger active net or trap we had. ones, and now we have a Night shocking + frog gigs, and trot list of similar-looking lines with small treble hooks were places to visit most productive for eels: • 17 specimens • 147 – 502 mm Coleto Creek Reservoir • Most from rip-rap TPWD Facebook post responses UT Biodiversity Center Responses to TPWD Facebook page request for recent observations
Social networks and newspapers are productive sources of recent records, many extending the distribution well beyond what the museum record indicated and / or updating long lapses since the last museum specimen from an area. Port Lavaca sewage treatment plant UT Biodiversity Center
• City of Port Lavaca employee contacted us after seeing eels in wastewater treatment plant
• February 13 - Stephen Curtis (TPWD) went to investigate: 16 eels collected
1674• -Size1824 range: 177 – 812mm (~7-32 in.)
• Specimens brought back on ice and tissued in the lab
• Event is featured in local papers and social media
• Several more reports of eel observations in TX follow WANTED – QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS? UT Biodiversity Center
Fishesoftexas.org Image from http://www.glooskapandthefrog.org/eel%20gallery.htm