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Differential Use of Stream Habitat by Spawning Catostomidsl

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Differential Use of Stream Habitat by Spawning Catostomidsl • 111('2, edf turtle, Chrysemys scripta Differential Use of Stream Habitat by Spawning 4 • :99-108. Catostomidsl er spin Malaclemys terrapin. tic • haviour in free-living KEVIN D. CURRY 2 ra I oostii (Holbrook). Ecol. and 4 . n: M. Harless and H. ANNE SPACIE ,1ey and Sons, New York. Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 17907 !n n a population of map 'npubl. M.Sc. Thesis, ABSTRACT: Spawning patterns of suckers (Catostomidae) in Deer Creek, Indiana, revealed differential use by species and age-size groups. In spring, white suckers c ecology of the map it (Catastornus commersoni) dominated headwaters, while redhorse (Moxostoma spp.) were i s range. Can. J. Zool., more abundant downstream. Shorthead redhorse (M. macrolepidwurn) were present only in main stem Deer Creek during spawning. Spawning groups of golden redhorse (. f. ans and T. S. Parsons erythrumni) and black redhorse tM. duquesnet) near the mouth of Deer Creek were rk. significantly older and larger than those upstream in a first-order triburaty. Spawning 11. SAS Institute was not observed until water temperatures stayed above or near 10 C and until water levels were 20-50 cm deep over spawning shoals. Golden redhorse, shorthead redhorse t studies, p. 11-19. In: and northern hog sucker (Hypenteliwn -icans) spawned over medium gravel in riffles wildlife habitat. U.S. 30-50 cm deep with velocities of 0.4-0.9 nilsec. White sucker spawned over medium gravel at depths of 20-25 cm where velocity ranged from 0.50-0.59 miser:Creek ehub- (P. suhr4;z). S. Ajr. .1. sucker (Erimyzon oblongus) select.d fine grave! in areas 50- 75 cm deep having much slower velocity (0.10-0.24 m/sec). (Fos.). 1975. Statisti- rw York. 675 p. orthern population of INTRODUCTION - River tributaries serve as spawning and nursery areas for suckers (Catostomidae), ii •435 440. 44 4: • rs:4 in the eastern United •:••but the effect of tributary spawning on maintaining river populations downstream is just beginning to be investigated. Previous reports (Thompson and Hunt, 1930; .11 lira in northern New Trautman, 1957; Bowman, 1970; Larimore and Smith, 1963; Karr. 197:5; Burr and Morris, 1977; Smith, 1977; Lake and Morrison, 1977) indicate that catostomids in- \1 Graw-Hill Book Co.. habiting rivers ascend smaller streams for spring spawning. The extent of upstream movements by adults and the degree to which resident and migrant suckers compete tu tles, Genus Graptemys for stream spawning sites are unclear. Lack of specific information on the seasonal use - - V.: Of river tributaries hampers management efforts and an understanding of the potential t black knobbed saw- • populat ions. it Univ., Alabama. 81 •c:,' impact of stream alteration on catostomid Studies on catostomid spawning have shown some interspecific differences in the (Al. T.: • My f and Graptemys) in use of river tributaries. Black redhorse (Moxostoma duquesnet) and golden redhorse erythrurum) in the streams and smaller rivers of Missouri and Ohio apparently move short distances for spawning (Bowman, 1970; Smith, 1977). Meyer (1962) found no A CEPTED 4 APRIL 1983 evidence for the movement of golden redhorse, shorthead redhorse (M. macrolepidotum) or silver redhorse (M. anisurum) adults into a tributary of the Des Moines River, Iowa, the spawning season. However, the abundance of adult silver redhorse and (Carpiodes cyprinus) in a tributary of the Hocking River, Ohio, increased dur- 4;..ing spring, suggesting upstream movement into the tributary for spawning (Smith, 04;4 •1977). Some specific measurements of spawning site characteristics for catostomids have f . been reported in recent literature. Black redhorse in Missouri spawn on riffles of rubble •and gravel in 15-60 cm of water (Bowman, 1970). Spotted suckers spawn over course rubble in riffles 0.3-0.5 m deep with flow rates of 1.4 m 3/sec and surface velocities of . I Journal Paper no. 9585, Purdue Agricultural Experiment Station. 2 Present address: 120 Riverglade, Amherst, MA 01002. 267 4,,Ir • IV"trarri.VMS,Asr,Vrt7'. .;*-" • . ,V,41,g9r"14344.4.1,MYS rtr3454=, WMa 268 THE AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 111(2) x,1984v;f Cc 0.24 m/sec (McSwain and Jennings, 1972). Shorthead redhorse in Illinois spawn on ': spring and autumn of 1 similar riffles 15-21 cm deep (Burr and Morris, 1977). Golden redhorse in Clear methods were used to ca Creek, Ohio, spawn over coarse gravel and rubble at velocities of 0.9-1.2 mi sec [-:and a Smith Root Type (Smith, 1977). Whitehurst (1981) has observed spawning activity of creek chubsuckers Smith Root Type VII ba (Erimyzon oblongus) in Duke Swamp Stream, North Carolina, in 50-80 cm of water. were also collected by ha Other observations of catostomid spawning sites (Pflieger, 1975) suggest that white zones I through III in sc • tr. suckers (Catostomus commersoni), northern hog suckers (Hypentelium nigracans) and creek Presence and nroyem chubsuckers have generally similar requirements and therefore may compete for sites. ing blocknets which were Twelve species of catostomids spawn in Deer Creek, a small tributary of the middle blocknet design of Shette Wabash River in Indiana (Curry, 1979). In this paper we analyze the seasonal seines instead of pipes an distributuion of the most abundant species of suckers in Deer Creek to determine use of sampling period. At eac the creek as a spawning area.-We investigated the distribution of spawning adults, ` 3t upstream, while anotht spawning sequences and spawning site characteristics for the principal species. The downstream. A 2.5-cm ;ta analysis provides new evidence for the differential use of stream spawning areas by n hoopnets and anchored w a.a species and by size-age groups. at zone III because of grt set at noon and checked METHODS Observations were rn: Deer Creek is a third order (Horton, 1945; Strahler, 1957) tributary of the middle tv measurements ++ere ta. 2 Wabash River in Carroll Co., Indiana, which drains 709.7 km of agricultural land. It T. Substrate size was measu 3 has a mean annual discharge of 6.71 m /sec, with daily discharge ranging from adults were identified h+ 0.18-407.6 m3/sec (U.S. Geological Survey, 1977). We sampled six 0.4-0.9 km stream captured in spawning sl sections in four zones (I-IV) on Deer Creek and two of its first order tributaries. backpack shocker. Bachelor Run and Paint Creek (Fig. I..). Zones I and III contained two sample sites We determined the se each. The sampling sites on Paint Creek were smaller in width and had slower velocity or eggs and be the design than those on Bachelor Run or Deer Creek (Table 1). Velocity and discharge were (1957), Pt1iet rr (1975) ar measured directly during the study, using a Pygmy-type flow meter and area - above the lateral line bete measurements of cross sections. first two or three fin rays Adult catostomids were collected near the mouth of Deer Creek (zone IV) during .Ages cif >U( krrs were criterion of Spoor (1938). the number of annular ir (Scidn:ore and Glass. 195 of Beatnish (197:3) and Q Comparisons of the at N were made using the Ma; 5~. PAINT CRE K Species 1i,tributinn and mouth of Deer Creek (zt DEER CREEK spawning periods (Table in zone III. seven species captured in zone IV in sin redhorse, and northern he Black redhorse and northt in zones II and Ill. Quill TARI.F. 1. — Physical char; scale km 1978 Drainage 164.8 8.0 j .usgs area ti Stream (knt'='f o sample Dear Creek 7 09. 7 Bachelor Run 92.9 Fig. 1. — Map of sampling zones 1 through IV on Deer Creek. Bachelor Run and Paint Paint Creek 40.9 Creek, Carroll Co., Indiana. U.S.G.S. = U.S. Geological Survey Gauging Station i .1 T "1984 CURRY & SPACIE: CATOSTOMID SPAWNING 269 h rse in Illinois spawn on ^spring and autumn of 1977 and 1978 and during summer 1979. Several collecting J iden redhorse in Clear ,`.methods were used to capture adults because of the changes in water level. Hoopnets el cities of 0.9-1.2 m/sec and a Smith Root Type VI boat electrofisher were used during periods of high water. A ti sty of creek chubsuckers Smith Root Type VII backpack shocker was used during lower flow conditions. Adults i. in 50-80 cm of water. ..were also collected by backpack shocker in Paint Creek (zone 1) in spring 1978 and in 975) suggest that white =zones I through III in summer 1978 and 1979. tt sum nigracans) and creek Presence and movements of adult catostomids at zones I-III were investigated us- o may compete for sites. ing blocknets which were set seven times during April-May 1978. We used the general sa 1 tributary of the middle k s blocknet design of Shetter (1938) and Hall (1972) with hoopnets and nylon mesh block e analyze the seasonal - *%:-seines instead of pipes and screening. This allowed blocknet removal at the end of each reek to determine use of sampling period. At each site, one hoopnet set near one bank trapped fish moving ut on of spawning adults, upstream, while another hoopnet at the opposite bank trapped fish moving th principal species. The downstream. A 2.5-cm mesh blocking seine was stretched diagonally between the stream spawning areas by hoopnets and anchored with reinforcing rods. The stream could not be totally blocked at zone III because of greater depth and water velocity in midstream. Blocknets were set at noon and checked every 4 hr until the morning of the next clay. Observations were made on spawning during spring 1977-1979.
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