Growth and Reproduction of the Flannelmouth Sucker, Catostomus Latipinnis, in the Upper Colorado River Basin, 1975–76

Great Basin Naturalist

Volume 45 Number 2 Article 7

4-30-1985

Growth and reproduction of the flannelmouth sucker, Catostomus latipinnis, in the Upper Colorado River Basin, 1975–76

Charles W. McAda Utah State University

Richard S. Wydoski Utah State University

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Recommended Citation McAda, Charles W. and Wydoski, Richard S. (1985) "Growth and reproduction of the flannelmouth sucker, Catostomus latipinnis, in the Upper Colorado River Basin, 1975–76," Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 45 : No. 2 , Article 7. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol45/iss2/7

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Basin Naturalist by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION OF THE FLANNELMOUTH SUCKER, CATOSTOMUS LATIPINNIS, IN THE UPPER COLORADO RIVER BASIN, 1975-76'

Charles W. McAda^^ and Richard S. Wvdo,ski2.4

Abstract.— Growth rates estimated using the scale annuli of flannelmouth sucker, Catostomus latipinnis, did not differ between fish collected from the Gunnison and Colorado rivers, and the Green and Yampa rivers. However, body condition and fecundity were significantly greater in the former population. Age of first maturity for male and female fish from all rivers was IV; and most fish were mature by age VII. The smallest mature female collected was 405 mm, and the smallest mature male was 391 mm total length. Fecundity ranged from 4,000 ova in fish 450 mm long to 40,000 ova in a 500-mm fish: mean ovum diameter was 2.39 mm. Ripe male flannelmouth suckers were collected from early April through June; ripe females were collected from both study areas during May and early June.

The flannelmouth sucker, Catostomus lati- were provided by McAda and Wydoski pinnis, is one of the most abundant and wide- (1980), whereas an account of the general ly distributed native fishes in the warm water physical and ecological features of the large tributaries and mainstream rivers of the Up- rivers of the Upper Colorado River Basin was per Colorado River Basin (Tyus et al. 1982). provided by Bishop and Porcella (1980). However, its distribution in the Lower Colo- Fish were sampled between April and No- rado River Basin has been substantially re- vember 1975 and 1976 by using trammel nets duced by habitat alteration resulting from (26-90 m long, 2.5 cm-mesh inner wall, 25 channelization and water development cm-mesh outerwall) and seines (30 m long, (Minckley 1973). Despite its importance as a 2.5 cm mesh; and 5 m long, 3 mm mesh) and native species endemic to the Colorado River by electrofishing. Collected fish were system, little is known of the biology of the weighed (g) and measured in total length flannelmouth sucker (McDonald and Dotson (mm). Scales from midway between the later- 1960, Wiltzius 1976, Carlson et al. 1979). In al line and the anterior insertion of the dorsal this report we describe the growth, maturity, fin were used for age determination. An age and fecimdity of the flannelmouth sucker in determination for an individual fish was con- the major rivers of the Upper Colorado River sidered to be accurate when agreement on Basin. the number of scale annuli occurred between the first and second examinations. A fish was excluded from analyses that involved fish age Methods when no agreement on the number of scale annuli could be reached after a third exam- Flannelmouth suckers were collected from ination of the scales. the confluence of the Yampa and Green riv- Total body length (TL, mm) at time of an- ers in Dinosaur National Monument and nulus formation was estimated using the from reaches of the Colorado and Gunnison equation TL = b^ + biSR + biSR^ + b^SR^ rivers near their confluence in western Colo- (Carlander 1956), where SR is the radius to rado (Fig. 1). Descriptions of sampling sites that particular annulus X 80 and b^ - bj, are

'The Utah Cooperative Fishery Research Unit is jointly supported by the United States Fish and Wildhfe Service. I'tah Division of Wildhfe Resources, and Utah State University. Utah Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, Utah State University, UMC-52, Logan, Utah 84322. 'Present address: United States Fish and Wildhfe Service, 551 25% Road, Grand Junction, Colorado 81505. 'Present address; United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Program Plans, Washington, D.C. 20240.

281 282 Great Basin Naturalist Vol. 45, No. 2

Flaming Gorge WYOMING Reservoir

COLORADO KILOMETERS Lake Powell

Fig. 1. Locations ot s;i 111 tlie Upper Colcjrado \{\\xy Ba: rivers; (2) (Colorado liivci illi ot the (liinnisoii l-liver; ami (.1 Hi empirical constants derived using multiple mature when the testes were enlarged and regression analysis. Length-weight relation- white. Fish were considered ripe when sex ships were estimated using the equation Log products were expressed with light pressure W = fo, Log TL - bu (Tesch 1971), where W on the abdomen. Ovaries from mature fe- is body weight (g) and /;„ and /; , are empirical males collected between April and June 1975 constants derived using least-squares analysis. and 1976 were used to estimate fecundity. Fish were dissected to determine sex and Fecundity was estimated gravimetrically in stage of sexual maturity. Females were con- the laboratory, where about 10% of each ova- sidered mature when ovaries contained large, ry was weighed to the nearest 0.1 g and the opaque, yellow ova; males were considered individual mature ova from this subsample April 1985 McAda, Wydoski: Flannelmouth Sucker 283

Table 1. Leiiiz;tli-\voisi;lit. hody-staU' and Iciititli-fftuiidily iclatioiisliips tor namu Gunnison, Colorado, Green, and Yanipa rivers, 1975-1976.

Lencth-Wkicht

Yampa/Green: Log W = 3.13 Log TL - 5.:57 (n = 297, R- = 0.9) Colorado/Gunnison: Log \V = 3.09 Log TL - 5.21 (n = 292, K^ = 0.9)

B()nY-Sc:.\LE

Yampa/Green Rivers

Male: TL = -18.6342 + 4.SS94 SR - 0.0054 Sfi^ _ ().()()04 SR^ (n = 139, R^ = 0.9) Female: TL = -8.7835 + 3.5187 SR + 0.0131 SK^ - 0.0001 .SR^ (n = 137, R^ = 0.8)

Colorado/ (Iimnisoii Rivers

Male: TL = -8.7835 + 2.9904 SR + 0.0156 SR- - 0.0001 SR'5 (n = 158, R- = 0.8) Female: TL = 46.385 + 0.2820 SR + 0.0443 SR^ - 0.0002 SR'^ (n = 137, R^ = 0.8)

Lencth-Fecundity

Yampa/Green: Log F = 4.03 Log TL - 6.70 (n = 58, R^ = 0.6) Colorado: Log F = 3.00 Log TL- 3.76 (n = 45, R- = 0.7) Gunnison: Log F = 3.48 Log TL - 5.14 (n = 15, R^ = 0.6)

were counted. Tlie fecundity of that fish was this report (Fig. 2). Average growth in- then estimated by proportion using total ova- crements of all fish were greatest at the for- ry weight. Total counts of ova from two fish mation of the third annulus and declined demonstrated that estimated fecundity dif- steadily thereafter. fered from actual fecundity by less than 5%. Data for the two sexes were combined be- The mean diameter of mature ova from indi- cause there was no significant difference be- vidual fish was derived from measurements of tween the length-weight relationships for 30 ova made with an ocular micrometer. The male and female flannelmouth suckers total length-fecundity relationships were de- (P>0.05). No statistical difference was de- termined using the equation Log F = b] Log tected between length-weight regressions

TL - hi) (Bagenal 1967), where F is fecundity from data on fish from the Gunnison and Col- and hn and h^, are empirical constants derived orado rivers (?>0.05). Flannelmouth suckers using least-squares analysis. from the Colorado and Gunnison rivers were Statistical comparisons between length- significantly heavier than fish of equal length weight, body-scale, and length-fecundity from the Yampa and Green rivers (P< 0.001: regression equations were made using analy- Table 1). sis of covariance (Snedecor and Cochran 1967). Reproduction

In the Colorado and Gunnison River col- Results lections, the smallest mature female was 421 mm long, and all females longer than 490 Age and Growth mm were mature. The smallest matvire male About 80% of the flannelmouth suckers was 391 mm long, and all males 470 mm or used in our analyses were collected between longer from the Colorado and Gunnison riv- April and July. The collection from the Gun- ers were mature. In the Yampa and Green nison River was made in April 1976. Body- River collections, the smallest mature male scale relationships differed significantly be- was 393 mm long, and all males were mature tween male and female fish among the study at 460 mm: the smallest mature female was at areas (P<0.05: Table 1). However, mean 405 mm long and all females were mature length at annulus formation was similar for 470 mm (Table 2). Thus, fish began to mature the study groups and they were averaged for at age IV and most were mature by age VI. 284 Great Basin Naturalist Vol. 45, No. 2

ANNULUS

Fii^. 2. Mean total length and growth increments at annuliis formation for male and female flannelmoiith suckers troin the Cunnison, Colorado, Green, and Yampa rivers, 1975-1976. Numbers indicate sample size. Bars indicate one standard de\ iation.

The diameters of preserved, mature ova nificantly fewer ova than did those from the ranged from 1.99 to 3.15 mm (mean = 2.39 Colorado River. Based upon the regression mm; n = 49). The relationship between ova equations, a fish 450 mm long from the Yam- diameter and fish length was not significant pa River produced about 9,800 ova, whereas (P>().()5). fish of this length from the Gunnison and Fish from the Yampa and Green rivers pro- Colorado rivers produced about 12,700 and duced significantly fewer matiue ova than 15,900 ova, respectively. did fish from tlie Gunnison or Colorado rivers Ripe male flannelmouth suckers were col-

(P<().(X)1: Table 1). Flannelmouth suckers lected from both study areas when sampling from tlie Gunnison River also produced sig- began in early April and on through June. April 1985 McAda, Wydoski: Flannelmouth Sucker 285

Table 2. 286 Great Basin Naturalist Vol. 45, No. 2

K. D. 1956. Fish growth studies: techniques tween back-calculated lengths at annulus for- Cahlander. and role in surveys and management. Trans. mation during previous years suggests that North Amer. Wildl.. and Nat. Res. Conf. these differences may not always exist. 21:262-274. a Vanicek and Kramer (1969) documented Carlson, C. A., C. G. Prewitt, D. E. Snyder, E. J. decline in the growth rate of Colorado Wick, E. L. Ames, and W. D. Frank. 1979. Fish- es and macroinvertebrates of the White and squawfish, Ptijchocheilus hicius, and roundtail Yampa rivers, Colorado. Bur. Land Manage. chub, Gila robusta, in the Green River after (Colorado). Biol. Series No. 1. 159 pp. the closure of Flaming Gorge Dam, which Mc:Ada, C. W., and R. S. Wydoski. 1980. The razor- they attributed to the resultant decrease in back sucker, Xyniiiclicn texanii.s. in the Upper water temperature. Although probably a con- Colorado River Basin, 1974-76. U.S. Fish Wild. Serv., Tech. Pap. 99. 15 pp. tributing factor, the lower water temperature 198.3. Maturity and fecundity of the bluehead re- in the Green River cannot be completely sucker, Catostomus discobolus (Catostomidae), in sponsible for the observed differences in fe- the Upper Colorado River Basin, 1975-76. South- cundity and body weight because west Nat. 141:120-12.3. Mc Donald, D. B., and P. A. Dotson. 1960. Fishery in- flannelmouth suckers in this study were pri- vestigations of the Clen Canyon and Flaming collected in the mixing zone of the marily Corge impoundment areas. I'tah Dept. Fish and Green River with the Yampa River, which Game Info. Bull. 60-63, Salt Lake City. 70 pp. maintains its historic temperature regime. Minckley, W. L. 1973. Fishes of Arizona, .\rizona Game and Fish Dept., Phoenix. 286 pp. W., W. G. 1967. Statistical Acknowledgments Snedecior. G. and Cochran. methods, 6tli ed. Iowa State Univ. Press. .\mes. We thank Karl Seethaler, George Kidd, 539 pp. Tescii, F. W. 1971. Age and growth. Pages 98-130 in Dennis Cox, John Henderson, Larry Maclain, W. E. Ricker, ed.. Methods for assessment of fish assisted in the field; and Craig Reger, who production in freshwaters. Int. Biol. Programme and Jay King, Calvin Larson, Kevin Priest, Handbook Number 3. 2d ed. Blackwell Scientific Kurt Rudd, and Joy Wydoski, who assisted in Publications. Oxford. Tvrs. H. M., B. D. Burdick, R. A. Valdez, C. M. the laboratory. Lynn Kaeding, P. W. Esch- Haynes, T. a. Lytle, and C. R. Berry. 1982. meyer, and Ross Bulkley provided valuable Fishes of the Upper Colorado River Basin: Distri- comments to early versions of this bution, abundance, and status. Pages 12-70 in \\. manuscript. H. Miller, H. M. Tyus. and C. A. Carlson, eds.. Fi.shes of the Upper Colorado River System: present and future. West. Div.. Anier. Fish. Soc. 131 Literature Cited pp. Ba(.i:.\al, T. B. 1967. A short review of fish fecunditv. Vanicek, C. D., and R. H. Kramer. 1969. Life history of

Pages 89-111 in S. D. Cerking, ed., The biologi- the Colorado s(iua\\fish, rtychocheilus Indus.

cal ha.sis of freshwater fish production. Blackwell and the Colorado chub, Gihi rohiistii. in the Scientific Publications, Oxford. Green River in Dinosaur National .Monument, Bishop, \. B., and D. B. Porcella. 1980. Physical and 1964-1966. Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. ecological aspects of the upper Colorado River 98(2): 193-208. 1976. historic influences of reser- Basin. Pages 17-49 in \V. A. Spofford, Jr., A. L. \NiLTzius, W. J. Some Parker, and A: V. Kneese, eds.. Energy devel- voirs and irrigation diversions on flows, temper- Riv- opment in the soutliwest, Vol. 7. Resources For atures, and fish distribution in the Gunnison the Future, Res. Pap. R-18. Washington, D.C. er. Colorado Div. Wildl. Fort Collins. 194 pp.

4.56 pi).