• FISHERIES RESEARCH BOARD OF CANADA . Translation Series No. 2155 Stereotypes of the Volga sturgeon behaviour in the region of the Saratov hydro-electric power station, 'before and after the river regulation by'L. K. Malinin, A. G. Poddubnyi •and,V. V. Gaiduk Original title: ,Stereotipy povedeniya volzhskogo osetra v• raione saratovskoi GES dp i posle zaregulirovaniyà reki From: Zoologicheskii Zhurnal (Zoological Journal), 50(6) : 847-857, 1971 Translated by the Translation Bureau( AM) Foreign - Languages.Division Department of the Secretary of State of Canada. Department of the Environment Fisheries Research Board of Canada Biological Station St. Andrews, N. B. 19 72 27 Pages typescript ..-... • c\-176 :5— t. ■ • e• •f. ePARTMENT OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE SECRÉTARIAT D'ÉTAT e ' TRANSLATION BUREAU BUREAU DES TRADUCTIONS • biULTILINGUAL SERVICES DIVISION DES SERVICES DIVISION MULTILINGUES TRANSLATED FROM - TRADUCTION DE INTO - EN Rus Sian English AUTHOR - AUTEUR .L.K. Malinin, A.G. Poddubnyi and V.V. Gaiduk TITLE IN ENGLISH - TITRE ANGLAIS Stereotypes of the Volga sturgeon behaviour in the region of the Saratov Hydro-Electric Power Station before and afteithe regulation of the . river. TITI.E IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE (TRANSLITERATE FOREIGN CHARACTERS) TITRE EN LANGUE ÉTRANGÉRE (TRANSCRIRE EN CARACTÈRES ROMAINS) Stereotipy povedeniya volzhskogo osetra v raione saratovskoi CES do i posle zaregulirovaniya reki REFERENCE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE (NAME OF BOOK OR PUBLICATION) IN FULL. TRANSLITERATE , FOREIGN CFIARACTERS, RÉFÉRENCE EN LANGUE ÉTRANGÉRE (NOM DU LIVRE OU PUBLICATION), AU COMPLET, TRANSCRIRE EN CARACTÈRES ROMAINS. Zoologicheskii zhurnal REFERENCE IN ENGLISH - RÉFÉRENCE EN ANGLAIS Zoological Journal PUBLISHER - ÉDITEUR PAGE NUMBERS IN ORIGINAL DATE OF PUBLICATION NUMÉROS DES PAGES DANS Academy of Sciences DATE DE PUBLICATION L'ORI GINAL of the USSR 847-857 YEAR ISSUE NO. VOLUME PLACE OF PUBLICATION A NNÉE NUMÉRO NUMBER OF TYPED PAGES LIEU DE PUBLICATION NOMBRE DE PAGES DACTYLOGRAPHIÉES Moscow 1971 50 6 27 RE.QUESTING DEPARTMENT TRANSLATION BUREAU NO. MINISTÉRE-CLIENT Environment NOTRE DOSSIER NO S-0443 BRANCH OR DIVISION Fisheries Board • TRANSLATOR (INITIALS) AM DIRECTION OU DIVISION Research TRADUCTEUR (INITIALES) PERSON REQUESTING Dr. A.B. Stasko, St. Andrews, N.B. DEMANDÉ PAR UNEDITED *TRANSLATION • For information only YOURNUMBER VOTRE DOSSIER NO 769-18-14 TRADUCTION NON REVISEE Information seulement DATE OF REQUEST DATE DE LA DEMANDE April 28, 1972 MAY 2 5 1972 305-200.1 0-0 (REV. 2/68) 7030-21-028-0333 •eriPARTMENT OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE SECRÉTARJAT D'ÉTAT . TRANSLATION BUREAU BUREAU DES TRADUCTiONS .t MULTILINGUAL SERVICES DIVISION DES SERVICES DIVISION MULTILINGUES CLIENTS NO. DEPARTMENT DIVISION/BRANCH CITY NO DU CLIENT MMISTiRE DIVISION/DIRECTION VILLE 769-18-14 Envirbnment Fisheries Research Board St. Andrews, N. B. • BUREAU NO. • LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR (INITIALS) N ° DU BUREAU LANGUE TRADUCTEUR (INITIALES) S-0443 Russian . AM MAY 2 5 1 j72 Zoological Journal Vol. 50, No. 6, 1971 pp. 847-857 UNEDITED TRANSLATION • For informal-lon only STEREOTYPES OF THE VOLGA STURGEON BEHAVIOUR IN TRADUCTION NON REVISEF-THE REGION OF THE SARATOV HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER Hoonation sedement STATION BEFORE AND AFTER THE REGULATION OF THE RIVER /p.847 * L,K. Malinin, A.G. Poddubnyi and V.V. Gaidnk Institute of the Biology of Internal Waters, Academy of Sciences of the USSR (Borok of the Nekouzkii region of the Yaroslavskaya Oblast) With the aid of ultrasonic transmitters studies were conducted of the tracks and rhythms of the movement of the Volga sturgeon. It was established that the main mass of the • migrating fish moves up the river near the river bed. The velocity , of the movement of the fish in sections with dif- ferent current velocities was determined. It was.established that the fish are most active in the morning and evening hours. On the basis of observations of the behaviour of the •fish in the vicinity of the hydro-electric dam, practical recommendations are proposed on increasing the effectiveness of the, work of the Saratov fish elevator. The study of fish behaviour and a . number of problems linked to this question' (sensory reception, orientation, reaction to changes in environmental factors) have been assuming greater and greater :Translator's note: The number in the margin refers to the page number of the original text.' 505-200-I 0-31 7530-21-029-5332 ; $4 significance in recent years. Documented data on the behaviour of fish in various ecological circumstances can be utilized in solving many fishing industry problems: the construction of fish passages and protective installations and the development of effective means of attracting fish or repelling them off for the management of their behaviour. The study of the routes and rhythm of movement of separate individuals and their groups might aid fisheries in the selection and deployment of fishing gear. Analysis of data on the magnitude of movement activity, the visiting of various microbiotopes and the reaction of fish to this or that change in environmental elements will make it possible to determine the complex of conditions necessary for • the successful existence of various species. There can be no doubt also of the theoretical interest in this kind of research. With their help comparative data can be derived on the methods and prin- cipleâ of the orientation of animals in various environmental conditions, on territorial groupings, their structure and so on. Serving as material for this paper were the remote observations of the behaviour of sturgeons in the region of the . Saratov Hydro- electric Station (city of Balakovo), conducted in September, 1966 and August/September 1969 by the biotelemetric group of the Ichthyology Laboratory of the Institute of the Biology.of Internal Waters, the • . Academy of Sciences of the USSR. ••., MATERIALS AND METHODS In the present study a method of remote observation was employed which had been proven in previous telemetric studies (pod- dubnyi, Spektor, Kidun, 1966). The fish were tagged with ultrasonic transmitters weighing not more than 30 g, and operating in the frequency range of 40-50 khz. Their range of operation was 2 km, and the duration of operation, 50-60 h. The apparatus used Consisted of three units: display, ampli- fication, and a trainable antenna, the receiving head of which was lowered into the water to not less than 0.5 m, The display and ampli- fication units were installed in launches from which the tracking was - conducted. The receiving antenna was secured to the bow of the vessel with aid of a swivelling device, enabling the training of the head /p.848 to any angle. The operator determined the relative bearing and distance of the tagged fish and immediately fixed.the position of the fish on a chart. As the fish moved the launches equipped with the receiving • apparatus followed at a distance of 100-200 m. Atthe same time, • Wherever the fish moved, the Parameters of the water -mass at various depths were measured with the aid of a hydrokappameter developed for this purpose. Translator's note: Transliteration of the Russian term. 3 • 4 • 1 Number of tagged fish and time of observation Area of observation Dates Number Duration Route of of fish h fish, km M F 1. R. Volg,a in the region of the ,city of -i3alakovo 1-2.1X.1969 * 2-18 1-15 t! 21-30.VI11.1969 5-42 2-15' 2. Waters in vicinity i of Saratov HES dam; tail 23-30.V111.1969 12 4 7-31 1-12 bead 1-5:1X.1969 6 • 3 2-24 0.5-7 3. Saratov reservoir : 2-6.1X.1969 6 : 2 13-35 10-31 4. R. Volga in the region of the city of Perevolok 7-9.1X. 1969 6-29 5-18 Only large individuals (not less than 10 kg in weight) of the Volga-Ozimov sturgeon were used in the experiments. The weight of the transmitters used to tag the fish constituted not more than 0.2-0.3% of the weight of the fish body and the drag produced was low. They were attached to the sturgeons with a strong soft wire through holes made with a fine drill through two adjacent spinal bony plates. Pond experiments (Poddubnyi, Spektor, 1969) indicated that, immediately on release, fish so tagged perform chaotic movements and behave in an agitated manner. However, a.fter only 15-25 min. their .< behaviour is indistinguishable from the behaviour of control individuals. The approach of fish carrying the transmitters to control fish did not elicit any noticeable reactions in the ln-tter. It can be assumed that ultrasonic vibrations of the selected frequency and intensity are not, even if detected by the sturgeon, strong irritants, capable of having an effect on its navigational capabilities or distorting its rhythm of ,ectivity. The velocity of movement of the tagged and control individuals was the same. After 10 days no deteoration could be observed in the area of the drill holes in the spinal plates. Post-tagging activity of the fish is very severely affected, especially in high air temperatures, by prolonged periodà spent out of the water during tagging. The period of shock and decreased activity can, in these cases, last several hours. .For this reason, in all the experiments, fish were kept in the water during tagging. Tagging of each individual required not more than 1-2 min. In the region of the Saratov Hydroelectric Station, which was Under still construction, the first experiments in the study of the rhythmics and Movement tracks of sturgeons were carried out in 1966, before the regulation of the river. In 1969 studies of the behaviour of the sturgeons were conducted at five points: in the section of the river adjacent to the near-dam zone of the tail water, in the near-dam. sections of the tail and head wat'er, in th.