Distribution of littoral fishes in structurally complex macrophytes

1997 ◽  
Vol 54 (10) ◽  
pp. 2277-2289 ◽  
Author(s):  
M J Weaver ◽  
J J Magnuson ◽  
M K Clayton
Keyword(s):  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Lepomis Macrochirus ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Smallmouth Bass ◽  
Black Bullhead ◽  
Lake Mendota ◽  
Young Of The Year

By considering patchiness in the littoral vegetation, we were able to distinguish within-lake distributions among species and between young-of-the-year and yearling-and-older fishes. We characterized the macrophytes in Lake Mendota, Wisconsin, along transects using rake grabs to estimate species diversity and sonar charts to estimate the patchiness at 1-m intervals. We discerned two distinct littoral fish assemblages, one characterized by rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris) and smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in unvegetated areas and another by a diverse assemblage in vegetated areas. Patchiness of macrophytes, not simply abundance, determined variations in the specific structure of the fish assemblage: e.g., yellow perch (Perca flavescens) were more dominant and abundant where vegetation was species rich and structurally complex as well as abundant. Young-of-the-year and yearling-and-older fishes differed in their distribution patterns: e.g., age 0 bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) were more abundant where Eurasian watermilfoil was abundant and patchy and yearling-and-older bluegill where vegetation was more dense and species rich. Furthermore, yearling-and-older black bullhead (Ameiurus melas) and brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) were more common in patchy macrophyte beds than in species-rich vegetation. The largest catches of age 0 white bass (Morone chrysops) occurred at sites with sandy shallow beaches and patchy milfoil beds farther offshore. These patterns were discerned because we assessed macrophyte structural complexity at multiple scales and we separated young-of-the-year from older fishes.

Interrelation of Feeding Behavior and Accommodative Lens Movements in Some Species of North American Freshwater Fishes

1973 ◽  
Vol 30 (8) ◽  
pp. 1141-1146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob G. Sivak
Keyword(s):  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Principal Direction ◽  
Lepomis Macrochirus ◽  
Freshwater Fishes ◽  
Salmo Gairdneri ◽  
Lateral Direction ◽  
Black Bullhead ◽  
Goldfish Carassius Auratus ◽  
The Common

Accommodation, in response to atropine and pilocarpine, was measured retinoscopically and photographically in seven species of freshwater fishes. These species accommodate in varying magnitudes and directions by means of lenticular movements. The common white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) and the goldfish (Carassius auratus) accommodate mainly in the lateral direction (5–10 diopters), whereas the common bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), northern rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris), and yellow perch (Perca flavescens), exhibit a larger accommodative ability which occurs primarily along the rostral–caudal axis (up to 40 diopters in the yellow perch). The rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) accommodates equally along the lateral and rostral–caudal axes. No accommodative response occurs in the northern black bullhead (Ictalurus melas). Reference to the diets and feeding habits of the above species suggests that the magnitude and principal direction of accommodation is a response to the visual demands of a particular life history.

Branching complexity and morphological characteristics of coarse woody structure as lacustrine fish habitat

2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (9) ◽  
pp. 2110-2123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael G Newbrey ◽  
Michael A Bozek ◽  
Martin J Jennings ◽  
James E Cook
Keyword(s):  
Littoral Zone ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Fish Habitat ◽  
Lepomis Macrochirus ◽  
Perca Flavescens ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Smallmouth Bass ◽  
Micropterus Dolomieu ◽  
Rock Bass ◽  
Ambloplites Rupestris

The objective of this study was to quantify the physical characteristics of coarse woody structure (CWS) as fish habitat in a north temperate lake. Sixteen species of fish were observed in submerged CWS habitat. Branching complexity, distance above the bole, area below the bole, distance to other CWS, and water depth around CWS were significantly related to abundance of schooling cyprinids (Cyprinidae), rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), yellow perch (Perca flavescens), and walleye (Sander vitreus). Branching complexity was the most common characteristic of CWS related to richness, diversity, and total adult abundance of fish taxa, but was not correlated with the total lengths of fish found in submerged trees. Branching-complexity values ranged from 1 (simple) to 500 (moderately complex) in the littoral zone; for comparison, a living riparian conifer had a branching-complexity value of over 1000. Most CWS in the littoral zone was composed of simple trees without branching, but fish tended to inhabit CWS with branching-complexity values greater than 45. This study shows the importance of CWS with fine branching as littoral-zone fish habitat.

Quantitative comparisons of the morphology and ultrastructure of erythrocyte nuclei from seven freshwater fish species

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (10) ◽  
pp. 1951-1959 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles H. Jagoe ◽  
Dave A. Welter
Keyword(s):  
Fish Species ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Lepomis Macrochirus ◽  
Nuclear Size ◽  
Image Analysis System ◽  
Cell Nuclei ◽  
Homogeneous Population ◽  
Differentiated Cells ◽  
Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus Mykiss

Chromosome number and genomic DNA content vary widely among fish species, and ploidy can vary within species. This suggests that the size, shape, and morphological features of cell nuclei may also vary. Nucleated erythrocytes of fish are an easily sampled homogeneous population of differentiated cells ideal for inter- and intra-species comparisons. We collected blood samples from largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), chain pickerel (Esox niger), yellow perch (Perca flavescens), mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki), redeye bass (Micropterus coosae), and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and removed cytoplasm and nuclear membranes from blood cells. Individual nuclei were examined and measured using scanning electron microscopy and a computerized image analysis system, and inter- and intra-species differences evaluated by nested analysis of variance. Nuclear size and shape varied significantly among species. Isolated nuclei had conspicuous apertures or holes, and the number and size of these holes also varied significantly among species. Variations in nuclear size and structure within species were small compared with interspecies differences. Little is known of the ultrastructure of erythrocyte nuclei in lower vertebrates, but their structure differs considerably from that of other vertebrate non-erythroid cells, suggesting that the organization of their DNA and associated proteins may be different.

scholarly journals Freshwater fishes of Bontebok National Park

Koedoe ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
I.A. Russell
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
National Park ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Clarias Gariepinus ◽  
Lepomis Macrochirus ◽  
River System ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Freshwater Species ◽  
Micropterus Dolomieu

Fish assemblages were sampled at six sites in the Breede River in the Bontebok National Park during 1999 and 2000. A total of 380 fish from 12 species was recorded. Indigenous fish collected included one freshwater species (Barbus andrewi), two catodromous species (Anguilla mossambica, Myxus capensis). and three estuarine species (Gilchris- tella aestuaria, Monodactylusfalciformis, Mugil cephalus). Four of the species recorded were aliens (Tinea tinea, Lepomis macrochirus, Micropterus salmoides, Micropterus dolomieu) and two species translocated from other South African rivers (Tilapia sparrmanii, Clarias gariepinus). A further two indigenous species (Sandelia capensis, Pseudobarbus biirchelli) could potentially occur within the park, though the high abundance of alien predators means that there is little chance for recolonisation from tributaries higher in the Breede River system. There is little opportunity to meaningfully conserve most indigenous freshwater fish in Bontebok National Park.

Biological and Toxicologtcal Effects of Environmental Contaminants in Fish and Their Eggs

1983 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 306-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Niimi
Keyword(s):  
Rainbow Trout ◽  
Organic Contaminants ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Lake Ontario ◽  
Smallmouth Bass ◽  
Salmo Gairdneri ◽  
White Bass ◽  
Morone Chrysops ◽  
Contaminant Transfer

Rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri), white sucker (Catostomus commersoni), white bass (Morone chrysops), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui), and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) were collected from Lakes Ontario and Erie to examine the relationship between contaminant levels in females and their eggs. Factors such as the percent lipid in the fish and percent of total lipid deposited in the eggs significantly influenced (P < 0.01) contaminant transfer. The percentages of the 9–11 organic contaminants transferred generally showed less variation within a species than the percentages for a substance transferred among the five species examined. This relationship was consistent even though there was over a 10-fold range in contaminant concentrations within a given species. Mercury did not demonstrate this response because the percentage in eggs was low for all species. The levels of PCB monitored in eggs of rainbow trout collected from Lake Ontario suggest that egg and fry survival rates could be affected based on the toxicological evidence from other studies. An examination of the possible effects of spawning on the kinetics of contaminants among these species suggests that relative body concentrations of organic contaminants may be decreased by 5% or be increased by 10%, and mercury levels may be increased by 6–22% following the deposition of eggs. The amount of change varies with species and is influenced by the percent egg weight of body weight, and the rate of contaminant transfer from females to eggs.Key words: toxicology, contaminants, reproduction, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie

The Thermal Regime of South Bay, Manitoulin Island

1967 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. McCombie
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Regime ◽  
Thermal Stratification ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Smallmouth Bass ◽  
Lake Huron ◽  
Vertical Temperature ◽  
Class Strength ◽  
Influence Of Temperature On ◽  
History Of

The thermal regime of South Bay is described from records collected from 1953 to 1962 with thermometers, thermographs, and bathythermographs, the last being cast at 11 stations along the bay and one in Lake Huron. Warming begins in April and thermal stratification is established in June. Shallow areas warm more rapidly than deep in the spring and cool more quickly in autumn. The boundary between the epilimnion and the thermocline becomes sharper as summer advances but the transition from thermocline to hypolimnion remains gradual. The average seasonal trend of surface temperatures is a sine function with a maximum of 66 F in mid August and a minimum of 34 F in late March, though values outside this range occur frequently. At 180 ft the maximum of 47 F is attained in November. At the lake and outermost bay stations there is a temperature slump in June and July which may be due to an upwelling in the lake. Evidence of an exchange of water between the lake and bay is seen in vertical temperature sections and water movements Variations in epilimnial temperatures are correlated with those of the air temperature, but variations in epilimnial and hypolimnial temperatures appear to be unrelated. Finally, literature describing the influence of temperature on the year class strength of smallmouth bass, the distribution of lake trout, the growth of yellow perch, and the life history of Pontoporeia in South Bay is reviewed.

scholarly journals Are Distribution Patterns Correlated with Plant Traits?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Benjamin Magana-Rodriguez
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Spatial Arrangement ◽  
Scaling Relationship

<p>The current crisis in loss of biodiversity requires rapid action. Knowledge of species' distribution patterns across scales is of high importance in determining their current status. However, species display many different distribution patterns on multiple scales. A positive relationship between regional (broad-scale) distribution and local abundance (fine-scale) of species is almost a constant pattern in macroecology. Nevertheless interspecific relationships typically contain much scatter. For example, species that possess high local abundance and narrow ranges, or species that are widespread, but locally rare. One way to describe these spatial features of distribution patterns is by analysing the scaling properties of occupancy (e.g., aggregation) in combination with knowledge of the processes that are generating the specific spatial pattern (e.g., reproduction, dispersal, and colonisation). The main goal of my research was to investigate if distribution patterns correlate with plant life-history traits across multiple scales. First, I compared the performance of five empirical models for their ability to describe the scaling relationship of occupancy in two datasets from Molesworth Station, New Zealand. Secondly, I analysed the association between spatial patterns and life history traits at two spatial scales in an assemblage of 46 grassland species in Molesworth Station. The spatial arrangement was quantified using the parameter k from the Negative Binomial Distribution (NBD). Finally, I investigated the same association between spatial patterns and life-history traits across local, regional and national scales, focusing in one of the most diverse families of plant species in New Zealand, the Veronica sect. Hebe (Plantaginaceae). The spatial arrangement was investigated using the mass fractal dimension. Cross-species correlations and phylogenetically independent contrasts were used to investigate the relationships between plant life-history traits and spatial patterns on both data bases. There was no superior occupancy-area model overall for describing the scaling relationship, however the results showed that a variety of occupancy-area models can be fit to different data sets at diverse spatial scales using nonlinear regression. Additionally, here I showed that it is possible to deduce and extrapolate information on occupancy at fine scales from coarse-scale data. For the 46 plantassemblage in Molesworth Station, Specific leaf area (SLA) exhibits a positive association with aggregation in cross-species analysis, while leaf area showed a negative association, and dispersule mass a positive correlation with degree of aggregation in phylogenetic contrast analysis at a local-scale (20 × 20 m resolution). Plant height was the only life-history trait that was associated with degree of aggregation at a regional-scale (100 × 60 mresolution). For the Veronica sect. Hebe dataset, leaf area showed a positive correlation with aggregation while specific leaf area showed a negative correlation with aggregation at a fine local-scale (2.5-60 m resolution). Inflorescence length, breeding system and leaf area showed a negative correlation with degree of aggregation at a regional-scale (2.5-20 km resolution). Height was positively associated with aggregation at national-scale (20-100 km resolution). Although life-history traits showed low predictive ability in explaining aggregation throughout this thesis, there was a general pattern about which processes and traits were important at different scales. At local scales traits related to dispersal and completion such as SLA , leaf area, dispersule mass and the presence of structures in seeds for dispersal, were important; while at regional scales traits related to reproduction such as breeding system, inflorescence length and traits related to dispersal (seed mass) were significant. At national scales only plant height was important in predicting aggregation. Here, it was illustrated how the parameters of these scaling models capture an important aspect of spatial pattern that can be related to other macroecological relationships and the life-history traits of species. This study shows that when several scales of analysis are considered, we can improve our understanding about the factors that are related to species' distribution patterns.</p>

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