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USGS2000

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction for transforming growth factor-β applied to a field study of fish health in Chesapeake Bay tributaries

Fish morbidity and mortality events in Chesapeake Bay tributaries have aroused concern over the health of this important aquatic ecosystem. We applied a recently described method for quantifying mRNA of an immunosuppressive cytokine, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), by reverse transcription quantitative-competitive polymerase chain reaction to a field study of fish health in the Chesapeake Basin, and compared the results to those of a traditional cellular immunoassay macrophage bactericidal activity. We selected the white perch ( Morone americana ) as the sentinel fish species because of its abundance at all of the collection sites. White perch were sampled from Chesapeake Bay tributaries in June, August, and October 1998. Splenic mononuclear cell TGF-β mRNA levels increased and anterior kidney macrophage bactericidal activity decreased, particularly in eastern shore tributaries, from June to August and October. The results of the two assays correlated inversely (Kendall's τ b = -0.600; p = 0.0102). The results indicated both temporal and spatial modulation of white perch immune systems in the Chesapeake Basin, and demonstrated the utility of quantitative PCR for TGF-β as a molecular biomarker for field assessment of teleost fish immune status.

Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia↗

USGS2023

Climate impacts to inland fishes: Shifting research topics over time

Climate change remains a primary threat to inland fishes and fisheries. Using topic modeling to examine trends and relationships across 36 years of scientific literature on documented and projected climate impacts to inland fish, we identify ten representative topics within this body of literature: assemblages, climate scenarios, distribution, climate drivers, population growth, invasive species, populations, phenology, physiology, and reproduction. These topics are largely similar to the output from artificial intelligence application (i.e., ChatGPT) search prompts, but with some key differences. The field of climate impacts on fish has seen dramatic growth since the mid-2000s with increasing popularity of topics related to drivers, assemblages, and phenology. The topics were generally well-dispersed with little overlap of common words, apart from phenology and reproduction which were closely clustered. Pairwise comparisons between topics revealed potential gaps in the literature including between reproduction and distribution and between physiology and phenology. A better understanding of these relationships can help capitalize on existing literature to inform conservation and sustainable management of inland fishes with a changing climate.

PLOS Climate↗

USGS2022

Identifying monitoring information needs that support the management of fish in large rivers

Management actions intended to benefit fish in large rivers can directly or indirectly affect multiple ecosystem components. Without consideration of the effects of management on non-target ecosystem components, unintended consequences may limit management efficacy. Monitoring can help clarify the effects of management actions, including on non-target ecosystem components, but only if data are collected to characterize key ecosystem processes that could affect the outcome. Scientists from across the U.S. convened to develop a conceptual model that would help identify monitoring information needed to better understand how natural and anthropogenic factors affect large river fishes. We applied the conceptual model to case studies in four large U.S. rivers. The application of the conceptual model indicates the model is flexible and relevant to large rivers in different geographic settings and with different management challenges. By visualizing how natural and anthropogenic drivers directly or indirectly affect cascading ecosystem tiers, our model identified critical information gaps and uncertainties that, if resolved, could inform how to best meet management objectives. Despite large differences in the physical and ecological contexts of the river systems, the case studies also demonstrated substantial commonalities in the data needed to better understand how stressors affect fish in these systems. For example, in most systems information on river discharge and water temperature were needed and available. Conversely, information regarding trophic relationships and the habitat requirements of larval fishes were generally lacking. This result suggests that there is a need to better understand a set of common factors across large-river systems. We provide a stepwise procedure to facilitate the application of our conceptual model to other river systems and management goals.

Environmental Management↗

USGS1999

The epipelagic fish community of Beaufort Sea coastal waters, Alaska

A three-year study of epipelagic fishes inhabiting Beaufort Sea coastal waters in Alaska documented spatial and temporal patterns in fish distribution and abundance and examined their relationships to thermohaline features during summer. Significant interannual, seasonal, and geographical differences in surface water temperatures and salinities were observed. In 1990, sea ice was absent and marine conditions prevailed, whereas in 1988 and 1991, heavy pack ice was present and the dissolution of the brackish water mass along the coast proceeded more slowly. Arctic cod, capelin, and liparids were the most abundant marine fishes in the catches, while arctic cisco was the only abundant diadromous freshwater species. Age-0 arctic cod were exceptionally abundant and large in 1990, while age-0 capelin dominated in the other years. The alternating numerical dominances of arctic cod and age-0 capelin may represent differing species' responses to wind-driven oceanographic processes affecting growth and survival. The only captures of age-0 arctic cisco occurred during 1990. Catch patterns indicate they use a broad coastal migratory corridor and tolerate high salinities. As in the oceanographic data, geographical and temporal patterns were apparent in the fish catch data, but in most cases these patterns were not statistically testable because of excessive zero catches. The negative binomial distribution appeared to be a suitable statistical descriptor of the aggregated catch patterns for the more common species.

Alaska↗

USGS2022

Gill-net selectivity for fifteen fish species of the upper San Francisco Estuary

Gill-net size selectivity for 15 fish species occurring in the upper San Francisco Estuary was estimated from a data set compiled from multiple studies which together contained 7,096 individual fish observations from 882 gill net sets. The gill nets considered in this study closely resembled the American Fisheries Society’s recommended standardized experimental gill nets for sampling inland waters. Relationships between gill-net mesh sizes and the sizes for each fish species retained in them were estimated indirectly using generalized linear modeling and maximum likelihood. Selectivity curves are provided for each species to inform researchers about population characteristics of fishes sampled with similar gill nets.

California↗

USGS1993

How well can fishes prey on zebra mussels in eastern North America?

Literature on mollusk-eating fishes was reviewed to determine the potential for different species of fish to control zebra mussels in eastern North America. At least six species are potential predators of zebra mussels because they possess (1) both upper and lower pharyngeal teeth or (2) lower pharyngeal teeth and chewing pads located on the dorsal roof for crushing mollusk shells. Freshwater drum ( Aplodinotus grunniens ) and two centrarchids, redear sunfish ( Lepomis microlophus ) and pumpkinseed ( L. gibbosus ), possess both upper and lower pharyngeal teeth and are likely to consume more zebra mussels than fishes with only lower pharyngeal teeth. Only two catostomid species, copper and river redhorses ( Moxostoma hubbsi and M. carinatum ), have chewing pads that enable them to crush mollusks. The exotic omnivorous common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ), possessing lower teeth and a chewing pad, may prey on zebra mussels when aquatic insect larvae, its preferred food, become rare. Managing populations of drum, sunfishes and redhorses to reduce exploitation of large individuals and improve their habitats are suggested as means to intensify biological control of zebra mussels in eastern North America. Other Eurasian molluscivores, the roach ( Rutilus rutilus ) and the black carp ( Mylopharyngodon piceus ) should not be introduced into North America because research has shown repeatedly that an introduced biological controller usually does not forage for unwanted pests or reside only in preferred habitats of pests. Drum, sunfishes and redhorses should be preferred over these exotics as biological controllers of zebra mussels in North America because these native fishes will likely occupy newly established habitats of zebra mussels.

Fisheries↗

USGS1942

The anaesthesia of fish by high carbon-dioxide concentrations

A practical and economical method for anaesthetizing adult salmon and steelhead trout in the fish trucks used in the Grand Coulee fish salvage program is described. The method consists in generating a predetermined carbon-dioxide concentration in the 1000-gallon tanks of the trucks through the successive addition of predissolved sodium bicarbonate and dilute sulphuric acid in proper quantities. Carbon-dioxide anaesthesia effectively solved the acute problem of species segregation in the fish salvage program and, with minor modifications, could be used with equal success in certain hatchery operations necessitating the handling of large fish.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗

USGS1944

Variations in nitrogen content and fish production in smallmouth black bass ponds

Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and organic nitrogen were determined at 10‐day intervals for 24 ponds at Leetown, West Virginia. These ponds were stocked with 15,000 smallmouth black bass fry per acre and all fish reared in them were counted individually and weighed when the ponds were drained after an average season (during 1943) of 105 days. The purpose of the study was to determine what correlations, if any, existed between fish production and the nitrogen content of the water. Correlations between ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate nitrogen and fish production were not evident. Larger quantities of these forms of nitrogen were present during the first half of the pond season than during the latter half. A positive correlation was found between the organic‐nitrogen content of the water and fish production. This form of nitrogen, probably as a result of plant decay, was present in larger quantities during the latter half of the season than during the early season. Ponds which averaged 0.56 and 0.65 pounds of bass per acre per day had average organic‐nitrogen contents of 0.494 and 0.434 p.p.m. Ponds averaging 1.69 and 1.79 pounds of bass per acre per day averaged 0.811 and 0.746 p.p.m. of organic nitrogen, respectively.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗

USGS1954

Virus diseases of fish

Viruses are probably the cause of a wide spectrum of fish diseases. Although relatively few virus diseases of fish are known today, some of the diseases of unknown etiology, as well as some diseases presently accepted as due to bacteria, protozoa, fungi or nutritional deficiencies, possibly will be recognized eventually as virus diseases. Some viruses may induce proliferative tissue changes whereas others may cause degenerative change. Although several diseases of a proliferative nature have been reported to be of virus origin, positive experimental evidence for the transmission of a virus from one fish to another, has been presented for only lymphocystis. The degenerative or non-neoplastic diseases of possible virus origin give the fish-culturist the most concern because of the severe mortalities resulting from infection. Epizootics of this nature have been reported in carp (Cyprinus carpio) and rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) in Europe, in acara (Geophagus brasiliensis) in South America, in kokanee, (Oncorhynchus nerka kennerlyi) and in sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka nerka) in the State of Washington. It has been demonstrated that each epizootic was caused by an infectious filterable agent, probably a virus.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗

USGS1958

Suggestions for reduction of natural mortality in fish populations

Illness, in fish as well as in other animals, when caused by an infectious disease, is often not the result of infection with pathogens alone. In many cases the pathogens and hosts can exist side by side without development of disease symptoms. Such symptoms, with resulting illness or death, appear only when the balance of mutual tolerance between the host and the pathogen is shifted in favor of the pathogen. Factors of several different kinds may render a host susceptible to disease; such things as poor nutrition, unfavorable physical conditions in the environment and the hereditary make‐up of the fish itself. Drugs may allow temporary control of infectious diseases but for the long‐range control it is better to increase the resistance of the host. Some suggestions are given, based largely on experience with disease control in hatcheries and fish farms, for minimizing natural mortality of fish from infectious diseases.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗

USGS1962

Comparative toxicity of 3-trifluormethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) to larval lampreys and eleven species of fishes

The tolerances of larval lampreys, rainbow trout, and 10 species of warmwater fishes to 3-trifluormethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM), a selective lamprey larvicide, were determined in three dilution waters of different physical and chemical characteristics. Differential toxic effects of the chemical to larval lampreys and test fishes varied broadly with the species of fish. Smallmouth bass and other centrarchids were most tolerant of the chemical; walleye, yellow perch, bullheads, and white suckers were most susceptible. The toxicity of TFM to both lampreys and fishes diminished as the conductivity and alkalinity of the dilution water increased. The differential action of the chemical was retained in all waters, however.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗

USGS1966

Bathymetric distribution of fish in the Apostle Islands region, Lake Superior

Records of seasonal and “all-season” (April-December) bathymetric distribution are given for 17 species of fish taken in bottom trawls and experimental gill nets fished on the bottom in 1958–63 in the Apostle Islands region of Lake Superior. The data are based on catches from 578 trawl tows at 2–59 fathoms and 301,900 linear feet of gill nets fished at 2–89 fathoms. Size of the fish varied widely among different species from the same gear and the same species from different gears. Seasonal differences in depth distribution were greatest for lake trout, bloaters, round whitefish, and older smelt, which exhibited an inshore movement in the summer and fall, and for longnose suckers, which migrated to deeper water with progress of the seasons. The all-season bathymetric distributions varied considerably among species. Round whitefish, 0- and I-group smelt, longnose suckers, ninespine sticklebacks, and johnny darters were most abundant at < 10 fathoms. Concentrations of lake trout, lake herring, lake whitefish, older smelt, trout-perch, and burbot were greatest at 10–29 fathoms. Pygmy whitefish were most common at 30–39 fathoms, bloaters and spoonhead sculpins at 40–49 fathoms, and shortjaw ciscoes, slimy sculpins, and fourhorn sculpins at 50–59 fathoms. The kiyi was most abundant at 70–79 fathoms.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗

USGS1982

Sampling nearshore estuarine fishes with rotenone

Sampling with rotenone is an effective method for providing abundance estimates of estuarine fishes at nearshore locations. However, the determination of recovery rates for individual species is critical for estimating abundance by this technique. Recovery rates in this study varied greatly among species, but did not vary among station types (cove or shoreline) or sample years (1976 or 1977). Tagged fishes, used to establish recovery rates, did not change in weight due to the sampling procedures from time of introduction to time of collection. Total adjusted abundance estimates ranged from 157 to 18,300 fishes/hectare and from 36 to 4,080 kg/hectare for fishes greater than 124 mm in Texas estuaries. Mean number and weight of fishes per hectare were generally greater at cove stations than at shoreline stations. Timing for the application of rote‐none in estuaries is important to avoid extensive bird predation.

Texas↗

USGS2002

Influences of spatial and temporal variation on fish-habitat relationships defined by regression quantiles

We used regression quantiles to model potentially limiting relationships between the standing crop of cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki and measures of stream channel morphology. Regression quantile models indicated that variation in fish density was inversely related to the width:depth ratio of streams but not to stream width or depth alone. The spatial and temporal stability of model predictions were examined across years and streams, respectively. Variation in fish density with width:depth ratio (10th-90th regression quantiles) modeled for streams sampled in 1993-1997 predicted the variation observed in 1998-1999, indicating similar habitat relationships across years. Both linear and nonlinear models described the limiting relationships well, the latter performing slightly better. Although estimated relationships were transferable in time, results were strongly dependent on the influence of spatial variation in fish density among streams. Density changes with width:depth ratio in a single stream were responsible for the significant ( P < 0.10) negative slopes estimated for the higher quantiles (>80th). This suggests that stream-scale factors other than width:depth ratio play a more direct role in determining population density. Much of the variation in densities of cutthroat trout among streams was attributed to the occurrence of nonnative brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis (a possible competitor) or connectivity to migratory habitats. Regression quantiles can be useful for estimating the effects of limiting factors when ecological responses are highly variable, but our results indicate that spatiotemporal variability in the data should be explicitly considered. In this study, data from individual streams and stream-specific characteristics (e.g., the occurrence of nonnative species and habitat connectivity) strongly affected our interpretation of the relationship between width:depth ratio and fish density.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗

USGS1995

Optimizing sampling effort for sampling warmwater stream fish communities

We measured the variation of some commonly used fish community attributes for two warmwater stream reaches during June–October 1992 and 1993. Habitat‐specific variation among samples, expressed as coefficients of variation (SD/mean) collected throughout the study ranged from 0.13 to 1.58 and were lower for community‐level attributes such as species richness (total number of species) and total fish biomass than for biomass estimates of bleeding shiner Luxilus zonatus , longear sunfish Lepomis megalotis , and rainbow darter Etheostoma caeruleum . Corresponding estimates of the number of samples needed to ensure 20% precision at the 95% confidence level ranged from 2 to 245 and indicated that fewer samples are needed to precisely estimate community level attributes than to estimate individual species biomass. A significant negative relationship ( P < 0.05) between coefficients of variation and predicted sampling efficiency suggested that low sampling efficiencies may increase sample variance. Significant heterogeneity of variance ( P < 0.05) among habitat types suggested that physical habitat characteristics also influenced sample variance. Mixed‐model analysis of variance was used to examine spatial variance (between sampling locations, across time) and temporal variance (among sampling periods, across locations) for species richness and fish biomass. Eighteen variance components were significant, ( P < 0.01) and in 12 of these, spatial variation exceeded temporal variation. When age‐0 fish were excluded from analysis, spatial variation exceeded temporal variation in 13 of the 14 significant components. Our results indicate that the optimum sampling strategy for warmwater streams during June–October includes the collection of many samples from all habitat types during one sampling period in September–October.

Missouri, Texas↗

USGS1996

Predation on ruffe by native fishes of the St. Louis River Estuary, Lake Superior, 1989-1991

The ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus , an exotic Eurasian percid, recently became established in the St. Louis River estuary, Lake Superior, after accidental introduction. Management actions (catch regulations and stockings) were enacted in 1989 to increase the density of top-level predators in the estuary, and thus to increase predation on ruffe. We conducted a field and laboratory study to determine if, and to what extent, native piscivores consume ruffe. Stomachs of 3,669 predators were examined in 1989–1991. Ruffe occurred in 6.7% of burbot Lota lota , 5.8% of bullheads Ictalurus spp., 4.7% of smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu , 2.6% of northern pike Esox lucius , 2.6% of black crappies Pomoxis nigromaculatus , and 1.3% of yellow perch Perca flavescens (4.5% after 1989) captured during the 3-year study. No ruffe were found in 967 stomachs of walleyes Stizostedion vitreum examined. Ruffe were 22.7%, of the diet (by weight) of bullheads (during the only year bullheads were captured) and 0.1–17.9% of the diet of northern pike. Ruffe were 0.9–24.5% of the diet of smallmouth bass that contained fish, 1.5–6.9% of yellow perch that contained fish, and 0.0–10.9% of black crappies that contained fish. Most ruffe eaten were age-0 or small age- 1 fish. In the laboratory, walleyes that were first fed soft-rayed prey or that were also offered soft-rayed prey consumed very few ruffe, whereas walleyes that were first fed spiny-rayed yellow perch or were also offered yellow perch consumed about equal numbers of ruffe and yellow perch. Northern pike and burbot consumed about equal numbers of ruffe and yellow perch in the laboratory. It is unlikely that predation will effectively control the initial expansion of ruffe in other areas of the Great Lakes because native predators initially consume few ruffe, especially if more preferred soft-rayed prey are available.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

USGS2006

Improving the design of acoustic and midwater trawl surveys through stratification, with an application to Lake Michigan prey fishes

Reliable estimates of fish biomass are vital to the management of aquatic ecosystems and their associated fisheries. Acoustic and midwater trawl surveys are an efficient sampling method for estimating fish biomass in large bodies of water. To improve the precision of biomass estimates from combined acoustic and midwater trawl surveys, sampling effort should be optimally allocated within each stage of the survey design. Based on information collected during fish surveys, we developed an approach to improve the design of combined acoustic and midwater trawl surveys through stratification. Geographic strata for acoustic surveying and depth strata for midwater trawling were defined using neighbor-restricted cluster analysis, and the optimal allocation of sampling effort for each was then determined. As an example, we applied this survey stratification approach to data from lakewide acoustic and midwater trawl surveys of Lake Michigan prey fishes. Precision of biomass estimates from surveys with and without geographic stratification was compared through resampling. Use of geographic stratification with optimal sampling allocation reduced the variance of Lake Michigan acoustic biomass estimates by 77%. Stratification and optimal allocation at each stage of an acoustic and midwater trawl survey should serve to reduce the variance of the resulting biomass estimates.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

USGS2007

A comparison of shoreline seines with fyke nets for sampling littoral fish communities in floodplain lakes

We compared shoreline seines with fyke nets in terms of their ability to sample fish species in the littoral zone of 22 floodplain lakes of the White River, Arkansas. Lakes ranged in size from less than 0.5 to 51.0 ha. Most contained large amounts of coarse woody debris within the littoral zone, thus making seining in shallow areas difficult. We sampled large lakes (>2 ha) using three fyke nets; small lakes (<2 ha) were sampled using two fyke nets. Fyke nets were set for 24 h. Large lakes were sampled with an average of 11 seine hauls/ lake and small lakes were sampled with an average of 3 seine hauls/lake, but exact shoreline seining effort varied among lakes depending on the amount of open shoreline. Fyke nets collected more fish and produced greater species richness and diversity measures than did seining. Species evenness was similar for the two gear types. Two species were unique to seine samples, whereas 13 species and 3 families were unique to fyke-net samples. Although fyke nets collected more fish and more species than did shoreline seines, neither gear collected all the species present in the littoral zone of floodplain lakes. These results confirm the need for a multiple-gear approach to fully characterize the littoral fish assemblages in floodplain lakes. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2007.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗