Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, Oct 1, 1997
We summarize noteworthy records for nine species of fishes taken during stream surveys conducted ... more We summarize noteworthy records for nine species of fishes taken during stream surveys conducted in the Kansas River basin within Kansas from 1992 through 1995.
The influence of physical and hydrologic stabilization on habitat niche overlap among three nativ... more The influence of physical and hydrologic stabilization on habitat niche overlap among three native cyprinid species: flathead chub Platygobio gracilis, sicklefin chub Macrhybopsis meeki and sturgeon chub Macrhybopsis gelida, in riverine segments of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers in western North Dakota and eastern Montana, was evaluated. Collectively the three species exhibited higher niche overlap in quasi-natural river segments than in segments highly altered by a mainstem dam based on relatively high percentages of individuals in quasi-natural river segments that were classified correctly, according to species, in discriminant function analyses of resource use, compared to lower percentages of individuals classified correctly in the altered river segments. The lower niche overlap in altered river segments resulted primarily from the lower overlap between flathead chub and the remaining species; this appears to be related to a decline in the diversity of natural habitats and conditions that provided a wide range of habitat conditions suitable for all three species. Results from this study suggest that selective segregation and habitat changes, rather than interactive segregation and competition, is probably the mechanism responsible for the pattern of habitat use and niche overlap among the three species in the altered segments.
Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, Apr 1, 2018
Sampling was conducted over a two-year period to determine if fish body morphology (as indicated ... more Sampling was conducted over a two-year period to determine if fish body morphology (as indicated by the Fineness Ratio (FR), an index of fish streamlining) and habitat alterations can interact to influence fish assemblage structure in three human-altered segments of the Missouri River. It was hypothesized that segments with more variability in depths, velocities, and substrates would have a fish assemblage characterized by more diversity in streamlining. Conversely, it was hypothesized that fish assemblages in more altered river segments would exhibit less diversity in streamlining, i.e., less variability from optimal values because of more uniform habitat conditions. In faster more uniform habitats, fewer variations from optimal streamlining would be adaptive. The three flowing segments studied encompassed the mouth of the Yellowstone River (YSS; moderately altered), the area below Garrison Dam, North Dakota (GOS; below dam-highly altered) and the segment from St. Joseph to Kansas City, Missouri (SKS; channelized-highly altered). The three segments exhibited greatly different fish assemblages. Small native minnows (Cyprinidae), particularly flathead chub (Platygobio gracilis), and deep-bodied suckers, such as bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus), were common in the YSS. The GOS was dominated by the dorsally compressed fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). Emerald shiner (Notropis atherinoides) and gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) dominated the fish assemblage in the SKS. When FR and physical conditions were analyzed across all habitat types, the least altered, more natural YSS was characterized by higher diversity of FR and higher variability in velocity and depth than the most altered SKS. Results for the GOS were more difficult to interpret. The fish assemblage in the highly channelized SKS exhibited the weighted mean FR that was closest to the optimal 4.5 value (FR = 4.42) with the smallest deviation from optimal (0.08). The highest mean and highest maximum current velocity use in the three segments was found for species such as sicklefin chub (Macrhybopsis meeki), sturgeon chub (Macrhybopsis gelida), and blue sucker (Cycleptus elongatus), that were nearly optimally streamlined. Deep-bodied species with FRs typically below 3.5, such as Ictiobus spp., river carpsucker (Carpiodes carpio), and centrarchids, tended to exhibit the lowest mean and lowest maximum current velocity use in the three segments. Results of this study can be useful in helping to understand fish assemblage composition in relation to river alterations in various geographical areas. Because the fineness ratio is only a simple index of streamlining and does not account for other anatomical (e.g., fins) and behavioral aspects of fishes, more studies on different species are needed to develop a stronger understanding of how fish cope with the current. Because of the complexity of interacting natural and human-caused factors affecting these highly altered large river systems, fish streamlining is only one of several factors that may influence the observed fish community structure of a large river system. Streamlining deserves consideration, however, for inclusion in more complex models explaining and predicting fish community structure in large rivers.
In 1997 and 1998, we sampled the Missouri River, North Dakota to determine if anthropogenic distu... more In 1997 and 1998, we sampled the Missouri River, North Dakota to determine if anthropogenic disturbances had influenced catostomid species composition and feeding ecology. We compared two distinct river segments, the Missouri River between the mouth of the Yellowstone River and Lake Sakakawea (the Yellowstone-Sakakawea segment (YSS)), a moderately altered segment and the Missouri River between Garrison Dam and Lake Oahe (the Garrison-Oahe segment (GOS)), a highly altered segment. The segments exhibited greatly different sucker communities. Bigmouth buffalo, Ictiobus cyprinellus, smallmouth buffalo, Ictiobus bubalus, and river carpsucker, Carpiodes carpio, represented 94% of the sucker catch in the YSS, whereas in the GOS, white sucker, Catostomus commersoni, and longnose sucker, Catostomus catostomus, constituted 98% of the sucker catch. In the YSS, high zooplankton densities led to greater sucker zooplanktivory and food niche overlap than in the GOS. Intense anthropogenic disturbances to the GOS are associated with the differences in sucker species composition, prey density and composition, and sucker feeding ecology between the two segments.
Aquatic Conservation-marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, Sep 9, 2021
Large‐scale movement of fishes is a challenge for conservation and management in rivers, especial... more Large‐scale movement of fishes is a challenge for conservation and management in rivers, especially when individuals can cross jurisdictional boundaries. Assessing large‐scale movement is particularly difficult during early life stages, especially when endangered species are involved. After hatching, free embryos of the federally endangered pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) drift long distances during development. Following the transition to exogenous feeding, individuals may continue to move downstream, resulting in a potential two‐step migration. Tagged age‐0 pallid sturgeon were stocked into the lower Missouri River, which provided an opportunity to assess pallid sturgeon dispersal as well as the hypothesized two‐step migration. From July 2018 to April 2021, 79 individuals were captured, with most dispersing 200–800 km downstream from the stocking location. The observed dispersal of pallid sturgeon supports the two‐step downstream migration hypothesis. This migration may lead to dispersal into the Mississippi River, which highlights the need for expanded monitoring into the Mississippi River for an effective evaluation of pallid sturgeon recovery actions. This study also reinforces the importance of inter‐jurisdictional management and collaboration to better account for the large‐scale movement of river fishes.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 2018
Sampling was conducted over a two-year period to determine if fish body morphology (as indicated ... more Sampling was conducted over a two-year period to determine if fish body morphology (as indicated by the Fineness Ratio (FR), an index of fish streamlining) and habitat alterations can interact to influence fish assemblage structure in three human-altered segments of the Missouri River. It was hypothesized that segments with more variability in depths, velocities, and substrates would have a fish assemblage characterized by more diversity in streamlining. Conversely, it was hypothesized that fish assemblages in more altered river segments would exhibit less diversity in streamlining, i.e., less variability from optimal values because of more uniform habitat conditions. In faster more uniform habitats, fewer variations from optimal streamlining would be adaptive. The three flowing segments studied encompassed the mouth of the Yellowstone River (YSS; moderately altered), the area below Garrison Dam, North Dakota (GOS; below dam-highly altered) and the segment from St. Joseph to Kansas ...
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Pallid Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus are endemic to the Missouri and Mississippi river basins and... more Pallid Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus are endemic to the Missouri and Mississippi river basins and are rare throughout their range. The species was listed as federally endangered with little to no evidence of natural recruitment. Since population augmentation was initiated as a recovery objective in the early 1990s, thousands of hatchery-origin Pallid Sturgeon have been stocked in the lower Missouri River (Gavins Point Dam [river kilometer 1,305.1] to the confluence of the Mississippi River [river kilometer 0.0]). Efforts to discriminate natural reproduction and recruitment of wild-origin Pallid Sturgeon from hatchery-origin fish has been hampered by tag loss in hatchery-origin sturgeon, inconsistent documentation of hatchery parental crosses, and the failure to collect tissue samples for genotyping all broodstock. However, the recent reconstruction of missing parental genotypes from known hatchery-origin progeny and from cryopreserved milt made it possible to examine Pallid Sturgeon...
Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 2018
Sampling was conducted over a two-year period to determine if fish body morphology (as indicated ... more Sampling was conducted over a two-year period to determine if fish body morphology (as indicated by the Fineness Ratio (FR), an index of fish streamlining) and habitat alterations can interact to influence fish assemblage structure in three human-altered segments of the Missouri River. It was hypothesized that segments with more variability in depths, velocities, and substrates would have a fish assemblage characterized by more diversity in streamlining. Conversely, it was hypothesized that fish assemblages in more altered river segments would exhibit less diversity in streamlining, i.e., less variability from optimal values because of more uniform habitat conditions. In faster more uniform habitats, fewer variations from optimal streamlining would be adaptive. The three flowing segments studied encompassed the mouth of the Yellowstone River (YSS; moderately altered), the area below Garrison Dam, North Dakota (GOS; below dam-highly altered) and the segment from St. Joseph to Kansas ...
Pallid Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus are endemic to the Missouri and Mississippi river basins and... more Pallid Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus are endemic to the Missouri and Mississippi river basins and are rare throughout their range. The species was listed as federally endangered with little to no evidence of natural recruitment. Since population augmentation was initiated as a recovery objective in the early 1990s, thousands of hatchery-origin Pallid Sturgeon have been stocked in the lower Missouri River (Gavins Point Dam [river kilometer 1,305.1] to the confluence of the Mississippi River [river kilometer 0.0]). Efforts to discriminate natural reproduction and recruitment of wild-origin Pallid Sturgeon from hatchery-origin fish has been hampered by tag loss in hatchery-origin sturgeon, inconsistent documentation of hatchery parental crosses, and the failure to collect tissue samples for genotyping all broodstock. However, the recent reconstruction of missing parental genotypes from known hatchery-origin progeny and from cryopreserved milt made it possible to examine Pallid Sturgeon...
Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science (1903-), 1996
... pp. 29-38 Survey of Fishes from Rattlesnake Creek in Central Kansas MARK E. EBERLE, TOM L. WE... more ... pp. 29-38 Survey of Fishes from Rattlesnake Creek in Central Kansas MARK E. EBERLE, TOM L. WELKER, AND TIM L. WELKER Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University Hays, Kansas 67601 We collected ...
Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science (1903-), 1997
We summarize noteworthy records for nine species of fishes taken during stream surveys conducted ... more We summarize noteworthy records for nine species of fishes taken during stream surveys conducted in the Kansas River basin within Kansas from 1992 through 1995.
Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, Oct 1, 1997
We summarize noteworthy records for nine species of fishes taken during stream surveys conducted ... more We summarize noteworthy records for nine species of fishes taken during stream surveys conducted in the Kansas River basin within Kansas from 1992 through 1995.
The influence of physical and hydrologic stabilization on habitat niche overlap among three nativ... more The influence of physical and hydrologic stabilization on habitat niche overlap among three native cyprinid species: flathead chub Platygobio gracilis, sicklefin chub Macrhybopsis meeki and sturgeon chub Macrhybopsis gelida, in riverine segments of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers in western North Dakota and eastern Montana, was evaluated. Collectively the three species exhibited higher niche overlap in quasi-natural river segments than in segments highly altered by a mainstem dam based on relatively high percentages of individuals in quasi-natural river segments that were classified correctly, according to species, in discriminant function analyses of resource use, compared to lower percentages of individuals classified correctly in the altered river segments. The lower niche overlap in altered river segments resulted primarily from the lower overlap between flathead chub and the remaining species; this appears to be related to a decline in the diversity of natural habitats and conditions that provided a wide range of habitat conditions suitable for all three species. Results from this study suggest that selective segregation and habitat changes, rather than interactive segregation and competition, is probably the mechanism responsible for the pattern of habitat use and niche overlap among the three species in the altered segments.
Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, Apr 1, 2018
Sampling was conducted over a two-year period to determine if fish body morphology (as indicated ... more Sampling was conducted over a two-year period to determine if fish body morphology (as indicated by the Fineness Ratio (FR), an index of fish streamlining) and habitat alterations can interact to influence fish assemblage structure in three human-altered segments of the Missouri River. It was hypothesized that segments with more variability in depths, velocities, and substrates would have a fish assemblage characterized by more diversity in streamlining. Conversely, it was hypothesized that fish assemblages in more altered river segments would exhibit less diversity in streamlining, i.e., less variability from optimal values because of more uniform habitat conditions. In faster more uniform habitats, fewer variations from optimal streamlining would be adaptive. The three flowing segments studied encompassed the mouth of the Yellowstone River (YSS; moderately altered), the area below Garrison Dam, North Dakota (GOS; below dam-highly altered) and the segment from St. Joseph to Kansas City, Missouri (SKS; channelized-highly altered). The three segments exhibited greatly different fish assemblages. Small native minnows (Cyprinidae), particularly flathead chub (Platygobio gracilis), and deep-bodied suckers, such as bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus), were common in the YSS. The GOS was dominated by the dorsally compressed fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). Emerald shiner (Notropis atherinoides) and gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) dominated the fish assemblage in the SKS. When FR and physical conditions were analyzed across all habitat types, the least altered, more natural YSS was characterized by higher diversity of FR and higher variability in velocity and depth than the most altered SKS. Results for the GOS were more difficult to interpret. The fish assemblage in the highly channelized SKS exhibited the weighted mean FR that was closest to the optimal 4.5 value (FR = 4.42) with the smallest deviation from optimal (0.08). The highest mean and highest maximum current velocity use in the three segments was found for species such as sicklefin chub (Macrhybopsis meeki), sturgeon chub (Macrhybopsis gelida), and blue sucker (Cycleptus elongatus), that were nearly optimally streamlined. Deep-bodied species with FRs typically below 3.5, such as Ictiobus spp., river carpsucker (Carpiodes carpio), and centrarchids, tended to exhibit the lowest mean and lowest maximum current velocity use in the three segments. Results of this study can be useful in helping to understand fish assemblage composition in relation to river alterations in various geographical areas. Because the fineness ratio is only a simple index of streamlining and does not account for other anatomical (e.g., fins) and behavioral aspects of fishes, more studies on different species are needed to develop a stronger understanding of how fish cope with the current. Because of the complexity of interacting natural and human-caused factors affecting these highly altered large river systems, fish streamlining is only one of several factors that may influence the observed fish community structure of a large river system. Streamlining deserves consideration, however, for inclusion in more complex models explaining and predicting fish community structure in large rivers.
In 1997 and 1998, we sampled the Missouri River, North Dakota to determine if anthropogenic distu... more In 1997 and 1998, we sampled the Missouri River, North Dakota to determine if anthropogenic disturbances had influenced catostomid species composition and feeding ecology. We compared two distinct river segments, the Missouri River between the mouth of the Yellowstone River and Lake Sakakawea (the Yellowstone-Sakakawea segment (YSS)), a moderately altered segment and the Missouri River between Garrison Dam and Lake Oahe (the Garrison-Oahe segment (GOS)), a highly altered segment. The segments exhibited greatly different sucker communities. Bigmouth buffalo, Ictiobus cyprinellus, smallmouth buffalo, Ictiobus bubalus, and river carpsucker, Carpiodes carpio, represented 94% of the sucker catch in the YSS, whereas in the GOS, white sucker, Catostomus commersoni, and longnose sucker, Catostomus catostomus, constituted 98% of the sucker catch. In the YSS, high zooplankton densities led to greater sucker zooplanktivory and food niche overlap than in the GOS. Intense anthropogenic disturbances to the GOS are associated with the differences in sucker species composition, prey density and composition, and sucker feeding ecology between the two segments.
Aquatic Conservation-marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, Sep 9, 2021
Large‐scale movement of fishes is a challenge for conservation and management in rivers, especial... more Large‐scale movement of fishes is a challenge for conservation and management in rivers, especially when individuals can cross jurisdictional boundaries. Assessing large‐scale movement is particularly difficult during early life stages, especially when endangered species are involved. After hatching, free embryos of the federally endangered pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) drift long distances during development. Following the transition to exogenous feeding, individuals may continue to move downstream, resulting in a potential two‐step migration. Tagged age‐0 pallid sturgeon were stocked into the lower Missouri River, which provided an opportunity to assess pallid sturgeon dispersal as well as the hypothesized two‐step migration. From July 2018 to April 2021, 79 individuals were captured, with most dispersing 200–800 km downstream from the stocking location. The observed dispersal of pallid sturgeon supports the two‐step downstream migration hypothesis. This migration may lead to dispersal into the Mississippi River, which highlights the need for expanded monitoring into the Mississippi River for an effective evaluation of pallid sturgeon recovery actions. This study also reinforces the importance of inter‐jurisdictional management and collaboration to better account for the large‐scale movement of river fishes.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 2018
Sampling was conducted over a two-year period to determine if fish body morphology (as indicated ... more Sampling was conducted over a two-year period to determine if fish body morphology (as indicated by the Fineness Ratio (FR), an index of fish streamlining) and habitat alterations can interact to influence fish assemblage structure in three human-altered segments of the Missouri River. It was hypothesized that segments with more variability in depths, velocities, and substrates would have a fish assemblage characterized by more diversity in streamlining. Conversely, it was hypothesized that fish assemblages in more altered river segments would exhibit less diversity in streamlining, i.e., less variability from optimal values because of more uniform habitat conditions. In faster more uniform habitats, fewer variations from optimal streamlining would be adaptive. The three flowing segments studied encompassed the mouth of the Yellowstone River (YSS; moderately altered), the area below Garrison Dam, North Dakota (GOS; below dam-highly altered) and the segment from St. Joseph to Kansas ...
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Pallid Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus are endemic to the Missouri and Mississippi river basins and... more Pallid Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus are endemic to the Missouri and Mississippi river basins and are rare throughout their range. The species was listed as federally endangered with little to no evidence of natural recruitment. Since population augmentation was initiated as a recovery objective in the early 1990s, thousands of hatchery-origin Pallid Sturgeon have been stocked in the lower Missouri River (Gavins Point Dam [river kilometer 1,305.1] to the confluence of the Mississippi River [river kilometer 0.0]). Efforts to discriminate natural reproduction and recruitment of wild-origin Pallid Sturgeon from hatchery-origin fish has been hampered by tag loss in hatchery-origin sturgeon, inconsistent documentation of hatchery parental crosses, and the failure to collect tissue samples for genotyping all broodstock. However, the recent reconstruction of missing parental genotypes from known hatchery-origin progeny and from cryopreserved milt made it possible to examine Pallid Sturgeon...
Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 2018
Sampling was conducted over a two-year period to determine if fish body morphology (as indicated ... more Sampling was conducted over a two-year period to determine if fish body morphology (as indicated by the Fineness Ratio (FR), an index of fish streamlining) and habitat alterations can interact to influence fish assemblage structure in three human-altered segments of the Missouri River. It was hypothesized that segments with more variability in depths, velocities, and substrates would have a fish assemblage characterized by more diversity in streamlining. Conversely, it was hypothesized that fish assemblages in more altered river segments would exhibit less diversity in streamlining, i.e., less variability from optimal values because of more uniform habitat conditions. In faster more uniform habitats, fewer variations from optimal streamlining would be adaptive. The three flowing segments studied encompassed the mouth of the Yellowstone River (YSS; moderately altered), the area below Garrison Dam, North Dakota (GOS; below dam-highly altered) and the segment from St. Joseph to Kansas ...
Pallid Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus are endemic to the Missouri and Mississippi river basins and... more Pallid Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus are endemic to the Missouri and Mississippi river basins and are rare throughout their range. The species was listed as federally endangered with little to no evidence of natural recruitment. Since population augmentation was initiated as a recovery objective in the early 1990s, thousands of hatchery-origin Pallid Sturgeon have been stocked in the lower Missouri River (Gavins Point Dam [river kilometer 1,305.1] to the confluence of the Mississippi River [river kilometer 0.0]). Efforts to discriminate natural reproduction and recruitment of wild-origin Pallid Sturgeon from hatchery-origin fish has been hampered by tag loss in hatchery-origin sturgeon, inconsistent documentation of hatchery parental crosses, and the failure to collect tissue samples for genotyping all broodstock. However, the recent reconstruction of missing parental genotypes from known hatchery-origin progeny and from cryopreserved milt made it possible to examine Pallid Sturgeon...
Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science (1903-), 1996
... pp. 29-38 Survey of Fishes from Rattlesnake Creek in Central Kansas MARK E. EBERLE, TOM L. WE... more ... pp. 29-38 Survey of Fishes from Rattlesnake Creek in Central Kansas MARK E. EBERLE, TOM L. WELKER, AND TIM L. WELKER Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University Hays, Kansas 67601 We collected ...
Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science (1903-), 1997
We summarize noteworthy records for nine species of fishes taken during stream surveys conducted ... more We summarize noteworthy records for nine species of fishes taken during stream surveys conducted in the Kansas River basin within Kansas from 1992 through 1995.
The influence of physical and hydrologic stabilization on habitat niche overlap among three nativ... more The influence of physical and hydrologic stabilization on habitat niche overlap among three native cyprinid species: flathead chub Platygobio gracilis, sicklefin chub Macrhybopsis meeki and sturgeon chub Macrhybopsis gelida, in riverine segments of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers in western North Dakota and eastern Montana, was evaluated. Collectively the three species exhibited higher niche overlap in quasi-natural river segments than in segments highly altered by a mainstem dam based on relatively high percentages of individuals in quasi-natural river segments that were classified correctly, according to species, in discriminant function analyses of resource use, compared to lower percentages of individuals classified correctly in the altered river segments. The lower niche overlap in altered river segments resulted primarily from the lower overlap between flathead chub and the remaining species; this appears to be related to a decline in the diversity of natural habitats and conditions that provided a wide range of habitat conditions suitable for all three species. Results from this study suggest that selective segregation and habitat changes, rather than interactive segregation and competition, is probably the mechanism responsible for the pattern of habitat use and niche overlap among the three species in the altered segments.
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