Assigning Sex and Reproductive Stage to Adult Lake Sturgeon using Ultrasonography and Common Morphological Measurements

Abstract1. Population structure, distribution, abundance and dispersal arguably underpin the entire field of animal ecology, with consequences for regional species persistence, and provision of ecosystem services. Divergent migration behaviours among individuals or among populations are an important aspect of the ecology of highly mobile animals, allowing populations to exploit spatially or temporally distributed food and space resources.2. This study investigated the spatial ecology of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) within the barrier free Huron-Erie Corridor (HEC), which connects Lake Huron and Lake Erie of the North American Laurentian Great Lakes.3. Over 6 years (2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015)(2016), movements of 268 lake sturgeon in the HEC were continuously monitored across the Great Lakes using acoustic telemetry (10 years battery life acoustic transmitters). Five distinct migration behaviours were identified with hierarchical cluster analysis, based on the phenology and duration of river and lake use.4. Lake sturgeon in the HEC were found to contain a high level of intraspecific divergent migration, including partial migration with the existence of residents. Specific behaviours included year-round river residency and multiple lake-migrant behaviours that involved movements between lakes and rivers. Over 85% of individuals were assigned to migration behaviours as movements were consistently repeated over the study, which suggested migration behaviours were consistent and persistent in lake sturgeon. Differential use of specific rivers or lakes by acoustic-tagged lake sturgeon further subdivided individuals into 14 "contingents" (spatiotemporally segregated subgroups).This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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“…During processing, gills were ventilated by keeping the head submerged. or with an ultrasound (Chiotti, Boase, Hondorp, & Briggs, 2016).…”

Section: Fish Capture and Taggingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Divergent migration within lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) populations: Multiple distinct patterns exist across an unrestricted migration corridor

Kessel

Hondorp

Holbrook

et al. 2017

Journal of Animal Ecology

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“…If the fish expelled gametes the biologist assigned it as male or female, or unknown if no gametes were released. During 2016 and 2017, the biologist also used a portable SonoSite Edge ultrasound unit with an HFL38x/13-6 MHz transducer to determine sex according to methods described in Chiotti et al (2016), including fish that did not freely expel gametes.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population status and demographics of Lake Sturgeon in the Bad and White rivers, Wisconsin

Schloesser

Quinlan

2019

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management

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Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens rehabilitation efforts in Lake Superior are guided by a rehabilitation plan that sets goals and criteria for a self-sustaining population, including a minimum of 1,500 mature adults, roughly equal sex ratio, and annual exploitation rates < 5%. The Bad and White rivers, Wisconsin host a genetically unique Lake Sturgeon population that is utilized by state-licensed recreational anglers and tribal subsistence fishers. Our objectives were to 1) determine if the Bad River population meets rehabilitation plan targets for a self-sustaining population, 2) assess harvest of Lake Sturgeon by recreational anglers and tribal subsistence fishers for compatibility with rehabilitation goals, 3) determine population trajectory from annual spawning runs, and 4) describe population demographics given the unique physical features of Lake Superior. We sampled Lake Sturgeon in the Bad and White rivers with gill nets over a 17-y period (2001 to 2017). The observed sex ratio in spawning runs was 2.2:1 (male : female), but calculated at 1.6:1 for the entire adult population on the basis of abundance estimates. Weight–length relationships converted to a standardized modified form factor indicated lower condition and possibly lower female fecundity compared with other large North American populations. Annual spawning run size estimates over time indicated that the population trajectory was stable to slightly increasing, and during 2016 was 739 and 241 individuals in the Bad and White rivers, respectively. Total population size (including nonspawners) exceeded 1,500 individuals, which met Lake Superior rehabilitation criteria for a self-sustaining population. Estimates of 1,426 males and 882 females were considered conservative because 472 unknown-sex fish could not be accounted for in return time and abundance models. Spawning return times were 2 or 3 y for males and 4 to 6 y for females, longer than many other populations. Exploitation by recreational anglers and tribal subsistence fishers was 1.3% or lower and met the rehabilitation plan target of < 5%, but we recommend exploitation not exceed 3.1% to maintain a self-sustaining population. These findings help gauge rehabilitation progress in Lake Superior and better describe the demographics of a remnant self-sustaining Lake Sturgeon population in Lake Superior.

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“…Wet weight, total length, and sex (when possible) were recorded at the time of surgery. Sex was determined through visual inspection of the gonads or using a portable ultrasound machine (Chiotti et al 2016). After surgery, each lake sturgeon was monitored for 10-20 min and released only after they appeared to resume normal behaviors (Hondorp et al 2015).…”

Section: Fish Collection and Acoustic Monitoringmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sequence analysis and acoustic tracking of individual lake sturgeon identify multiple patterns of river–lake habitat use

et al. 2019

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Understanding the spatial ecology of sturgeon (Acipenseridae) has proven to be a challenge due to the life history characteristics of these fish, especially their long life span, intermittent spawning, and long‐distance migrations. Within the Huron‐Erie Corridor (HEC) of the Laurentian Great Lakes, habitat use of 247 lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) was monitored over a three‐year period (2015–2017) with acoustic transmitters. Extensive spatial coverage of receivers throughout the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, and Detroit River between Lake Huron and Lake Erie (~150 km) allowed for continuous monitoring of the movements of acoustic‐tagged individuals. Sequence analysis of individual detection histories was used to describe lake sturgeon habitat use and to determine (1) whether distinct habitat‐use patterns occurred within the HEC; (2) whether the range of habitats occupied varied across seasons among sturgeon grouped by common patterns; and (3) whether variation identified was related to tagging sites in the two rivers or sex. Lake sturgeon were active throughout the HEC, but five distinct habitat‐use patterns were identified. River residents were not broadly distributed across entire rivers, but rather associated with particular segments (middle Detroit River, St. Clair River delta). Variations in habitat‐use sequences were in part related to three river tagging sites, but not sex, and did not produce groups with sequences that reflected all five habitat‐use patterns derived from cluster analysis. Lake sturgeon distribution was reduced to fewer habitat segments during winter and expanded to the maximum extent during the spring and summer. Conservation planning that incorporates behavioral diversity of habitat use is relatively rare due to a lack of observations on movements of individuals at biologically relevant spatial and temporal scales, but using telemetry and sequence analysis methods may promote the success of conservation and restoration efforts.

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Assigning Sex and Reproductive Stage to Adult Lake Sturgeon using Ultrasonography and Common Morphological Measurements

Cited by 27 publications

References 19 publications

Divergent migration within lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) populations: Multiple distinct patterns exist across an unrestricted migration corridor

Divergent migration within lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) populations: Multiple distinct patterns exist across an unrestricted migration corridor

Population status and demographics of Lake Sturgeon in the Bad and White rivers, Wisconsin

Sequence analysis and acoustic tracking of individual lake sturgeon identify multiple patterns of river–lake habitat use

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