Feeding Ecology of Early Life Stage Razorback Sucker Relative to Other Sucker Species in the San Juan River, Utah

Pennock, Casey A.; Farrington, Michael A.; Gido, Keith B.

doi:10.1002/tafs.10188

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…Particularly, Razorback Sucker Xyrauchen texanus, which are federally listed as endangered (USFWS 1991), experience a recruitment bottleneck in the Colorado River basin (Pennock et al 2019). Competing hypothesized mechanisms driving the recruitment bottleneck include altered flow and temperature regimes (Bestgen 2008), reduced availability of habitat (Tyus and Saunders 2000;Clarkson et al 2005), degradation of habitat quality (Franssen et al 2014), introduction of nonnative species (Minckley et al 2003;Marsh and Pacey 2005), and food limitation Minckley 1990, 1992;Horn 1996).…”

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confidence: 99%

Razorback Sucker Movement Strategies across a River–Reservoir Habitat Complex

2020

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Razorback Sucker Xyrauchen texanus occur in reservoir and riverine habitats in the Colorado River basin, with some individuals aggregating at river–reservoir inflows. To assess use of inflow areas and potential environmental correlates with fish movement among reservoir and river habitats, we used a passive receiver array to monitor location and movements (n = 69) and depth (n = 19) of acoustic‐ and PIT‐tagged fish in Lake Powell from April 2018 to March 2019. Acoustic receivers were deployed along 18 km of the San Juan River–Lake Powell inflow area, and a PIT tag antenna was deployed below a waterfall that impedes all upstream movement approximately 30 km upstream of the inflow area. Fish were detected moving between the inflow area and the river in all seasons except winter. Fifty‐eight percent of fish moved from the reservoir and were detected upstream at the waterfall, while 42% of fish appeared to remain within the reservoir. These reservoir‐resident fish moved long distances (hundreds of kilometers) but had relatively small linear home ranges (<18 km). On average, fish moved farthest and home range size was largest from April to September, and seasonal differences corresponded with differences in the number of fish detected. River discharge was relatively constant, and monthly distance moved was positively correlated with monthly river temperature, suggesting temperature alone might cue movements. Fish were detected at depths of 5.7 m but generally remained in shallow water (<2 m). Causal mechanisms that drive habitat use by adult fish are unclear but likely involve intraspecific differences in response to resource needs. We hypothesize that reservoirs provide warmer temperatures for longer periods of the year relative to regulated rivers, which might benefit warmwater fishes. Understanding the importance of movement among river and reservoir habitats might further conservation efforts by encouraging inclusion of reservoir habitats in management plans.

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Razorback Sucker Movement Strategies across a River–Reservoir Habitat Complex

2020

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“…Because open passage at either the PF Waterfall or the PNM weir has an associated risk of increasing nonnative fish dispersal, managers will need to weigh the costs of hindering the reproductive output of an imperiled species against the benefits of restricting the range and dispersal of nonnative species. Increasing reproductive output can potentially increase the likelihood of recruitment, but continued management and research are needed to address other limiting factors (i.e., predation by nonnative fish, hypolimnetic flows from dams, fragmented habitats, and contaminants) that are experienced by Razorback Suckers during early life stages (Pennock et al 2019;Bestgen et al 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Capture–translocation restores spawning migration connectivity of Razorback Suckers in the fragmented San Juan River

Bogaard,

Gido,

McKinstry

et al. 2024

Trans Am Fish Soc

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ObjectiveBarriers to movement negatively affect population vital rates of riverine fishes that rely on connected migratory routes to complete components of their life cycle, such as reproduction and recruitment. In the southwestern United States, decades of water diversion, construction of large impoundments, and loss of floodplain habitats have all contributed to highly fragmented riverscapes. A capture–translocation strategy was implemented for Razorback Suckers Xyrauchen texanus in the San Juan River to mitigate the negative effects of two barriers while precluding the upstream movement of nonnative species. We hypothesized that translocated individuals would remain upstream of barriers during the spawning season and that aggregations of translocated Razorback Suckers would be identified upstream in spawning habitats.MethodsWe used radiotelemetry to assess movement of Razorback Suckers after translocation above the two barriers. We deployed fixed remote radio receivers to determine residency time above each barrier and conducted mobile telemetry surveys to monitor upstream destinations after translocation.ResultAlthough most Razorback Suckers returned downstream of barriers within 2 months of translocation, we provide evidence that most individuals remained upstream long enough to successfully spawn. After translocation above the Piute Farms Waterfall, 80% of individuals remained upstream for 26 days in 2020 and for 23 days in 2021. Further upstream (307 km), at a weir operated by the Public Service Company of New Mexico, 80% of translocated individuals remained above the barrier for 37 days in 2021 and for 25 days in 2022. After fish translocation above both barriers, we observed upstream movements ranging from 2 to 262 km and we detected distinct aggregations within the expected spawning season.ConclusionAlthough translocation efforts seasonally reconnect migratory routes for a proportion of the population and may increase spawning potential, other conservation actions are likely still needed to improve recruitment conditions for juvenile fish.

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“…Pennock et al. () detected lower dietary richness in Razorback Suckers relative to Bluehead and Flannelmouth suckers and hypothesized that because Razorback Suckers were the smallest and least developed of the species, fewer prey types were available to them. Both predation risk and prey acquisition are dependent on body size (Miller et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Otoliths Reveal Spawning Ecology and Early Life History of Sympatric Catostomids

Barkalow

Brandenburg

Platania

2020

N American J Fish Manag

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Differences in spawning ecology and early life history may influence the recruitment success of three sympatric catostomids in the Colorado River basin: the Bluehead Sucker Catostomus discobolus, Flannelmouth Sucker C. latipinnis, and federally endangered Razorback Sucker Xyrauchen texanus. In the San Juan River, all three species annually produce larvae, but only Bluehead and Flannelmouth suckers regularly recruit to the juvenile phase and older. Otolith microstructure analysis can determine age, growth rates, and spawning periodicity and may elucidate possible reasons for differences in recruitment among species. Larval suckers were collected from low-velocity habitats in the San Juan River in 2011; fish were measured, and ontogenetic phase and fish age were determined from otolith increment counts. Otolith age was used to determine hatch dates and spawning periodicity, calculate daily growth rates, and develop three candidate growth functions relating fish age and body length. Relative to Bluehead and Flannelmouth suckers, Razorback Suckers had a shorter spawning period, lower growth rate, and a higher proportion of the least developed ontogenetic phase. The small size of Razorback Suckers relative to other suckers may result in higher predation and lower prey acquisition, thus restricting their transition to more developed phases and limiting recruitment to the juvenile phase. Model ranking based on Akaike's information criterion (corrected for small sample size) was nearly identical for all growth functions. The early life history information we provide may guide flow releases in this regulated system to provide suitable backwater habitat and warmer water temperatures compatible with reproduction, growth, and survival of native catostomids, including the endangered Razorback Sucker. However, due to the limited temporal and geographic extent of samples used in this study, data presented herein are not inclusive of all conditions under which suckers may be present in the San Juan River.

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Feeding Ecology of Early Life Stage Razorback Sucker Relative to Other Sucker Species in the San Juan River, Utah

Cited by 8 publications

References 73 publications

Razorback Sucker Movement Strategies across a River–Reservoir Habitat Complex

Razorback Sucker Movement Strategies across a River–Reservoir Habitat Complex

Capture–translocation restores spawning migration connectivity of Razorback Suckers in the fragmented San Juan River

Otoliths Reveal Spawning Ecology and Early Life History of Sympatric Catostomids

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