Movement and Diel Habitat Use of Juvenile Neosho Smallmouth Bass in an Ozark Stream

Abstract

Documenting fish movement patterns and examining relationships with both fish and habitat characteristics are essential aspects of sound conservation and management. Stream fish movement and habitat use have been associated with a myriad of factors, and variability among individuals is common. Movement and habitat use patterns of juvenile Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu in streams are poorly understood, particularly for the Neosho subspecies M. dolomieu velox. Our study objective was to determine diel movement patterns and microhabitat use by juvenile Neosho Smallmouth Bass during late autumn. In 2016, we surgically implanted radio transmitters into 13 juvenile Smallmouth Bass in Honey Creek, Oklahoma. We tracked the fish by using radiotelemetry on 41 occasions over the 26-d tag life and located fish throughout the diel cycle to characterize movement and habitat use. Movement patterns varied among individual fish, with cumulative movements ranging from 33 to 1,302 m. Incremental displacement (the distance moved between two consecutive relocations) increased slightly with warmer water temperatures and increasing fish size. Although there was also considerable individual variation in habitat use patterns, deeper habitats were associated with larger juvenile Smallmouth Bass and daytime. Fish also tended to use higher-velocity habitats during the day, and this trend increased over the duration of the study. Our results suggest high individual variation in both movement and habitat use by juvenile Neosho Smallmouth Bass across the diel cycle. We show that juvenile Smallmouth Bass move among microhabitats and would benefit from management actions that maintain and promote instream habitat complexity. Future efforts focused on juvenile Smallmouth Bass movement over longer time periods would be beneficial for understanding movement and habitat use dynamics across a greater range of seasonal and environmental variability.

Riverscape nesting dynamics of Neosho Smallmouth Bass: To cluster or not to cluster?

“…Low‐velocity areas (e.g., pools) require less energy expenditure by guarding males and confer greater retention of eggs and larvae in nest substrates (Copp et al., 2002; Harvey, 1987). Use of low‐velocity habitats by nesting Smallmouth Bass has been documented in many populations (e.g., Dauwalter & Fisher, 2007; Pflieger, 1966; Winemiller & Taylor, 1982), and juvenile Smallmouth Bass show similar habitat‐use patterns (Brewer, 2011; Miller et al., 2019). Wide, shallow stream reaches receive more solar radiation due to relatively less riparian overhang, which may benefit adult fish and especially developing offspring via increased water temperatures and primary productivity (Coutant & DeAngelis, 1983; Vannote et al., 1980; Whitledge et al., 2006).…”

Age‐0 Smallmouth Bass abundance depends on physicochemical conditions and stream network position

“…Our analysis of juvenile first‐summer survival underscores the importance of diverse habitats and their connectivity across the riverscape, thereby indicating the value of conditions that allow fish movement within and among streams. Age‐0 Smallmouth Bass are capable of fine‐scale movements between habitats in search of refuge (Brewer et al 2019, Miller et al 2019) and larger migrations of age‐0 individuals among tributaries occur elsewhere in their range (Humston et al 2010, 2017). Short‐term movements to exploit favorable foraging conditions in warmer, more productive habitats may explain how network position mitigates the influence of colder streams on age‐0 Smallmouth Bass abundance.…”

Critical Thermal Maximum Values for Stream Fishes, Including Distinct Populations of Smallmouth Bass

“…The only exceptions were the genetically distinct strains of Smallmouth Bass, which were each tested at two acclimation temperatures (20.0°C and 25.0°C). We used two acclimation temperatures because the Smallmouth Bass were juveniles (i.e., age 0–1) that would typically hatch at and experience warmer water temperatures (Brewer and Orth 2015; Miller 2019) compared to the other species in our study.…”