Movement and Habitat Use of Stocked Juvenile Paddlefish in the Ohio River System, Pennsylvania

Abstract

In 2002 and 2003 we released a total of 66 hatchery-reared, juvenile paddlefish Polyodon spathula (249-318 mm eye-to-fork length) in Pennsylvania's upper Ohio River system and tracked them with radiotelemetry in two different pools of the Ohio and Allegheny rivers to determine (1) poststocking survival, (2) whether release site influences survival, (3) dispersal distance and direction of movement, and (4) habitat selection. Survival was fair (mean ¼ 78% in 2002 and 67% in 2003) for 0.23-0.43-kg paddlefish after 9 weeks. In 2003, fish stocked in the upstream half of the pool had a greater survival (100%) after 63 d than those stocked in the downstream half (44%). Within 4 d of stocking, 77% of juvenile paddlefish were located in tailwaters, and fish found these habitats regardless of stocking location. Habitat measurements at all postdispersal locations had median depths of 5.2 and 6.1 m in 2002 and 2003, respectively, and median nearsurface velocities of 0.17 and 0.12 m/s. Fish selected tailwater habitats and avoided habitats with disturbance from commercial barge traffic in both years.

Sturgeon and Paddlefish Migration: Evidence to Support the Need for Interjurisdictional Management

“…Other studies have focused on specific aspects of each species’ life history, such as reproduction (Purkett ; Bruch and Binkowski ; Barry et al. ; Colombo et al. ; DeLonay et al.…”

“…Many status review papers have been written to summarize trends in sturgeon and Paddlefish population distribution and abundance; all have reached the same conclusion-that these acipenseriform species are characterized by low adult abundance and declining populations throughout their native ranges (Dryer and Sandvol 1993;Birstein et al 1997;Boreman 1997;Graham 1997;Keenlyne 1997;Billard and Lecointre 2001;Pikitch et al 2005;Peterson et al 2007;Bettoli et al 2009;Koch and Quist 2010;Argent et al 2016). Other studies have focused on specific aspects of each species' life history, such as reproduction (Purkett 1961;Bruch and Binkowski 2002;Barry et al 2007;Colombo et al 2007;DeLonay et al 2009), habitat use and movement (Southall and Hubert 1984;Bramblett and White 2001;Knights et al 2002;Zigler et al 2003;Hurley et al 2004), diet (Hoxmeier and DeVries 1996;Jackson et al 2002;Hoover et al 2007), early life history (Kempinger 1996;Braaten and Fuller 2007;Braaten et al 2008;Phelps et al 2009), and adult population dynamics (Reed et al 1992;Bruch 1999;Quist et al 2002;Killgore et al 2007;Hupfeld et al 2016). These foundational studies have provided knowledge for guiding management and recovery efforts with in specific portions of the species' ranges; however, there is still a disconnection between knowledge of these species' biology/ ecology and their rangewide management or recovery in the Mississippi River basin.…”

Environmental Variation and Habitat Use Affect Blue Catfish Low‐Frequency Electrofishing Catch Rates

“…The directional hydrophone was used to pinpoint the location of implanted fish. Spatial coordinates were recorded when the signal from the directional hydrophone was of equal volume in all directions at a gain setting of 5 or less (Barry et al 2007). Flow velocity and surface water temperature were collected at 1 m, and the water depth and habitat type were recorded at each location.…”

Fisheries Volume 44 Number 4 April 2019

“…Many status review papers have been written to summarize trends in sturgeon and Paddlefi sh population distribution and abundance; all have reached the same conclusion-that these acipenseriform species are characterized by low adult abundance and declining populations throughout their native ranges (Dryer and Sandvol 1993 ;Birstein et al 1997 ;Boreman 1997 ;Graham 1997 ;Keenlyne 1997 ;Billard and Lecointre 2001 ;Pikitch et al 2005 ;Peterson et al 2007 ;Bettoli et al 2009 ;Koch and Quist 2010 ;Argent et al 2016 ). Other studies have focused on specifi c aspects of each species' life history, such as reproduction (Purkett 1961 ;Bruch and Binkowski 2002 ;Barry et al 2007 ;Colombo et al 2007 ;DeLonay et al 2009 ), habitat use and movement (Southall and Hubert 1984 ;Bramblett and White 2001 ;Knights et al 2002 ;Zigler et al 2003 ;Hurley et al 2004 ), diet (Hoxmeier and DeVries 1996 ;Jackson et al 2002 ;Hoover et al 2007 ), early life history (Kempinger 1996 ;Braaten and Fuller 2007 ;Braaten et al 2008 ;Phelps et al 2009 ), and adult population dynamics (Reed et al 1992 ;Bruch 1999 ;Quist et al 2002 ;Killgore et al 2007 ;Hupfeld et al 2016 ). These foundational studies have provided knowledge for guiding management and recovery efforts within specifi c portions of the species' ranges; however, there is still a disconnection between knowledge of these species' biology/ ecology and their rangewide managem...…”