The Influence of Discharge on Duration, Ascent Distance, and Fidelity of the Spawning Migration for Paddlefish of the Yellowstone-Sakakawea Stock, Montana and North Dakota, USA

Abstract

Paddlefish, Polyodon spathula, of the Yellowstone-Sakakawea stock, Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers, Montana and North Dakota, were radio-tagged to assess the influence of spring discharge on duration of river residency, ascent distance, and site-fidelity during spawning migrations of 1999-2002. Contrary to expectations and reported results from other paddlefish populations, fish remained in the river for similar periods of time and ascended to similar reaches in years of higher, more sustained discharge and in years of lower, more fluctuating discharge. In all years, 65 of the 74 migrants (88%) restricted their ascent to reaches below Yellowstone River kilometer (YRkm) 55; only six migrants were found to further ascend to upriver reaches within 20 river kilometers (rkm) of the Intake Diversion Dam (YRkm 114). The lack of detectable annual differences in ascent distance over the study period despite annual differences in Yellowstone River spring flow regimes may have been partially attributed to the apparent site-fidelity demonstrated by the tagged fish over the study period. Ten of the 22 paddlefish contacted in more than one spring migration repeatedly limited their upriver movement to sites that were within 10 rkm of each other. In addition, similar to the reproductive homing tendencies documented in other large-river migratory fishes, site-fidelity occurred in different reaches of the river system. Results from this study suggest that, in years of moderate discharge, site-fidelity may be as influential as the spring flow regime in determining the reaches to which migratory paddlefish ascend. Further research is needed to investigate potential differential spawning success in fish that return to different reaches of the lower Yellowstone River.

Spatial sampling bias and model complexity in stream‐based species distribution models: A case study of Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) in the Arkansas River basin, USA

“…The migratory nature of our study species also likely influenced the estimated distributions by including some records that are representative of spawning migrations into smaller streams. Paddlefish may ascend over 100 km upstream to spawn in the spring when river discharges increase (Firehammer & Scarnecchia, ; Lein & DeVries, ; Paukert & Fisher, ), with some smaller rivers becoming suitable for spawning in specific years as a result of variation in rainfall‐induced flood pulses (Jennings & Zigler, ). Because paddlefish migrations likely correspond to environmental conditions fluctuating at finer spatial and temporal scales than could be incorporated into our modeling efforts, some weakening of species‐environment relationships is expected (McPherson & Jetz, ).…”

“…Paddlefish also require a certain set of finer‐scale environmental cues to complete their life cycle (Jennings & Zigler, ). In the spring, when water temperatures begin warming past 10°C, paddlefish begin to stage for spawning and ascend upstream from 20 km to over 100 km to spawn once a flood pulse begins (Firehammer & Scarnecchia, ; Lein & DeVries, ; Paukert & Fisher, ). Furthermore, paddlefish require a hard‐bottom substrate, such as gravel, for their eggs to adhere and develop (Jennings & Zigler, ; Purkett, ).…”

Behavior and Reproductive Ecology of the Sicklefin Redhorse: An Imperiled Southern Appalachian Mountain Fish

“…For Sicklefin Redhorses, water temperature appeared to govern migration timing, while discharge served as a proximate cue for spawning migration magnitude, distance, and duration. Suppressed or discontinued spawning migration runs occur in numerous potamodromous and anadromous fishes following unseasonably low discharge (Purkett ; Paukert and Fisher ; Firehammer and Scarnecchia , ). Studies focused on the imperiled Robust Redhorse have associated highly variable regulated discharge regimes with fine particulate deposition (Dilts ; Grabowski and Isely ), dewatering of oviposition sites (Grabowski and Isely ; Fisk et al.…”

Assessment of Paddlefish Reintroduction into Allegheny Reservoir

“…In the pools formed by dam construction, Paddlefish can establish home ranges or preferred areas (Southall 1982;Stancill et al 2002;Zigler et al 2003;Firehammer and Scarnecchia 2007), but they can also be highly mobile and make extensive movements within a system (Rosen et al 1982;Southall 1982;Moen et al 1992;Zigler et al 1999Zigler et al , 2003Paukert and Fisher 2001a;Stancill et al 2002). These different life history strategies may have been implemented by Paddlefish in Allegheny Reservoir, as some individuals stayed in the upper reservoir for long periods, while others moved down toward Kinzua Dam.…”