“…Optimizing growth rates has been a specific recovery objective for Bonytail in the lower Colorado River because conservation goals associated with augmentation require a minimum stocking size in an effort to increase post‐release survival (Bureau of Reclamation, ; Lower Colorado River Multi‐Species Conservation Program, ). Although several studies have evaluated aquaculture techniques (i.e., cage culture, diet improvement, polyculture and thermal regimes) to facilitate Bonytail growth (Henne et al, ; Kappenman et al, ; Sowka & Brunkow, ), the effect of uncontrolled recruitment on growth rates of production fish has not been evaluated. The use of biological controls has been shown to greatly reduce densities (Kavanagh & Olson, ; Ward & Slaney, ; Ward et al, ; Westers, ), and, indeed, our results demonstrated Colorado Pikeminnow to be effective at reducing total biomass.…”