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<br />Flow fluctuations in the winter may affect fish use of preferred winter <br />habitats. Movement patterns of radio-tagged fish suggested that such <br />fluctuations result in greater mavement of Calorado squawfish than in more <br />stable conditions (Valdez and Masslich 1989; Wick and Hawkins 1989). Valdez <br />and Masslich (1989) believed that a rapid change in river stage altered <br />lacations .of squawfish preferred microhabitats resulting in greater fish <br />movement. Increased movement was hypothesized as resulting in increased <br />energy expenditure and decreased body condition. Decreases in body conditian <br />during winter may affect ova development, number, and size. <br /> <br />In spring and early summer, adult Colorada squawfish are most often located in <br />seasonally inundated shareline habitats, including backwaters or bottamlands <br />(Tyus 1990). Radio-tracking data indicated use of shoreline backwater habitat <br />in the 1981 low-flow year and use of flooded battamlands during the 1983 high- <br />flow year (Tyus and Karp 1989). During the 2 high-flow years, 1983 and 1984, <br />adult Colorado squawfish alsa used floaded sharelines (Tyus et al. 1987). <br />From late April to May in 1985 and 1987, at flows .of 8,000-10,000 cfs, they <br />used the inundated portions of Old Charley Wash. Wick et al. (1983) noted <br />that in 1982 (an average-flow year) that adult Colorado squawfish used <br />backwater and eddy habitats as runoff flows increased from early may through <br />mid-June. In May, backwater habitat use occurred in backed-up tributary <br />mouths and diked-off side channels. Adult squawfish moved to main channel <br />habitats as the river level dropped. <br /> <br />Adult Colarada squawfish occupy a variety of habitats in mid-to-late summer <br />but are most common in eddies, pools, runs, and shoreline backwaters aver sand <br />and silt substrates (Tyus et al. 1984 and 1987). Visual observations of fish <br />in shallaw water suggests that adults use sheltered microhabitats behind <br />boulders, flooded vegetation, .or other cover. During the summer, radia-tagged <br />fish were most often located in deeper shoreline habitats where movements <br />suggested heavy use of the eddy-run interface (Tyus et al. 1987). <br /> <br />Capture of intraduced northern pike, ~ lucius, and channel catfish, <br />Ictalurus Dunctatus, in habitats shared by adult Colorado squawfish (Wick <br />et al. 1985; Tyus and Beard 1990) suggests a potential for competition and/or <br />predation during times of resource limitation. Although Pimentel et al. <br />(1985) found that Colorado squawfish did not prefer channel catfish as prey, <br />observations of channel catfish lodged in throats of adult Colorado squawfish <br />(McAda 1983; Pimentel et al. 1985; Wick et al. 1985) indicate that these <br />introduced fish are eaten by Colorado squawfish, and same may cause mortality. <br />However, little is known concerning conditions that either favor or impede <br />nonnative fish. McAda and Kaeding (1989) found that during years ef low <br />annual runoff, numbers .of nonnative fish increased; yet in years of moderately <br />high runaff, their relative abundance decreased. Predacious fish of cancern <br />include channel catfish, northern pike, and walleye, Stizastedion vitreum. <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />11 <br />