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<br />3-7 <br /> <br />Distribution Of YOY. The longitudinal distribution of YOY Colorado <br />squawfish is examined monthly for three major regions (Table 3-4) and for 15 <br />river reaches of 4 to 5 miles each (Table 3-5). From this analysis, it is <br />apparent that the majority of the yay were caught in the Green River above <br />the confluence with the Colorado River (67.78%). Fewer numbers were caught <br />in Cataract Canyon (29.86%), while 12 yay were found in lake Powell (2.36%). <br /> <br />Of the 15 river reaches examined, the yay appeared to be sporadically <br />distributed in the lower 45 miles of the Green River, but the greatest <br />numbers occurred between RM lO-15 (25.25%). In Cataract Canyon, few yay <br />were found in the upper rapi ds (6.76%) and none were found in the lower <br />rapids. The majority were found in a quiet section of Cataract Canyon from <br />Y-Canyon/Cross Canyon through Cataract lake (l8.49%). The majority of these <br />yay captured in Cataract lake were caught in July, when the fish were still <br />young and probably near the areas in which they hatched. <br /> <br />Sympatric Species. Field biologists who have encountered great numbers <br />of nonnative fishes while seining for yay Colorado squawfish cannot help but <br />wonder if competition and predation exist that impose added stress on the <br />endangered species. Such interactions are difficult to assess afield. <br />Nevertheless, the presence of large numbers of red shiners, channel catfish, <br />and fathead minnows in sympatry with young squawfi sh strongly suggests <br />interspecies interactions. <br /> <br />Figure 4 is presented to illustrate the relative numbers (no./10'm2) of <br />the three most numerous species found with young squawfish in seine hauls in <br />five different habitats. The highest densities of YOY squawfish occurred in <br />isolated pools (2.14) and backwaters (l.87). Most of the squawfish in <br />isolated pools were found in Cataract Canyon where they would have <br />eventually died from oxygen starvation and desiccation. This is a <br />disturbing statistic that was also reported by Haynes (report presented to <br />the Upper Colorado River Researchers Meeting in Grand Junction, Colorado, <br />February 6-7, 1985) for the lower Yampa River in the proximity of squawfish <br />spawni ng sites. <br />