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<br />it is possible that Colorado squawfish movement was in response to a <br />relationships among water temperature and other factors. Further work is <br />needed to better assess these relationships. <br />Red shiner and fathead minnow were also abundant in backwaters. <br />However, their standing crops did not fluctuate with water temperature <br />as did that of young Colorado squawfish. In their native range, these <br />species can spend their entire life cycle in sluggish stream environs <br />(e.g., see Pfleiger 1975), whereas Colorado squawfish do not (Tyus 1986, <br />1991). As recent invaders from more mesic environs, the former species <br />may tolerate a wider range of environmental conditions than young <br />Colorado squawfish, whereas the squawfish may compensate for a more <br />narrow range of tolerances by incorporating movements into its life <br />history. <br />Because it is generally accepted that backwaters are preferred <br />habitats of young Colorado squawfish in summer and autumn, stream <br />managers may be inclined to provide flows to maximize the amount of <br />backwater habitats rather than to provide a diversity of habitats. The <br />results of my study demonstrated that young Colorado squawfish also use <br />other habitats and may use a mixture of habitats in preference to <br />backwaters. <br />The Upper Colorado River Basin Recovery Implementation Program <br />(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1987) established an interagency <br />monitoring program to sample standing crops of young Colorado squawfish <br />in backwaters, determine their annual abundance, and assess their <br />population trends. The program relies on backwater seine samples for <br />determining the relative abundance of age-O Colorado squawfish. Because <br />the abundance of age-O fish in backwaters can vary with time of day and <br />water temperatures, backwater seining should be further refined to <br />include water temperature criteria. Backwater habitats are extensively <br />used by young squawfish, but the use of other habitats should also be <br />evaluated. <br /> <br />ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS <br /> <br />This study was funded, in part, by the Bureau of Reclamation and <br />Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. J. Krakker, <br />Jr, J. Kreitlow, B. Burdick, C. Mcada, M. Smith, W. Polinski, and <br />others assisted with field sampling. G. Haines performed statistical <br />analyses. C. Karp and four anonymous reviewers improved the draft <br />manuscript. <br /> <br />LITERATURE CITED <br /> <br />Berry, C.R. Jr., and R. Pimentel. 1985. Swimming performances of three <br />rare Colorado River fishes. Transactions of the American Fisheries <br />Society 114:397-402. <br />Brown, A.V., and M.L. Armstrong. 1985. Propensity to drift downstream <br />among various species of fish. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 3:3- <br />17. <br />Harvey, B.C. 1987. Larval stream fish mortality and multi-trophic level <br />interactions among stream fishes. Ph.D. Thesis, University of <br />Oklahoma, Norman. 85 pp. <br />Haynes, C.M., T.A. Lytle, E.J. Wick, and R.T. Muth. 1984. Larval <br />Colorado squawfish (Ptvchocheilus lucius Girard) in the upper <br />Colorado River basin, Colorado, 1979-1981. Southwestern Naturalist <br />29:21-33. <br />Holden, P.B. 1977. Habitat requirements of juvenile Colorado River <br />squawfish. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Report FWS/OBS 77/65. <br />Fort Collins, Colorado <br /> <br />50 <br />