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<br />396 <br /> <br />COPEIA, 2001, NO.2 <br /> <br /> <br />themselves at a new location following translo- <br />cation may be more common than originally <br />suspected. For example, in an attempt to en- <br />hance whitefish biomass from an economic <br />standpoint, whitefish (Coregunus) were stocked <br />from other sources into Alpine lakes of Switzer- <br />land. In spite of multiple attempts with a variety <br />of stocks from numerous lakes, genetic analyses <br />employing microsatellite DNA indicated en- <br />demic Coregunus populations have indeed main- <br />tained themselves, with no genetic contribution <br />from previous stocking attempts (Douglas and <br />Brunner, 2001). Although relationships among <br />forms cannot be determined in the absence of <br />genetic analyses, one should not argue similarity <br />among forms based upon historical stocking <br />from one water source to another. <br />Shape variation in G. robusta is extensive. <br />Larger (i.e., classic robusta-like) specimens from <br />Rifle and Debeque Canyons actually display <br />smaller heads for their size than do smaller fish <br />from Cataract Canyon. Interestingly, individuals <br />with shortest peduncles are from Cataract Can- <br />yon, followed by those from Rifle and Debeque <br />Canyons, whereas specimens with longer pe- <br />duncles are from Desolation Canyon. Cataract <br />Canyon G. robusta also had thinnest caudal pe- <br />duncles (a cypha-like trait), whereas those from <br />Yampa River had thickest. Size of nuchal hump <br />and depth of cranial concavity were reduced in <br />all G. robusta examined. <br /> <br />Truss versus geometric analyses.-A quantitative <br />comparison of the distance-based truss analysis <br />versus the coordinate-based geometric analysis <br />was nonsignificant, indicating that both provid- <br />ed the same level of resolution. This (more than <br />likely) is a reflection of the fact that both studies <br />shared 92% of their landmarks. Classification <br />matrices from these studies were also congru- <br />ent, again suggesting unanimity of results. How- <br />ever, the visualization of shape and shape <br />change provided by the geometric analyses was <br />superior, both within- and among-populations <br />and species. <br />The necessity of developing bona fide visual <br />cues for use by fishery managers and techni- <br />cians to discriminate among species in the field <br />has been discussed by Douglas et a!. (1989). <br />These researchers provided a series of qual ita- <br />tive characters to help resolve identification of <br />G. robusta and G. CYPha in the field. However, <br />the application of geometric morphometries (as <br />in this study) provides classificatory cues at a <br />broader and more visual kvel than does a qual- <br />itative evaluation. Thus, the use of this tech- <br />nique to quantify and visualize morphological <br />differences among populations and species of <br /> <br />endangered and threatened fishes is not only <br />supported but recommended. <br />It is also noteworthy that a location effect was <br />documented with regard to phenotypic varia- <br />tion in both species. Not only are populations <br />of each species distinct among themselves, but <br />both species display statistically similar patterns <br />of geographic variation that are themselves cor- <br />related with latitude/longitude. <br /> <br /> <br />i - ; ..,.:, . .',.~ <br /> <br />Hybridization.-Hybridization has always been <br />an undocumented spectre with regard to upper <br />basin Gila. Valdez and Clemmer (1982) argued <br />that apparent hybridization between G. cypha <br />and G. robusta may have resulted from riverine <br />impoundments and water development projects <br />that altered the Colorado River hydrograph. <br />Historic flow regimes were perceived by these <br />researchers (and others) as an important repro- <br />ductive isolating mechanism (discussed in <br />Douglas and Douglas, 2000). Depletion of peak <br />flows and possibly temperature alterations may <br />have altered niches of these species such that <br />they now overlap extensively, and thus hybrid- <br />ize. Similarly, in the Yampa River, chronic de- <br />pletion of historic peak flows has been hypoth- <br />esized as a possible limiting factor for reproduc- <br />tion of G. CYPha (H. M. Tyus and C. A. Carp, <br />USFWS Report, 1989, unpub!.). Karp and Tyus <br />(1990) also noted that reproductive G. cypha <br />and G. robusta were sympatric within eddy hab- <br />itats during the five-to-six week period following <br />highest spring runoff in the Yampa River, again <br />suggesting the potential for hybridization. Kaed- <br />ing et a!. (1990) noted that spawning of these <br />two species at Black Rocks also overlapped tem- <br />porally. ,However, radio-tagged G. robusta dis- <br />played a wider dispersion during breeding sea- <br />son (max. displacement = 33.9 km; n = 17) <br />than did more sedentary G. cypha (max. dis- <br />placement = 1.4 km; n = 33). <br />"Studies to clarify the taxonomy of the Gila <br />robusta complex and of Gila CYPha should be <br />continued throughout the entire Colorado Riv- <br />er Basin. Concurrent studies of the ecological <br />requirements and genetic variability among the <br />various biological entities of Gila are needed to <br />provide information essential to the design of <br />programs to save the rarer forms from extinc- <br />tion" (R. H. Kramer, Utah Coop FWS unit, <br />Utah State Univ., 1967, unpub!.). Although this <br />directive sounds amazingly contemporary, it was <br />stated over 33 years ago. Yet, researchers are <br />seemingly no closer to unraveling the taxonom- <br />ic confusion within Gila. Hybridization has been <br />documented in formation of upper basin spe- <br />cies (DeMarais et a!., 1992) and in distribution <br />of large-scale (allozymic) variation in many low- <br /> <br /> <br />