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1 <br /> Th <br /> e average rate of dispersal for both groups of razorback suckers was very similar <br /> during the first 14 days, but differed mazkedly over time. Initial movement rates were <br /> ~4.6 km/day for both treatments. During the 15 to 29 day period, average daily <br /> movement rates for experimental razorback suckers decreased to 1:1 km/day while <br /> control suckers decreased their movement rates much less (3.5 km/day). During the 30- <br /> to 58-day period since release, experimental suckers continued to move at approximately <br /> the same rate (1.2 km/day) while the control fish had decreased their movements to <br /> 0.37 km/day. Razorback sucker movement rates decreased significantly over time <br /> (p < 0.001), but due to high within-group variation the observed treatment affect was not <br /> signif cant (p = 0.44). This attenuation in the estimated rates of daily movement are very <br /> <br />' similar to those observed by Day and Modde (1999) in 1995 on the Green River. Their <br />much smaller razorback suckers (average TL 197.9 mm vs. 437.6 mm) averaged <br /> 6.8 km/day (n = 16) during the first 13 days and decreased to 2.0 km/day (n = 7) between <br /> days 13 and 28. <br /> Although the rates of dispersal of experimental and control suckers did not differ <br /> significantly over time, the average directed rates of movement (+/-km/day) were <br /> significantly different between treatments (p = 0.042). Directed rates of movement were <br /> calculated for a particular fish by defining upstream movement rates as +km/day and <br /> downstream movements rates as -km/day and then summing these within treatment and <br /> time periods. The effect of a 2-day acclimation was to significantly reduce the <br /> downstream directed movements rates of razorback suckers, as seen in Figure 6. Initial <br /> downstream directed movement rates of control fish were -4.2 km/day. This is more than <br /> double the rate (-1.9 km/day) for experimental razorbacks. During days 15 to 29, <br /> experimental razorback sucker directed movement rates had attenuated to just 0.3 km/day <br />h <br />' w <br />ile control fish were still continuing to move downstream at a rate of 3.5 km/day. <br /> Control razorback suckers required at least 30 days from the time of release to reduce <br /> their downstream directed movements to a level that was reached by experimental <br /> razorbacks after 15 days. <br />The finding that the majority of dispersal of stocked razorback sucker occurs during the <br />first few weeks following release has been observed in previous razorback sucker <br />stockings (Brooks 1985, Day and Modde 1999, Marsh 1987, Mueller and Mazsh 1998, <br />Ryden and Pfeifer 1995), as well as in other species offish. Chilton and Poarch (1997) <br />observed that 50% of the total yeazly movements of grass carp stocked into Texas <br />reservoirs occurred during the first 2 weeks. Hanson and Mazgenau (1992) observed that <br />the majority of young of the year muskellunge dispersal in lakes occurs during the first <br />2 weeks. Cazlstein and Eriksson (1996) observed that 75% European grayling <br />(Thymallus thymallus) stocked into an experimental stream dispersed greater than 400 m <br />downstream during the initial 8 hours. <br /> <br />17 <br /> <br />