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<br />Impacts of introduced fishes (reviewed by Taylor et al 1984) are seldom <br />understood, and largely inferred from major alterations of species composition <br />in an area. Competition (reviewed by Connell 1983, Ross 198b) between native <br />and introduced forms is difficult to observe experimentally, and perhaps <br />impossible to prove in natural riverine habitats. Direct effects of fish <br />introductons on native fishes were categorized and reviewed by Moyle et al <br />(1981): Elimnination, reduced growth and survival, changes in community <br />structure, and no effect. These authors stressed that many fish are introduced <br />(~ into habitats that are also changiag due to the effects of man, making it <br />~~i difficult to determine if habitat change, competition, or both, are <br />responsible for decline of the natives. To confound this already complex <br />issue, in the past, species interactions were not well understood, and never <br />studied before introductions were made. Introductions of new species into <br />areas to promote better sport fishing has often created more problems than <br />solving them, primarily because methods for predicting outcomes are few (Li <br />and Moyle 1981). <br />The introduction of non-native fishes in the Colorado River has been <br />documented by many, and present status provided by Minckley (1982) and Tyus <br />et al. (1982a). The impacts of these introductions on decline of the Colorado <br />squawfish remains problematic, differing among life stages, temporally and <br />spatially: <br />Larvae- Small Colorado squawfish are eaten by other fishes, and probably <br />compete with young of other species as well. Study of predation upon small <br />larval Colorado squawfish is difficult because the fragile larvae may be <br />32 <br />