Laserfiche WebLink
The observed sex ratio (IvI:~ of chubs in Westwater Canyon was fairly balanced overall: 58:42 <br />and 46:54 for humpback and roundtail chubs, respectively. However, sexing cyprinids in non- <br />breeding condition presented the researchers with some diffiailty. Examination of the recapture <br />history indicates that the gender constancy (not necessarily correctness) from capture to capture <br />for humpback chub was 77.4% and 75% for roundtail chub. Amore thorough examination of the <br />field records would likely clear up some of the confusion, i.e defer to the later detenrunation when <br />the fish was older and the fish's sex more discernable. <br />Movement <br />Two humpback chubs tagged by the Colorado Division of Wildlife in Black Rocks at RM 136.1 <br />were recaptured two days later in Westwater Canyon. This is the only recorded exchange of <br />chubs between these purported populations during the course of this study. It is our feeling that <br />these two large adult humpback (296 mm and 372 mm TL; the larger of which was the largest <br />humpback recaptured in the current study) were displaced by handling stress rather than <br />r <br />exhibiting directed movement. The UDWR has observed similar (although shorter) movements <br />on a short term basis (1-2 day durations) within Westwater Canyon as have other researchers <br />{Archer et al 1985). <br />One roundtail chub (~F~D3o~FaD) moved 4.1 miles upstream from Hades Bar to M'iner's Cabin <br />over the course of almost three years. Two other fish (a humpback chub (7F7DOF6E65) and a <br />roundtail chub (ISFBS11223)), moved 2.6 miles upstream from Cougar Bar to Miner's Cabin and <br />one humpback (lF41~SOC4Fj moved upstream from Hades Bar to Cougar Bar. Several other <br />humpbacks and roundtails traveled the short distance downstream from Cougar Bar to Hades <br />Bar. The majority, 82.8%, of humpback recaptures revealed the sedentary nature of the <br />species, i.e. no movement. Surprisingly, 92% of the roundtail recaptures indicated no net <br />movement. Archer et al. (1985) found roundtail chub to be more mobile than humpback chub in <br />their study of movements in the Black Rocks area. The limitation of the present mark recapture <br />study was that all the effort was confined to Westwater Canyoq which may have biased results <br />toward sedentary individuals. All the multiply recaptured humpback and roundtail chubs <br />displayed no movement including a female roundtail (7F7BIIo829) collected on five occasions (at <br />the Hades Bar site) over the course of 1099 days. <br />DRAFT <br />39 <br />