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Tagging studies show that adult Colorado squawfish exhibit a migratory <br />behavior during spawning season. Upstream spawning movement has been <br />documented over a considerable distance, over 100 mi. Also, in the <br />White and Yampa Rivers upstream and downstream movement occurs in <br />association with spawning. There is evidence of homing behavior with <br />some radio-tagged fish returning to areas where they were originally <br />tagged following extensive migration. This homing behavior may be one <br />explanation for frequent tag recoveries from the-same area over time. <br />Upstream spawning movement and subsequent dispersion following a <br />short spawning period was also noted in northern squawfish by Beamsderfer <br />and Congleton (1981). Thus, Colorado squawfish behavior is similar to <br />northern squawfish relative to spawning. <br />Movement of adult Colorado squawfish appears to be related to flow, <br />temperature and feeding. Adults were recorded further upstream, in the <br />mainstem rivers and in tributaries such as the Yampa and White, during <br />postrunoff than in prerunoff periods. The total movement picture suggests <br />that adult squawfish move upstream during runoff and this movement, in <br />part, is associated with spawning. There appears to be a general trend <br />of upstream movement after runoff. Downstream movement occurs between <br />postrunoff in the late fall and winter, and runoff the following spring- <br />summer. Downstream movement is probably related to cold water temperature <br />in the fall, inactivity and selection of deep-pool overwintering areas. <br />Adults and juveniles exhibit flow-related habitat preferences by <br />leaving main-channel habitats during peak runoff in favor of backwaters, <br />tributary streams, side channels and irrigation-return streams. These <br />lower velocity flow areas appear to be important during runoff as shelter <br />from high velocities and also as feeding areas. <br />The greater number of adult squawfish in the upper river reaches, <br />both Colorado and Green Rivers, during the spawning, post-spawning <br />period and the large numbers of YOY in Lower river reaches suggest <br />spawning occurs to a large degree in the upper river reaches and rearing <br />occurs in lower river reaches. <br />From collections of larvae and YOY squawfish below suspected spawning <br />site, we have concluded that there is a downstream drift of larvae and <br />YOY following hatching. This movement can be any distance from a few <br />miles (1-10 mi) to many miles (up to 100 mi). There is also evidence <br />that, after their first year, juvenile fish move progressively upstream <br />to areas of better feeding including lower sections of tributary streams. <br />Observations of YOY and juvenile squawfish in backwaters suggest <br />different movement by the two ages of fish. YOY moved between shoreline <br />runs and backwaters apparently preferring the warmer daytime water <br />temperature; they moved into backwaters in late morning and returned to <br />the main channel at night. Juveniles seemed to move out of backwaters <br />in the morning and into backwaters in the evening. Both adults and <br />juveniles were more active in shallow water at dawn and dusk indicating <br />a probable twilight feeding activity. <br />!S <br />