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SUMMARY <br />A total of 31 Colorado squawfish were implanted with radio modules <br />in the Green, White and Yampa rivers in 1980 and 1981. Only 16 indivi- <br />duals were tracked longer than 3 months. Radio module failure, poor <br />radio reception and the high mobility of Colorado squawfish were potential <br />factors influencing success of the tracking effort. <br />Two movement patterns were observed in the implanted Colorado <br />squawfish, sedentary and highly mobile. Total distance moved by 6 <br />sedentary fish averaged 18 km; total distance moved by 10 mobile fish <br />averaged 245 km. The difference in behavior by these two groups was <br />linked to sexual maturity, with mature fish undertaking spawning migrations <br />and hence being more mobile. Local, short-term movement patterns were <br />also studied but the results were largely inconclusive. Diel rhythm <br />either did not exist or variations between the two years and three <br />rivers studied masked real differences. <br />Colorado squawfish were observed predominately in shoreline habitat <br />and were associated with sandy substrate, but were also observed in <br />eddy, run, backwater and pool habitats over silt, boulder, rubble and <br />gravel substrates. Habitat and substrate use varied between river <br />systems and time of year. Water depths and velocities recorded at ob- <br />served locations of Colorado squawfish indicated the fish selected <br />depths and velocities averaging 1.4 m and 0.2 m/s for the Green River, <br />0.9 m and 0.1 m/s in the Yampa River and 0.7 m and 0.5 m/s in the White <br />River respectively. <br />Comparisons between habitat, substrate, water depth and water <br />velocity measurements recorded for radiotelemetered Colorado squawfish <br />were compared with the same information obtained at the point of capture <br />of Colorado squawfish collected with electrofishing, trammel nets and <br />seines. An analysis of these data indicated close agreement between <br />habitat preference data obtained by the two methods. Minor departures <br />in habitat preferences obtained indicated that radiotelemetry techn-iques <br />were more representative, since the fish were not disturbed and 24 hr. <br />data were obtained. <br />Spawning habitat was located in Yampa Canyon in 1981, when seven <br />radiotagged fish moved downstream in the Yampa River and one radiotagged <br />fish moved upstream from the Green River to reach the spawning grounds <br />located between RK 8 and RK 30. Collections of ripe adults and larvae, <br />and observations of fish behavior confirmed this site as a spawning <br />area. Radiotagged fish entering the lower Yampa Canyon returned to their <br />former upstream or downstream locations after spawning. These movements <br />indicated a homing ability, for which the mechanism is unknown. A <br />physical characterization of the spawning habitat indicated the Colorado <br />squawfish spawned at 22% temperature over rubble substrate. Water <br />depths, and water velocities at the primary site studied (R K 26.4) <br />ranged from 0.9 to 2.1 m depth and 0 to 0.1 m/s velocity. <br />35