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8/11/2009 11:32:57 AM
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UCREFRP
UCREFRP Catalog Number
7824
Author
Miller, W. H., et al.
Title
Colorado River Fishery Project, Part III, Final Report, Contracted Studies.
USFW Year
1982.
USFW - Doc Type
\
Copyright Material
NO
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removed and acetate, impressions were made for age determination. Fish <br />which were tagged and released were measured and sexed on the basis of <br />external characteristics, which were readily apparent during the spawning <br />season. <br />Results <br />Spawning behavior <br />Spawning in the St. Joe River occurred in aggregations of fish <br />ranging in size from a hundred to a few thousand individuals. Spawning <br />fish were apparently unconcerned with swimmers, but maintained a minimum <br />distance of 1 to 2 meters and drifted away if approached too closely. <br />Males outnumbered females by 50-100:1, and swarmed in a dense mass <br />within a meter of the substrate. Individual males generally faced the <br />current, but did not maintain a position at any single locus. No aggres- <br />sive interactions between males were noted. Females cruised slowly along <br />the fringes of the aggregation and in nearby areas or swam about quickly <br />just above the males. Slowly cruising females were ignored by males or <br />were followed half-heartedly by one or two. Rapidly moving females were <br />followed closely by up to 8 males, who stayed below or to the side of the <br />female with their heads even with or slightly ahead of the female's vent. <br />Spawning occurred when a female and her entourage of males dipped <br />to within a few centimeters of the substrate. Acts lasted 1 second or <br />less and eggs and milt were only momentarily visible. Females arched <br />their backs with vents close to the substrate, gaped their mouths, and <br />vibrated. Males ducked alongside the female and vibrated. Spawners <br />were besieged by a mass of darting males and all fish moved quickly away <br />afterwards. Females typically veered away downstream, still followed by <br />a few males. This action usually took them out of the observer's field <br />of vision, but on one occasion a female was seen spawning three times at <br />4- to 6-second intervals in the same general area. <br />Inspection of an area after spawning revealed many eggs adhering <br />to the substrate or drifting into interstices. Further examination <br />revealed eggs up to 15 cm below the substrate surface. Spawning was <br />observed on both clear and rainy days. Activity seemed low until late <br />morning, but continued at least until dust. <br />Dark lateral bands were usually seen on spawning squawfish of both <br />sexes. These bands were especially apparent of fish viewed underwater, <br />but were also evident of fish removed from the river. Few fish observed <br />or captured in portions of the river other than spawning sites were <br />colored in this manner. Almost all fish in spawning aggregations <br />exhibited this coloration and the few that did not were usually on the <br />fringes of the activity. <br />Limited observations made in the Clearwater River in 1980 revealed <br />• behavior similar to that noted in the St. Joe River. One difference was <br />51
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