Laserfiche WebLink
<br />A realistic number of wild larvae that might be expected from collections <br />during the larval monitoring effort is 1,000 annually (S. Muth, 1996, Personal <br />Communication). Based on this estimate, 1,000 wild razorback sucker larvae <br />will be collected with light traps as part of the razorback monitoring <br />program. <br /> <br />In addition, captive-reared razorback sucker from 25 paired matings will be <br />reared in ponds at the Ouray National Fish Hatchery. The number of paired <br />matings that are made for developing pedigreed family lots for broodstock will <br />vary from year to year, depending upon the availability of mature wild fish <br />that are available. <br /> <br />During 1996, approximately 1,000 captive-reared razorback suckers from various <br />family lots will be stocked into the Middle Green River (Table 2). The <br />estimated survival rates and mean total length at the end of each growing <br />season is summarized in Table 1. Based on those estimated survival rates, <br />approximately 203 adult fish should augment the wild stock by the fall of the <br />year 2001 (Table 2). <br /> <br />During 1997, approximately 394 razorback suckers that are about 12-inches in <br />mean total length will stocked into the Middle Green River to augment the wild <br />stock (Table 3). These fish will be derived from 1,000 wild razorback sucker <br />larvae from the Middle Green River and 3,030 captive-reared larvae from 5 <br />pedigreed family lots will be reared in ponds at the Ouray National Fish <br />Hatchery. About 128 razorback suckers are expected to survive from 1996 <br />through the Year 2000 (Table 3). <br /> <br />The number of razorback suckers that are expected to survive from the proposed <br />stockings in 1996 and 1997 to the Years 2000 and 2001 is 331 fish (Tables 2 <br />and 3). Razorback suckers reach sexual maturity when they are about 17 inches <br />(- 430 mm) TL (McAda and Wydoski 1980). The fish from the 1996 and 1997 <br />stockings should reach that size in the fall of the Year 2000 and spawn for <br />the first time in the spring of the Year 2001. <br /> <br />Source of Fish. The first choice would be to use wild razorback sucker larvae <br />from natural propagation in the Middle Green River. However, the number of <br />larvae required to increase adult razorback sucker numbers by 500 would <br />require many years based on experience-in collecting wild larvae with light <br />traps. Therefore, a combination of rearing wild larvae and captive-reared <br />razorback sucker that have been exposed to synthetic chemicals will be used. <br />Exposing developing eggs and larvae through the swimup stage is a conservative <br />measure until the results of the ongoing chemo-reception study are available <br />to determine if imprinting occurs in this species. If imprinting occurs in <br />the razorback sucker, the synthetic chemical can be used to help direct the <br />fish to suitable spawning habitat. Captive spawning will follow the Genetic <br />Management Guidelines of 25 paired matings (Ne = 50) such that the probability <br />of inbreeding depression will not exceed 1% (Williamson and Wydoski 1994). <br /> <br />Genetic Identification and Characterization. When the "Genetics Management <br />Guidelines" were written, the assumption was made that the ongoing allozyme <br />and/or mtDNA studies would provide methods for genetically characterizing <br /> <br />4 <br />