Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons^™

Genetic Structure And Diversity Of Channel Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus) In Three Large Midwestern Rivers, Vaclav Alexei Sotola

Masters Theses

Little information is available regarding the genetic structure and diversity of sportfishes in large rivers, which can be vital to continuing the sustainable exploitation of these fisheries. Additionally, impoundments often have vast impacts on riverine systems. These impacts include altering the flow regime, changing the nutrient load, and preventing migratory fish from reaching their spawning grounds. If fishes are prevented from reaching their spawning grounds, their genetic diversity and structuring could begin to change relative to historic measures, potentially decreasing their fitness and ability to survive. I screened microsatellite loci to assess the genetic population structure and diversity of channel …

Demographics And Parasites Of Spotted Bass In The Wabash River, Evan C. Boone

Masters Theses

Spotted Bass Micropterus punctulatus Rafinesque are a popular sport fish primarily found in the streams and reservoirs of the south. The Wabash River, a large tributary of the Ohio River, contains a naturally reproducing population on the northern boundary of their range. Currently, the lower Wabash River is monitored using two different sampling designs, the Long Term Electrofishing Program monitors community assemblages using stratified random sampling whereas the Illinois Department of Natural Resources uses a fixed sampling design. Due to the wide distribution but low abundance of Spotted Bass throughout this drainage, captures from each design were compared to assess …

Diel And Seasonal Patterns Of Channel Catfish Movement And Habitat Use In The Lower Wabash River, Hanna Gibbs Kruckman

Masters Theses

Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus are commonly found throughout the Mississippi River basin and support commercial and recreational fisheries in many large river systems. Understanding population demographics as well as movement patterns and habitat usage can provide a more holistic approach to species management and conservation. Within a 16-km stretch of the lower Wabash River, 27 channel catfish were implanted with acoustic transmitters to monitor fine scale movement and habitat use from September 2014 through April 2016. Channel catfish were located using active tracking during two types of tracking events. Site tracking occurred only during daylight hours and diel tracking monitored …

Microglia Respond To Both Permanent And Temporary Deaferentation In The Adult Zebrafish Olfactory Bulb, Amanda K. Mckenna

Masters Theses

The major goal of this study was to investigate a microglial response following deafferentation in the adult zebrafish, Danio rerio, olfactory bulb. Microglia were identified in the olfactory bulb using the 4c4 antibody and phagocytic-dependent labeling (DiA). Microglia responded to both methods of deafferentation namely, permanent (cautery) and temporary (Triton X- 100). On one and three days following both permanent and temporary deafferentation there was a significant increase in microglia in the treated olfactory bulb. At five and seven days after permanent and temporary deafferentation there was no longer a significant difference between the treated and untreated olfactory bulbs, …

Salmonid Habitat Restoration On The Chocolay River, Michigan, Ross J. Crawford

Masters Theses

This project seeks to improve salmonid habitat quality by improving riparian vegetation on the adjacent banks (from toe to terrace) on the Chocolay River in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Quantities of large woody debris (LWD) were also analyzed to determine the heterogeneityof stream habitats, or channel roughness. Percentages of rock, gravel, sand, and silt were analyzed to determine spawning habitat quality. As the proportions of fines (

Demographics And Seasonal Diet Composition Of Shovelnose Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus Platorynchus Rafinesque) In Wabash River, Vaskar Nepal

Masters Theses

Shovelnose sturgeon Schaphirhynchus platorynchus Rafinesque, one of the only sturgeon species that support a sustainable commercial harvest, are fished in a substantial caviar fishery in the lower Wabash River. However, ecological information on the population is sparse. In this thesis, I present information on the status and seasonal diet characteristics of the population. A 14-year long shovelnose sturgeon monitoring survey conducted by Illinois Department of Natural Resources shows that the population is in relatively good condition, faces low mortality rates, and has a high potential for recruitment. Study of the seasonal composition of diet suggests that shovelnose sturgeon generally get …

Assessment Of Range, Habitat Use, And Diel Movement Of Flathead Catfish (Pylodictis Olivaris) In The Wabash River Using Ultrasonic Telemetry, Sarah Mary Huck

Masters Theses

Flathead Catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) are one of the most targeted species for recreational and commercial fishing within the Mississippi River Basin. With heavy harvest pressure placed on many populations, proper management is crucial; however, the species range, habitat requirements, and diel movement patterns have rarely been investigated in free flowing rivers. Therefore, I used ultrasonic telemetry with active tracking to monitor movement and habitat use of 44 Flathead Catfish from August 2012 to December 2013 in the lower 280 km of the Wabash River. This system is ideal to evaluate broad and fine scale movement of Flathead Catfish …

Short-Term Responses Of Fish Assemblages To Habitat Restoration In A Small Midwestern Stream, John Leon West

Masters Theses

Recent efforts to restore stream habitat have become a common practice, yet evaluations of biotic responses to these practices are not as common. I evaluated fish assemblage response to restoration in a reach of Kickapoo Creek, a fourth order stream southwest of Charleston, Illinois. Restoration included 446 meters of bank stabilization, pool scouring keys, and the creation of two artificial riffles. To have a representation of pre-restoration fish assemblages, I sampled four stream reaches of Kickapoo Creek twice before construction of habitat restoration: two control reaches (upstream and downstream) and two restored reaches within a 0.5 km restoration stretch (upstream …

Demographics Of A Commercially Exploited Population Of Flathead Catfish (Pylodictis Olivaris) In The Wabash River, Cassi Jo Moody-Carpenter

Masters Theses

Flathead catfish, Pylodictis olivaris, are a popular game and commercial fish in the Midwestern United States. In the lower 322 km of the Wabash River, flathead catfish are commercially and recreationally harvested by Illinois and Indiana fishers. Current management regulations are different between the two states; Illinois and Indiana have minimum length limits of 381 and 254 mm, respectively. Indiana has proposed changing their minimum length limit to 381 mm and allowing only one fish> 889 mm to be harvested per day. My study examined the current status of flathead catfish in the Wabash River to determine a standardized …

Fish Assemblages In Manistee River Tributaries: Longitudinal Distribution Analysis, Seasonal Variation, And Riparian Improvement Evaluation, Nicholas J. Gressick

Masters Theses

Sedimentation affects both stream physical and biological integrity. Improperly designed stream passage accompanied with sedimentation and altered hydrology can impede fish passage and reduce fish assemblage integrity. The purpose of this study was to: 1) quantify impacts of poorly constructed road stream crossings and eroding banks on fish assemblages, and 2) assess these sites as sediment sources and connectivity breaks on entire fish assemblages and individual fish species. Electrofishing was conducted during spring and fall 2004 and 2005. A total of 29 electrofishing reaches were sampled which included 5 road-stream and streambank restoration sites. Sickle Creek (1st order) had reduced …

Community Response To Habitat Restoration In Sickle And Bear Creeks, With Emphasis On Mottled Sculpin In Sickle Creek, Jason Andrew Deboer

Masters Theses

Habitat restoration is employed by biologists and managers to improve the natural functionality and value of aquatic resources. Systems suffer impairment from many sources, including excessive fine sediment, which negatively affects substrate composition, channel morphology, aquatic invertebrate habitat, and fish reproduction and recruitment. Primary objectives included monitoring the biophysical response to sediment abatement in the Big Manistee River watershed. Secondary objectives included (1) placing the biophysical response to the restoration in the context of a much larger watershed plan, (2) quantifying seasonal mottled sculpin movement and habitat use in Sickle Creek for 1-year, and (3) determining habitat variables which may …

Mitochondrial Dna And Microsatellite Genetic Variation Of Dollar Sunfish (Lepomis Marginatus), Nancy A. Schable

Masters Theses

Dollar sunfish (Lepomis marginatus) at the Savannah River Site were sampled from two radiocesium contaminated ponds with a history of thermal elevation and from reference ponds with no history of radioactive or thermal contamination. Fluorescent sequencing of a portion of the mitochondrial control region showed no genetic variation within or between populations. Centrarchidae microsatellite loci Lma 120 (6 alleles, N=124 from 5 populations), Lma 20 (10 alleles, N=37 from 3 populations) and Rb 7 (14 alleles. N=17 from 2 populations) were variable for dollar sunfish. An additional 9 microsatellite primer pairs were designed for dollar sunfish. Testing of the designed …

The Role Of Bowfin, Amia Calva, In Multiple Species Management Plans, Benjamin Jacob Hausmann

Masters Theses

The major challenge to fisheries managers of the 21st century will be to maintain the diversity, not only of fishing opportunity, but also of traditionally non-game and economically unimportant species. With the relatively recent understanding of the importance of ecosystem level management, attention is being focused on native species that were often ignored or eradicated under past management practices. One such fish that has been largely ignored is the bowfin, Amia calva. Ecological data pertaining to bowfin natural history are limited and to date no attempt has been made to integrate bowfin into fisheries management decisions within the species native …

Growth Of Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, And Channel Catfish In Relation To Fish Abundances, Food Availability, And Other Limnological Variables, Sean P. Callahan

Masters Theses

Bluegill, largemouth bass, and channel catfish are widely distributed and popular sports species. We assessed growth of sympatric populations of these species in 14 reservoirs throughout Illinois, and attempted to relate growth to environmental factors. Principal components analysis (PCA) classified the lakes using 20 morphometric and limnological variables. We examined growth rate relationships with the principal components, via correlations, and also developed simple and multiple regression models using individual variables. Using size-specific growth for two size classes, percent littoral zone of a lake was correlated with growth of both channel catfish (300 and 450 mm) and small bluegill (50 mm). …

Size-Specific Growth Of Illinois Stream Fishes: Relationships With Biotic And Abiotic Habitat Variables, John H. Putman Ii

Masters Theses

Growth is an important component in the ecology and management of stream fisheries. Growth of stream fish has received relatively little attention and relationships with habitat variables are largely unknown. We quantified growth of juvenile and adult size classes of bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), common carp (Cyprinus carpio), channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris), and smallmouth bass (M. dolomieui) from Illinois streams. Growth rates for each species fell within ranges previously reported for lakes and rivers in the United States although they averaged slightly lower. Within each species except channel catfish, growth …

Copper Accumulation By Gizzard Shad (Dorosoma Cepedianum) In The Charleston Side Channel Reservoir, Mark T. Christ

Masters Theses

Exposure to trace heavy metals is being extensively studied in relation to their adverse and toxic effects on organisms. Processes affecting compartmentalization, biogeochemical cycling, and transport of trace metals in ecological systems must be elucidated if the impact of trace metal releases on biota are to be understood. Because elemental cycles are often closely linked to hydrologic processes, freshwater and marine systems serve as both vectors and sinks for trace metals in the environment. The regular addition of a heavy metal into an aquatic ecosystem will undoubtedly increase its persistance for availability to the existing biota. Once in the environment, …

Growth Increments And Condition Factors Of Pomoxis Annularis (White Crappie) In The Years Following Completion Of The Pump Storage Reservoir At Lake Charleston, Charleston, Il, 1982-1988, Herbert Clinton Fairow

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to attempt to document any changes that may have occured due to the construction of a pump storage reservoir at Lake Charleston. The age I white crappie present in the new reservoir were observed to exhibit an increase in first year growth in 1982. This increase was observed in subsequent years but not to the same degree as was observed initially. The age II fish present in the new reservoir in 1982 exhibited a very large increase in growth for the first year of the new impoundment. In the years after 1982 the annual …

Avoidance Learning And Memory In Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides) Fed Bufo Tadpoles, Randy John Gawlik

Masters Theses

Tadpoles of the American toad (Bufo americanus) have been shown to be distasteful to largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) predators who learn, on the short term, to avoid them. How long bass retain this learned avoidance of Bufo larvae is unknown so an experimental design was constructed in an attempt to answer this question.

Largemouth bass were divided into four treatment groups. Two groups were initially fed exclusively larvae of Bufo americanus (one group was fed large tadpoles, the other group fed small larvae). Similarily, the other two groups were initially fed spring peeper (Hyla crucifer …

A Comparison Of The Temporal Spawning Distributions And Growth Rates Of Young-Of-The-Year Redear Sunfish (Lepomis Microlophus) And Bluegill (Lepomis Macrochirus) In Three Illinois Impoundments, Craig Douglas Schmittler

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare the temporal spawning distribution and growth rates of bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus) in Illinois impoundments. Otolith sagittae were used to age the fish and to determine the intervals of successful spawning for both species.

Readear sunfish initiated spawning slightly before or a the same time as bluegill; however, bluegill spawned for twice as long as redear sunfish in all study impoundments. The earliest spawned fish of both species showed the fastest growth and the earliest spawned redear sunfish grew faster than did the earliest …

The Effects Of Photoperiod On The Prolactin Cells Of Notropis Cornutus (Mitchell), Matthew Kevin Hettinger

Masters Theses

Three groups of the common shiner (Notropis cornutus, Mitchell) were adapted to three different photoperiods. These photoperiods were 16L:8D (summer), 12L:12D (controls), and 8L:16D (winter). The prolactin cells were studied histologically and morphologically with respect to staining characteristics, cell and nuclear morphology, nuclear size, and cellular density. The prolactin cells of those fish under the long photoperiod exhibited greater cellular activity than the controls as evidenced by an increase in nuclear size, cellular density, and by becoming more circular. The prolactin cells of those fish under the short photoperiod exhibited the same characteristics as those in the long photoperiod. The …

Observed Changes In The Largemouth Bass Population Since Construction Of A New Pump Storage Reservoir At Charleston, Illinois, Lawrence B. Durham

Masters Theses

Lake Charleston, Illinois was electrofished to determine the status of the largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides, Lacepede) population after its reconstruction into a pump storage reservoir. The changes observed were an increased rate of growth of the initial year class, increased average growth increment of older bass, and a more abundant bass population. Factors which may have influenced increased growth were decreased turbidity, alkalinity, and increased water level. There is a possibility the increase in water level led to an increase in terrestrial invertebrates as a food source, and increased spawning substrate and cover due to submerged terrestrial vegetation. …

Annual Marks In The Sagittae Otoliths Of The Bluegill And Their Use In Age Determination In A Thermally Perturbed Environment, William D. Kraus

Masters Theses

This investigation was undertaken to determine if annual marks were present in the otoliths of the Bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus, and to explore their possible use as ageing structures in a thermally perturbed environment.

Two populations were studied; one from a farm pond with marked seasonal changes and the other from Lake Sanchris which serves as a cooling reservoir in central Illinois. Age determinations were made on 53 and 45 fish from the farm pond and Lake Sanchris respectively.

Annual marks were found to occur in the sagittae otoliths of the bluegill. These marks showed bright amber in sectioned …

Correlation Of Hook-And-Line Vulnerability Of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides) With Selected Physicochemical Parameters At Ridge Lake, Dale P. Burkett

Masters Theses

Fluctuation in kilograms of largemouth bass caught per man-hour of fishing pressure (catch rate) in Ridge Lake (a 6.8ha impoundment located in Fox Ridge State Park, Coles County, Illinois) was positively correlated with dissolved oxygen concentration (r=0.7490), conductivity (r=0.7439), pH (r=0.5965), and alkalinity (r=0.7531). Negative correlations were found between largemouth bass catch rate and turbidity (r=-0.5145), as well as ammonia (r=-0.4694). No significant (p<0.05) correlations were found between catch rate and column water temperature, air temperature, barometric pressure, water level, maximum water temperature, minimum water temperature, maximum air temperature, or minimum air temperature.

Models describing the relationships of the most significant physicochemical parameters to catch rate of largemouth bass were chosen to represent the effects of environment …

Daily Growth Increments In The Otoliths Of Young-Of-The-Year Largemouth Bass, Micropterus Salmoides, Steven J. Miller

Masters Theses

Daily rings were found to occur in the otoliths of laboratory-reared, young-of-the-year largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, for at least 151 days after swimup. Ring formation began at hatching but the total complement of prolarval rings was visible for only 10-15 days after swimup. Subdaily rings were visible in the posterior field but were easily distinguished from daily rings. Both high and low contrast tissue was present in otoliths from fish over 45 days old. Sagittal sections were superior to frontal sections for aging bass. The accuracy of the two-sections was similiar but sagittal sections were much easier and faster …

The Effects Of Fin Clipping And Tagging On Growth And Behavior Of The Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides), Daniel M. Daley

Masters Theses

One hundred largemouth bass, ranging in size from 148mm to 385mm, were equally divided into four treatment groups (control, tag only, tag and left pectoral fin clip, and tag and all paired fins clipped) , and placed into a 5.56 hectare pond on 22 May and 25 May 1979. Upon recovery on 28 September 1979, the increase in length from the time of most recent annulus formation was found to be significantly greater in Age I control fish (x̄ = 125mm) than in fish of the same age in the other three treatment groups (x̄ = 110mm, 103mm, and 106mm, …

Repopulation Of Fishes In Riley Creek, Coles County, Illinois Following Nitrogen Fertilizer Pollution, Kim James Carney

Masters Theses

The repopulation of stream fishes was studied from 17 May 1979 to 25 October 1979 following a major kill (100% mortality) caused by nitrogen fertilizer pollution in Riley Creek, Coles County, Illinois. The extent of recovery was determined by comparing post-kill collections with pre-kill survey data that was collected on 25 October 1978.

Repopulation began six days after the abatement of the pollution source. It is suggested that the initial source of repopulation was from the nearest undamaged tributary. The first three reinhabitants in order of appearence were: stonerollers (Campostoma anomalum); creek chubs (Semotilus atromaculatus); and …

The Ecology Of Invertebrate Drift And Feeding Chronology Of The Striped Shiner, Notropis Chrysocephalus (Rafinesque) In Polecat Creek, Illinois, Dennis L. Newman

Masters Theses

The downstream drift of macroinvertebrates and the daily feeding cycle of the striped shiner, Notropis chrysocephalus (Rafinesque), were studied during the spring and summer of 1978 in Polecat Creek, Illinois. The purpose of the study was to: investigate the drift phenomenon of an entire lotic community, determine the pattern of diel periodicity for several important benthic populations, make qualitative and quantitative assessments of the relation of drift to benthos, and examine drift in relation to the daily feeding ecology of a cyprinid carnivore.

Polecat Creek at the sampling site was a relatively fast-flowing third-order stream, with frequent riffles. Drift sampling …

Analysis Of The Capture-Recapture Method Of Determining Fish Population Size In A Pond Community, Richard E. Hall

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Food Habits Of The Steelcolor Shiner, Notropis Whipplei (Girard), Mark A. Dyer

Masters Theses

Specimens of the steelcolor shiner, Notropis whipplei (Girard) were seined at irregular intervals from Polecat Creek (Coles County, Illinois) from October 1974 to September 1975. Drift and benthic samples were taken in conjunction with fish collections. The stomach contents of the fish were analyzed and compared to organisms found in the drift and benthos. More food taxa were represented in the fish collected during the summer. Aquatic insect forms, primarily chironomid larvae, amounted to 75.6% of the total percentage of foods eaten during the winter as compared to 18.8% for the summer. Adult insects, mainly coleopterans and dipterans, were the …

Mercury Levels In Muscle Tissue Of Stream-Dwelling Fish, Tom Frost

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.