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Molecular Phylogenetics Of Perciform Fishes Using The Nuclear Recombination Activating Gene 1, Andrew R. Mahon

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The order Perciformes contains one-third of all extant fishes in twenty different suborders and over 10,000 species. Few systematic investigations have been performed on this large group of fishes at the suborder level and their evolutionary history is widely recognized as problematic. This dissertation presents three studies: a molecular phylogenetic analysis of the putative suborders of the order Perciformes, an analysis of interrelationships of the families of the perciform suborder Percoidei, and a multi-gene investigation of the percoid superfamily Sparoidea.

The taxa sampled in this dissertation represent one of the most inclusive molecular datasets, to date, testing the monophyly of …

Plan Of Management For The Kalbarri Blue Holes Fish Habitat Protection Area, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

The FHPA has been declared to protect and conserve an example of a near-shore reef community. In order to achieve this aim, and encourage the appreciation and conservation of fish, a number of management strategies have been identified which restrict recreational and commercial fishing. The FHPA is approximately 420 metres long and approximately 130 metres wide at the southern end and 140 metres wide at the northern end.

Improved Performance Of Marron Using Genetic And Pond On Using Genetic And Pond Management Strategies, Craig Lawrence Dr

Fisheries Research Contract Reports

Marron (Cherax tenuimanus) are the highest valued freshwater crayfish farmed in Australia. This project addressed the need to increase the profitability of commercial marron farms by improving growth rates and pond management strategies.

Fisheries Research Contract Report No. 18 - Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram: Current And Future Needs For Aquatic Animal Health Training And For Systems For Merit-Based Accreditation And Competency Assessments (Frdc Project No. 2005/641) Final Report, Matt Landos, Navneet Dhand, Brian Jones, Richard Whittington

Fisheries Research Contract Reports

To scope and clearly define current and future needs for aquatic animal health training and for systems for merit-based accreditation and competency assessments.

Provision of high quality aquatic animal health (AAH) services is a complex multidisciplinary activity. Hence, training programs must address all discipline areas to achieve the desired outcome of robust service delivery to meet all stakeholder group needs. The current and future needs for AAH training have been identified across many sectors through survey work and direct interviews with key stakeholders. There is a shortfall in both total capacity and more prominently, in the availability of high skill …

Fisheries Occasional Publication 40: A Summary Of Data Collected By The Angler’S Daily Log Book And Fishing Tournament Monitoring Programs In 2004-2006, Kimberley A. Smith, M Hammond, Joshua Brown

Fisheries Occasional Publications

Catch information and biological samples collected by recreational anglers in daily log books can provide valuable information about local fish stocks. The numbers and lengths of important recreational target species can be used to monitor their abundance and population structure, which can form the basis of fishery stock assessments. In addition, the total composition of the catch and observations about fish health provide measures of local biodiversity and ecosystem health. The Department of Fisheries (DoF) Recreational Angler’s Daily Log Book Program was launched in March 2004 as part of the DoF Research Angler Program (RAP). The current log book format …

Fisheries Research Report No.159 - A 12-Month Survey Of Recreational Estuarine Fishing In The South Coast Bioregion Of Western Australia During 2002/03, C.B. Smallwood, N. R. Sumner

Fisheries Research Reports

The Recreational Fisheries Program of the Department of Fisheries, Western Australia, has a strategic plan to conduct comprehensive creel surveys of recreational fishing in each of the state’s marine bioregions (Penn et al., 2003). These bioregions are the West Coast, Gascoyne, Pilbara/ Kimberley and South Coast (Figure 1). To record and monitor changes in recreational catch and fishing effort, an integrated approach where all bioregions are to be surveyed on a regular basis was proposed. Until this study, the South Coast was the only bioregion in which a survey of recreational fishing had not been undertaken. Although originally intended to …

Integrated Fisheries Management Allocation Report Western Rock Lobster Resource, Integrated Fisheries Allocation Advisory Committee

Fisheries Management Papers

This report, prepared by the Integrated Fisheries Allocation Advisory Committee (IFAAC), contains the committee’s advice and recommendations to the Minister for Fisheries on allocations for the western rock lobster resource. The setting of explicit allocations to sectors (Customary, recreational and commercial) is integral to Integrated Fisheries Management (IFM) in Western Australia.

Management Of The Houtman Abrolhos System. A Draft Review 2007 - 2017, Department Of Fisheries (Western Australia) On Advice From The Abrolhos Islands Management Advisory Committee

Fisheries Management Papers

This review contains a brief description of the Abrolhos System and its special values. It also states the goal and principal objectives for management during the next ten years (2006-2016), along with updated strategies to achieve these objectives. The document succinctly outlines the direction for multiple use management of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands as determined by the Abrolhos Islands Management Advisory Committee (AIMAC). The Committee’s role is to advise the Minister for Fisheries on management of the Abrolhos Islands and the Abrolhos Islands Fish Habitat Protection Area.

Determining Winter Flounder Spawning Sites In Two Connecticut Estuaries, Eric T. Schultz, Jose J. Pereira, Peter J. Auster

EEB Articles

Winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) come inshore during the late winter and early spring to lay their eggs in shallow bays and estuaries along the coast. Unlike most fish eggs, which are buoyant, these eggs are demersal and sink to the seafloor. This makes them vulnerable to burial from various types of natural and human caused disturbances (e.g., storms, mobile fishing gear, maintenance dredging). Our objective was to map spawning areas in two harbors and search for generalities among these sites that would allow us to predict where winter flounder might spawn in other areas. This would allow managers to avoid …

Morphological And Molecular Analyses Of The Blacknose Dace Species Complex (Genus Rhinichthys) In A Large Zone Of Contact In West Virginia, Geoffrey D. Smith

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The blacknose dace species complex (Rhinichthys atratulus, Rhinichthys obtusus obtusus, and Rhinichthys obtusus meleagris) are among the most common freshwater fishes in eastern North American. Despite this fact, the taxonomy of this group is still in question. This study focuses on the relationship of the members of this species complex along an unusually large zone of contact in the high Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. Morphological, distributional, and molecular analysis of the relationships of this complex were conducted in this area to try to shed light on the systematics of this group. Morphological analysis of coloration patterns of nuptual males …

A Study Of The Genus Desmognathus In West Virginia, With Emphasis On Desmognathus Welteri, The Black Mountain Salamander, Tristan Bond

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Black Mountain Salamander, Desmognathus welteri, is listed as S2 by the WVDNR. Given the threat of extirpation, this species is in need of studies to facilitate a conservation effort. The following studies were completed as part of this work: Comparative morphology of the genus Desmognathus in West Virginia; Distribution of D. welteri in West Virginia; Habitat partitioning of Desmognathine salamanders; and Phenology of Desmognathus spp. Ratios of morphometrics of the tail were found to be most useful for distinguishing Desmognathus spp. D. welteri was found in three of 22 streams searched, meaning there are now 21 documented occurrences of …

Habitat Preferences Of The Eastern Hellbender In West Virginia, S. Conor Keitzer

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Eastern Hellbender, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis, is a species of concern in West Virginia and is in need of management. An important component of conservation efforts will involve identifying suitable habitat for protection. The goal of this research was to locate populations and examine hellbender habitat preferences to help managers identify habitat for protection. Populations were located using rock turning surveys from May through November, 2006. Hellbenders may be sensitive to water chemistry, so the dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, specific conductivity, and water temperature were measured. Substrate composition may influence populations, so substrate was characterized with Wolman pebble counts. …

A Bioenergetics-Based Population Dynamics Model Of Pacific Herring (Clupea Harengus Pallasi) Coupled To A Lower Trophic Level Nutrient–Phytoplankton–Zooplankton Model: Description, Calibration, And Sensitivity Analysis, Bernard A. Megrey, Kenneth A. Rose, Robert A. Klumb, Douglas E. Hay, Francisco E. Werner, David L. Eslinger, S. Lan Smithg

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

We describe an approach to dynamically couple a fish bioenergetics-based population dynamics model to the NEMURO lower trophic level nutrient–phytoplankton–zooplankton model. The coupled models, denoted NEMURO.FISH and configured for Pacific herring (Clupea harengus pallasii) on the west coast of Vancouver Island, are capable of simulating the daily dynamics of the lower trophic levels and the daily average weight and numbers of individual herring in each of 10 age classes over multiple years. New recruits to the herring population are added each June based on either constant recruitment or dynamic recruitment generated from an environmental Ricker spawner–recruitment relationship. The …

A Guide To Nestling Development And Aging In Altricial Passerines, Dennis Jonsomjit, Stephanie L. Jones, Thomas Gardali, Geoffrey R. Geupel, Paula J. Gouse

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Nestling growth and development studies have been a topic of interest for a greater part of the last century (Sutton 1935, Walkinshaw 1948) and continue to be of interest today. This is not surprising since studies on nestling growth can provide a wealth of biological information that has larger implications for avian management and conservation. Despite this history of studying nestling development, basic information is still limited or absent for many species. Many questions remain unanswered, and contradictory conclusions are often found in the literature (Starck and Ricklefs 1998a). Therefore, much information on aging and development can still be gained …

Lead Shot Availability To Birds Using The North Platte River Near A Trap And Skeet Range, Kimberly Dickerson, Aida Farag, Andrea Gray, Dave Harper, William Brumbaugh

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

A trap and skeet shooting range gun club is located on the North Platte River, below the Guernsey Reservoir in Wyoming. In 1999, we obtained sediment samples to determine if lead shot from shooting activities was present and potentially available to waterfowl and bald eagles. We collected 25 sediment samples, each consisting of the upper 10 cm of sediment, every 1.5 meters along transects that paralleled the river bank and skeet range. Sediment was sorted using a series of sieves. Nineteen of the 25 samples contained at least one lead shot (range = 1-14 lead shot/sample). Samples nearest the bank …

Assessment Of Impacts To Aquatic Organisms From Pesticide Use On The Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Elizabeth J. Materna, Jeremy Buck

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

The primary habitat management objective for the three refuges of the Willamette Valley NWR Complex is to provide high quality forage for wintering Canada geese. To accomplish this, much of the land within the refuge is managed for grass production involving applications of herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers. Other agrochemicals such as insecticides are applied to agricultural land outside the refuge. Some agrochemicals used in the area have the potential to enter aquatic habitats of the refuge and could impact species such as amphibians, turtles, or the federally-listed Oregon chub. The objective of this investigation was to sample both biotic and …

Evaluation Of Wetlands Created With Effluent From A Swine Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation Using Mallard Sentinels: Implications For Mcmurtrey National Wildlife Refuge, Matthew S. Schwarz, Christina D. Lydick

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Previous work by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service identified nutrients, elemental contaminants, algal toxins, bacterial pathogens, and hormones as contaminants of concern (COCs) associated with wetlands created from the secondary effluent of a large swine concentrated animal feeding operation. In this follow-up study, COC exposure and effects to waterfowl were evaluated using game farm mallards. Mallards were kept in enclosures built on two created wetlands (treatment sites) and two reference wetlands that are federally managed for waterfowl habitat. Water quality in the created wetland enclosures had higher specific conductivity, BOD, turbidity, pH, and nutrients than reference wetlands. Algal blooms …

Dietary Overlap Of An Alien And Native Carnivore On San Clemente Island, California, R. Brand Phillips, Clark S. Winchell, Robert H. Schmidt

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Predation by feral cats (Felis catus) is recognized as a major threat to native fauna worldwide, but the competitive effects of cats on native species have not been extensively studied. Cats occur on San Clemente Island, California, in sympatry with endemic island foxes (Urocyon littoralis clementae). We examined diets of cats and island foxes between years, seasons, and habitats to assess the potential for resource competition between the 2 species. Analysis of 602 cat and 958 fox feces revealed a high level of dietary overlap (O = 0.93) and relatively narrow niche breadths for both …

Color, Cooking Loss And Textural Properties Of Patties As Affected By Catfish Belly Flap Mince Size And Cooking Method, Jin M. Kim, Bartholomew W. Green

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Patties were prepared with different sizes of channel catfish belly flap mince. Belly flap meat was minced using four different sizes of openings of plate, mixed with salt, formed, and cooked by two methods, in water and oven. Results indicated no differences (P>0.05) in Kramer shear break force in the patties cooked by different methods for same size of mince. As size of meat particles for patties decreased, increased were hardness and gumminess, and color difference from fillet, but decreased were Kramer shear break force as well as percent cooking loss (p< 0.05). Patties cooked in an oven showed greater color difference from fillet, percent cooking loss, hardness, and gumminess than those cooked in water for the same size of meat particles (p < 0.05).

The Extent Of Interaction Between The Scallop And Prawn Fleets In The Shark Bay Scallop Managed Fishery, John Dickson

Theses : Honours

The Shark Bay Managed Scallop Fishery is Western Australia's most important scallop fishery with an annual value of between $2 and $58 million. In addition to this the fishery is an important source of regional employment with approximately 160 skippers and crew employed during the 2005 season. Two separate fleets are permitted to fish for scallops in this fishery, the first consisting of dedicated scallop fishing vessels (Class A licences) and the second of prawn fishing vessels (Class B licences) that are allowed to take scallops under a catch sharing arrangement. Concerns exist over the interactions between these two fleets …

Effect Of Age And Tissue Weight On The Cadmium Concentration In Pacific Oysters (Crassostrea Gigas), Rosalee S. Hellberg, Michael T. Morrissey, Dan Cheney

Food Science Faculty Articles and Research

This study investigated the influence of age and tissue weight on cadmium (Cd) levels in Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas). Oysters from 4 different age groups (1, 2, 3, and 4 y) were collected at an oyster farm in Willapa Bay, Washington. To examine the effects of age, 60 oysters from each group were sorted into 3 composites of 20, and Cd analysis was carried out on all composite samples. To study the effects of tissue weights, 25 oysters from each of the 4 age groups were collected and analyzed individually for Cd. All oyster Cd concentrations were below …

A Taxonomic Study Of The Morphological Variation And Intergradation Of Chrysemys Picta (Schneider) (Emydidae, Testudines) In West Virginia, Melissa R. Mann

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Two subspecies of Chrysemys picta (C. p. picta and C. p. marginata) occur in West Virginia. The Allegheny Mountains have historically separated the distribution of C. p. picta and C. p. marginata; however, intergrades occur where ranges overlap. These intergrades display morphological characteristics that are often intermediate to the original subspecies. Morphological variation of C. picta was examined by comparing specimens from possible areas of C. p. picta x C .p. marginata intergradation in West Virginia to geographic areas that are not exposed to subspecies distribution overlap. Characters traditionally used to separate C. p. picta and C. p. marginata were …

Otolith Chemistry Reflects Frontal Systems In The Antarctic Circumpolar Current, J. R. Ashford, A. I. Arkhipkin, C. M. Jones

OES Faculty Publications

Pronounced environmental trends across fronts suggest that the otolith chemistry of oceanic fish can resolve zones on either side, promoting application to population questions at similar spatial scales. Trace and minor elements laid down immediately prior to capture - along the edges of otoliths from Patagonian toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides - discriminated frontal zones in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Mean values differentiated sampling areas by up to 2.6 standard deviations, suggesting: (1) otolith Mg/Ca enrichment related to fish activity around the Burdwood Bank; (2) Mn/Ca enrichment associated with South America; (3) Sr/Ca linked to the presence …

A Practical Approach To Phylogenomics: The Phylogeny Of Ray-Finned Fish (Actinopterygii) As A Case Study, Chenhong Li, Guillermo Orti, Gong Zhang, Guoqing Lu

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: Molecular systematics occupies one of the central stages in biology in the genomic era, ushered in by unprecedented progress in DNA technology. The inference of organismal phylogeny is now based on many independent genetic loci, a widely accepted approach to assemble the tree of life. Surprisingly, this approach is hindered by lack of appropriate nuclear gene markers for many taxonomic groups especially at high taxonomic level, partially due to the lack of tools for efficiently developing new phylogenetic makers. We report here a genome-comparison strategy to identifying nuclear gene markers for phylogenetic inference and apply it to the …

Climate-Induced Forest Dieback As An Emergent Global Phenomenon, Craig Allen, David D. Breshears

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

An organized oral session at the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America in San Jose, Calif., posed this question: Is climate-induced drought stress triggering increasing rates and unusual patterns of forest die-off at a global scale? Twenty-nine researchers representing five continents reported on patterns, mechanisms, and projections of forest mortality.

Review Of The Crevalle Jacks, Caranx Hippos Complex (Teleostei: Carangidae), With A Description Of A New Species From West Africa, William F. Smith-Vaniz, Kent E. Carpenter

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The Caranx hippos species complex comprises three extant species: crevalle jack (Caranx hippos) (Linnaeus, 1766) from both the western and eastern Atlantic oceans; Pacific crevalle jack (Caranx caninus) Günther,1868 from the eastern Pacific Ocean; and longfin crevalle jack (Caranx fischeri) new species, from the eastern Atlantic, including the Mediterranean Sea and Ascension Island. Adults of all three species are superficially similar with a black blotch on the lower half of the pectoral fin, a black spot on the upper margin of opercle, one or two pairs of enlarged symphyseal canines on the lower jaw, …

Comparison Of Three Survey Methods Applied To The Recreational Rock Lobster Fishery Of Western Australia., Tara Baharthah

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

A mail survey of recreational rock lobster licence holders has been conducted annually since 1986. The results from this survey have been used in the management of the recreational rock lobster fishery in Western Australia. Mail surveys are susceptible to non-response and recall bias. The key to determining useful estimates of fishing catch and effort is to minimise both biases. Telephone recall surveys, with high response rates, effectively eliminate nonresponse bias. However, they still suffer from recall bias when the recall period is greater than two months. Telephone diary surveys are free of non-response bias and recall bias and provide …

The Effects Of Harvesting And Hauling On The Blood Physiology And Fillet Quality Of Market-Size Channel Catfish, C. Douglas Minchew, Rachael V. Beecham, Philip R. Pearson, Bartholomew W. Green, Jin M. Kim, Susan B. Bailey

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Commercially produced, food-size channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus that were harvested using routine procedures had significant elevations in plasma cortisol, glucose, and lactate compared with preharvest fish captured from open ponds. Blood samples were taken from 10 fish in each of two treatments (liquid oxygen diffuser- and paddlewheel-aerated holding socks) and four sampling periods (before harvest, after socking, before loading, and before unloading) during each of 10 harvest events. Water column temperatures averaged approximately 278 C during the study. Ten fillet samples were taken from fish held overnight in paddlewheel- and liquid oxygen-aerated holding socks during some harvest events. Mean plasma …

Integrated Coastal Spatial Allocation And Planning Of Aquaculture In A Geographical Information System Approach, Andrew Ehiabhi Akhighu

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Suspended Sediment On The Aquatic Organisms Daphnia Magna And Pimephales Promelas, Neil Capper

All Theses

Land use change results in significant amounts of soil migrating into aquatic streams during storm events. This suspended sediment, even in the absence of adsorbed contaminants, may be a significant stressor to aquatic organisms. The data on ecological effects of suspended sediment has mainly focused on salmonids or ecosystem level consequences such as habitat alteration. Few studies have quantified physiologic effects of suspended solids on water column organisms. The purpose of this research was to determine the effects of suspended clay on Daphnia magna and Pimephales promelas. Results of 7 d toxicity tests with D. magna in natural and …