Demographics and Chronology of a Spawning Aggregation of Blue Sucker (<i>Cycleptus elongatus</i>) in the Grand River, Missouri, USA

Vokoun, Jason C.; Guerrant, Travis L.; Rabení, Charles F.

doi:10.1080/02705060.2003.9663997

Cited by 27 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…In the Neosho River, Kansas, blue sucker spawned in cobble‐bedrock riffles of 1–2 m depth, and spawning adults were captured in depths of 1.4 m at a velocity of 1.8 m/s (Moss et al., ). In the Grand River, Missouri, blue sucker spawning also took place in a cobble‐boulder riffle complex, with fish most concentrated in areas 0.5–1.0 m deep with velocities >1.0 m/s (Vokoun et al., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For blue sucker, the timing of and environmental conditions during presumed spawning in the LWR were only partially concordant with values from the literature. Blue sucker spawning has been reported to occur from March through June, depending on latitude and elevation, but mainly during April and May at water temperatures of 10–23°C with spawning peaks at 14–20°C (Moss et al., ; Burr & Mayden, ; Vokoun et al., ; Bednarski & Scarnecchia, ). In the LWR, spawning appeared to occur during late April and early May at water temperatures of 8–15.5°C, somewhat cooler than other sites where the species has been studied.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Habitat use and population characteristics of potentially spawning shovelnose sturgeonScaphirhynchus platorynchus(Rafinesque, 1820), blue sucker (Cycleptus elongatus(Lesueur, 1817), and associated species in the lower Wisconsin River, USA

et al. 2016

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Summary The goal of this study was to compare the possible locations, timing, and characteristics of potentially spawning shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus), blue sucker (Cycleptus elongatus), and associated species during the spring of 2007–2015 in the 149‐km‐long lower Wisconsin River, Wisconsin, USA, a large, shallow, sand‐dominated Mississippi River tributary. A 5‐km index station of two pairs of rocky shoals surrounded by sandy areas was electrofished for shovelnose sturgeon and blue sucker in a standardized fashion a total of 40 times from late March through mid‐June, the presumed spawning period. On one date in 2008 and two dates in 2012, all rocky shoals and adjacent sandy areas in the lowermost 149 km of the river were also electrofished for both species. Shovelnose sturgeon and blue sucker appeared to spawn in the limited rocky areas of the river along with at least four other species: mooneye (Hiodon tergisus), quillback (Carpiodes cyprinus), smallmouth buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus), and shorthead redhorse (Moxostoma macrolepidotum), usually at depths of 0.8–2.0 m and surface velocities of 0.4–1.0 m/s. However, apparently spawning shovelnose sturgeon were found only on mid‐channel cobble and coarse gravel shoals within a single 7‐km segment that included the 5‐km index station, whereas apparently spawning blue suckers were encountered on these same shoals but also more widely throughout the river on eroding bluff shorelines of bedrock and boulder and on artificial boulder wing dams and shoreline rip‐rap. Both species showed evidence of homing to the same mid‐channel shoal complexes across years. Blue sucker tended to concentrate on the shoals earlier in the spring than shovelnose sturgeon, usually from late April through mid‐May at water temperatures of 8.0–15.5°C along with quillback and shorthead redhorse. In comparison, shovelnose sturgeon usually concentrated on the shoals from mid‐May through early June at 13.5–21.8°C along with mooneye and smallmouth buffalo. Based on recaptures of tagged fish, at least some shovelnose sturgeon and blue sucker returned to the shoals at one‐year intervals, although there was evidence that female blue sucker may have been more likely to return at two‐year intervals. Most shovelnose sturgeon could not be reliably sexed based on external characteristics. Spawning shovelnose sturgeon ranged from 487 to 788 mm fork length, 500–2400 g weight, and 5–20 years of age, whereas spawning blue sucker ranged from 495 to 822 mm total length, 900–5100 g weight, and 5–34 years of age, although age estimates were uncertain. Females were significantly larger than males for both species although there was overlap. Growth in length was negligible for tagged and recaptured presumably spawning shovelnose sturgeon and low (3.5 mm/y) for blue sucker, suggesting that nearly all growth may have occurred prior to maturity and that fish may have matured at a wide range of sizes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat use and population characteristics of potentially spawning shovelnose sturgeonScaphirhynchus platorynchus(Rafinesque, 1820), blue sucker (Cycleptus elongatus(Lesueur, 1817), and associated species in the lower Wisconsin River, USA

et al. 2016

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“…Minimum TL for transmitter implantation was 620 mm to ensure sexual maturity (Rupprecht & Jahn 1980;Moss et al 1983;Pflieger 1997;Vokoun et al 2003;Daugherty et al 2008). All fish were measured to the nearest millimetre and selected for transmitter implantation based on total length (TL).…”

Section: Fish Collection and Transmitter Implantationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal use distributions and migrations of blue sucker in the Middle Missouri River

Neely

Pegg

Mestl

2009

Ecology of Freshwater Fish

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Blue suckers, Cycleptus elongatus, are a highly mobile species speculated to have spring spawning migrations. However, previous studies have not quantified seasonal migrations of blue suckers. Use distributions were calculated at 90% and 50% for three seasons to identify geographic space-use requirements of blue suckers. Mean 90% use distributions (±SE) varied from 8.1 km (±5.3 km) in summer to 78.6 km (±9.9 km) in fall to 174.9 km (±13.1 km) in spring. The great space-use requirements of blue suckers in fall and spring indicate that the species makes substantial upstream migrations in fall and also preceding spawning in spring, then return to a core area postspawning. The broad geographical range occupied by blue suckers throughout their life-history cycle emphasises the need for interjurisdictional management of the species and highlights potential detrimental effects of blocking fish passage.

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“…Population declines have been attributed to channelization, impoundment and reduced flood‐plain connectivity of many major lotic systems (Coker, 1930; Becker, 1983; Hesse & Mestl, 1993). Several recent studies have examined life‐history characteristics of C. elongatus (Morey & Berry, 2003; Vokoun et al , 2003; Eitzmann et al , 2005; Daugherty et al , 2008); however, no resource selection analyses have been conducted to quantify used habitat types.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Spawning has been reported for C. elongatus throughout its range when water temperatures reached 12–23° C in spring (Rupprecht & Jahn, 1980; Moss et al , 1983; Vokoun et al , 2003). Spawning sites have typically been characterized by shallow water (< 2 m ), coarse substratum and rapid water velocity (> 1 ms −1 ) (Rupprecht & Jahn, 1980; Moss et al , 1983; Vokoun et al , 2003). Anthropogenic alterations throughout the species' historic range, however, have resulted in homogenous habitat composition and a perceived decrease in preferred spawning habitat availability (Hesse & Mestl, 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal resource selection by blue suckers Cycleptus elongatus

Neely

Pegg

Mestl

2010

Journal of Fish Biology

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Telemetry data were used to quantify seasonal resource selection and rank-preferred habitat types for blue suckers Cycleptus elongatus in the middle Missouri River and its tributaries, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, U.S.A. Habitat diversity required by C. elongatus to complete its annual lifehistory cycle was evident by interseasonal variation in habitat selection. Tributaries and unchannelized portions of the middle Missouri River system were selected during the inferred spawning season (spring), habitats along shorelines in the channelized middle Missouri River were selected for postspawning (summer) and areas of reduced current were generally selected for the period preceding spawning (autumn). This study provides insight into mature C. elongatus behaviour throughout its annual life cycle. Furthermore, these results document the interseasonal variability in habitat selection of C. elongatus and highlight the need for development of habitat selection models for other imperilled fish species in aquatic systems affected by anthropogenic developments.

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Demographics and Chronology of a Spawning Aggregation of Blue Sucker (Cycleptus elongatus) in the Grand River, Missouri, USA

Cited by 27 publications

References 13 publications

Habitat use and population characteristics of potentially spawning shovelnose sturgeonScaphirhynchus platorynchus(Rafinesque, 1820), blue sucker (Cycleptus elongatus(Lesueur, 1817), and associated species in the lower Wisconsin River, USA

Habitat use and population characteristics of potentially spawning shovelnose sturgeonScaphirhynchus platorynchus(Rafinesque, 1820), blue sucker (Cycleptus elongatus(Lesueur, 1817), and associated species in the lower Wisconsin River, USA

Seasonal use distributions and migrations of blue sucker in the Middle Missouri River

Seasonal resource selection by blue suckers Cycleptus elongatus

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