Life History Attributes of Fishes along the Latitudinal Gradient of the Missouri River

Abstract

Populations of two short-lived species (emerald shiner Notropis atherinoides and sicklefin chub Macrhybopsis meeki) and three long-lived species (freshwater drum Aplodinotus grunniens, river carpsucker Carpiodes carpio, and sauger Stizostedion canadense) were studied in the Missouri River to examine spatial variations in life history characteristics across a latitudinal and thermal gradient (38Њ47ЈN to 48Њ03ЈN). The life history characteristics included longevity (maximum age), the rate at which asymptotic length was approached (K from the von Bertalanffy growth equation), the mean back-calculated length at age, and growth rates during the first year of life (mm/degree-day and mm/d). The mean water temperature and number of days in the growing season averaged 1.3 times greater in the southern than in the northern latitudes, while degree-days averaged twice as great. The longevity of all species except freshwater drum increased significantly from south to north, but the relationships between maximum age and latitude were curvilinear for short-lived species and linear for long-lived species. The von Bertalanffy growth coefficient for river carpsuckers and saugers increased from north to south, as indicated by significant negative relationships between K and latitude. Mean back-calculated length at age was negatively related to latitude for freshwater drums (Նage 4) and saugers (ages 1-5) but positively related to latitude for river carpsuckers (Նage 6). One of the growth rates examined (mm/degree-day) increased significantly from low to high latitudes for emerald shiners, sicklefin chubs, freshwater drums, and river carpsuckers during the first growing season. The other growth rate (mm/d) increased significantly from low to high latitudes for emerald shiners but was inversely related to latitude for saugers. These results suggest that the thermal regime related to latitude influences the life history characteristics of fishes in the Missouri River.

Latitudinal variation in lifespan within species is explained by the metabolic theory of ecology

“…The temperature slopes (␤) estimated for these species did not change significantly when mass was excluded from the regression in all cases except Stizostedion canadense. Importantly, this species is also known to exhibit a latitudinal gradient in the genetic capacity for growth (30), which can potentially generate an interaction between the effects of temperature and mass that is not accounted for in standard MTE analyses. All subsequent results refer to regressions including only temperature.…”

Population Dynamics of the Sand Shiner (Notropis stramineus) in Non-Wadeable Rivers of lowa

“…Winemiller and Rose (1992) reported that cyprinids are typically small-bodied fishes with a short lifespan and that longevity of fishes in the family is less than all other North American families. Short life spans are particularly common in cyprinids native to the Great Plains (e.g., Guy 2001, Braaten andGuy 2002). Like growth and mortality, understanding patterns in recruitment is important for better understanding the life history of fishes and potential effects of disturbance on fish population dynamics.…”

A synthesis of the ecological processes influencing variation in life history and movement patterns of American eel: towards a global assessment

“…Latitudinal increases in water temperature, degreedays, and the duration of the growing season from north to south have been associated with changes in life history traits such as growth, mortality, and longevity (Beamesderfer and North 1995;Lobón-Cerbiá et al 1996;Braaten and Guy 2002). Studies of European eel have shown that, although differentiation of the gonads takes place during the yellow stage (Colombo and Grandi 1996), the growth rate of elvers during their first year of life emerges as a strong predictor of subsequent gender with males growing faster than females in the early stages (Holmgren et al 1997).…”

“…Life history attributes of fishes along latitudinal gradients indicate that, within a species, longevity increases and mortality decreases from south to north (Colby and Nepzy 1981;Beverton 1987;Braaten and Guy 2002), that body size increases from south to north (Winemiller 1991;Taylor and Gotelli 1994), and that growth rates (as indicated by the Von Bertalanffy growth coefficient k) increase from north to south (Beverton 1987;Lobón-Cerbiá et al 1996;Braaten and Guy 2002). Trade-offs between longevity and mortality produce differential…”

“…Although latitudinal gradients (e.g., productivity and temperature) can exert stronger influences on life history than variation in stream habitat (Braaten and Guy 2002), anthropogenic perturbations may still alter life history parameters independently of the ecological processes represented by latitudinal gradients. Dams, exploitation, and hydropower turbines clearly constitute artificial selective pressures against freshwater yellow and silver eel, but the relative effects that reduced fish passage and anthropogenic mortality have on population dynamics of the entire species are qualitatively different.…”