Seasonal selection of habitat by Spotted Bass and Shorthead Redhorse in a regulated river in the Midwest, USA

Abstract

Riverine fish populations depend on habitats supporting their resource and life history needs. Dynamic streamflow caused by river regulation or natural events influences the distribution of downstream habitat characteristics. Through studying habitat selection, we can identify the most utilized and valuable habitats for the success of native fishes. We determined seasonal habitat selection of two common, native fish species on the Osage River downstream of Bagnell Dam, a hydroelectric dam in central Missouri, from April 2016 to June 2017 using radio telemetry. Spotted Bass (Micropterus punctulatus) are nest‐guarders, sight feeders, and habitat generalists, whereas Shorthead Redhorse (Moxostoma macrolepidotum) are fluvial dependent, migratory, and benthic feeders. Bayesian discrete choice analyses determined that both species selected particular water depth, velocity, and presence of submerged cover in some or all seasons, even as available habitat changed. Spotted Bass selected water depths <4.0 m near submerged cover during all seasons, low velocity during spring and summer, and near‐bank habitat in all seasons except spring. Shorthead Redhorse used fast flowing habitat during spring, 0.4–1.1 m/s velocity during summer, and low velocity in fall and winter (0.1–0.5 m/s). Shorthead Redhorse used submerged cover in all seasons except summer and selected specific ranges of depth within spring (2.4–4.4 m), summer (3.3–6.7 m), and winter (1.1–2.3 m). Our findings suggest that maintaining habitats with cover and diverse water depths and velocities, particularly both low and high velocity habitats during spring, may promote resilience by providing beneficial habitats for native fishes.

New records of Spotted Bass, Micropterus punctulatus, within the Mississippi River Basin, Illinois

“…Spotted Bass movement and habitat use within and between streams and rivers is variable within individual lotic systems and can differ based on seasonality, individuals (e.g., age and size), and habitat characteristics (e.g., water depth, velocity, woody structures, and aquatic vegetation; Abell et al, 2018; Baebler, 2018; Edge et al, 2020; Goclowski et al, 2013; Lewis & Elder, 1953)—thus, determining movement and habitat use for individual systems is ideal for management. Prior studies have focused on Spotted Bass movement patterns in streams (Goclowski et al, 2013; Lewis & Elder, 1953), but limited literature exists for large rivers (Baebler, 2018) and between large rivers and their tributaries (Abell et al, 2018).…”

Winter Habitat Selection and Efficacy of Telemetry to Aid Grass Carp Removal Efforts in a Large Reservoir

“…Discrete-choice models are an alternative to traditional logistic regression models to assess resource selection in temporally dynamic systems because they can easily account for temporal changes in resource quality and availability (Morato et al 2018). Discrete-choice models calculate the probability of an individual selecting a location as a function of the habitat characteristics at that location and all other available locations (Cooper and Millspaugh 1999;Manly et al 2002;Edge et al 2020). They are built on the assumption that an individual gains utility (e.g., protection from predators, improved foraging quality) from selecting particular locations with resource characteristics (e.g., vegetation coverage and substrate type) that maximize utility relative to other available locations (Cooper and Millspaugh 1999;Manly et al 2002).…”

“…2002; Edge et al. 2020). They are built on the assumption that an individual gains utility (e.g., protection from predators, improved foraging quality) from selecting particular locations with resource characteristics (e.g., vegetation coverage and substrate type) that maximize utility relative to other available locations (Cooper and Millspaugh 1999; Manly et al.…”

Spatiotemporal variation in Lake Sturgeon movement and habitat selection in Missouri river tributaries : implications for the management and recovery of populations at range margins

“…Cooper & Millspaugh 1999). Discrete choice is uniquely suited for temporally dynamic habitats in regulated rivers because they allow for comparison of used and available habitat characteristics at the time an individual is located (Edge et al 2020). We fit models using Markov Chain Monte Carlo estimation and a Bayesian approach in the jagsUI package in R (Kellner 2019) by running three chains over 40,000 total iterations with an adaptive phase of 10,000 iterations, and a thinning rate of 10.…”

“…Reintroductions of native fish species have increased in recent years, yet they may fail if the variability in the species' geographic (Huang & Frimpong 2016), seasonal (Edge et al 2020), and ontogenetic (Miyazono et al 2020) habitat requirements are not considered (Cochran-Biederman et al 2014). Habitat specialization is particularly important at species' range margins where environmental factors can approach niche limits .…”