Southern and Northern Great Plains (United States) Paddlefish Stocks Within Frameworks of Acipenseriform Life History and the Metabolic Theory of Ecology

Abstract

on a southern Great Plains stock of paddlefish Polyodon spathula inhabiting the Neosho River, Spring River, and Grand Lake, Oklahoma, is characterized (1) in terms of the Acipenseriform life history framework outlined for the Yellowstone-Sakakawea stock of the Northern Plains and (2) in relation to the framework metabolic theory of ecology and associated latitudinal and environmental correlations with lifespan. In the Grand Lake stock, male fish typically mature at ages 6-7, and females mature at ages 8-9. The five stages of the lifespan (immature, maturing, growth and reproduction, prime reproduction, senescence to death) are compressed into a period of 15-20 years; the prime reproduction period occurs from ages 12 to 16 years for females. This lifespan compares to one of 40-50 years (and occasionally longer), and a prime reproduction period for females from ages 25 to 40 years, for the Yellowstone-Sakakawea stock. The more compressed lifespan of the Grand Lake stock and lower energy storage, as indicated by weights of gonadal fat bodies, are consistent with the framework metabolic theory of ecology. Over the course of a year, fish in Grand Lake are under a much higher metabolic demand than those in Lake Sakakawea. The distinct differences detailed between these two stocks from the southern and northern plains may exist between other paddlefish stocks, other Acipenseriform species, and other fish taxa separated by large latitudinal and climatic differences. The results have specific implications for harvest management and effects of climate change on Acipenseriform life histories and lifespan.

Estimation of paddlefish (Polyodon spathulaWalbaum, 1792) spawning habitat availability with consumer-grade sonar

“…Neosho River paddlefish recruitment characteristics prior to the construction of these dams are unknown; therefore the impacts can only be assumed. Though irregular, large recruitment events in the Grand Lake stock were documented in 1999 (Scarnecchia et al., ; Schooley et al., ) and in 2015 (ODWC, unpublished data) it is unknown if the Neosho River, Spring River, or a combination of the two is responsible for these successful spawning events. Future, planned research using dentary bone microchemistry can be combined with PHA models presented here to shed light on the origin of harvested adults and the back‐calculated relative contribution of each river to annual paddlefish recruitment (Bock, Whitledge, Pracheil, & Bailey, ).…”

“…The paddlefish stock in Grand Lake O' the Cherokees (hereafter, Grand Lake) and its two primary headwaters, Neosho and Spring rivers, supports a prominent destination fishery in Northeast Oklahoma that attracts anglers from across the United States and other nations (Jager & Schooley, ). Paddlefish in Grand Lake have access for spawning migrations during periods of high water, but the age structure is dominated by episodic recruitment that is driven by springtime hydrological conditions (Scarnecchia et al., ; Schooley et al., ). Both the Neosho River and Spring River have supported successful paddlefish reproduction (Schooley & Johnston, ), but relatively little is known about the interaction between habitat and hydrology in either.…”

Energy acquisition and allocation to egg production in relation to fish reproductive strategies

“…; Scarnecchia et al . ). These taxa may serve as excellent models for studies of plasticity and adaptation of breeding strategies to new environmental conditions.…”

“…Many species do not spawn annually (Rideout et al 2005;Secor 2008;Rideout and Tomkiewicz 2011). For some, this may simply be a physiological constraint, such that it takes more than one year to develop a clutch of eggs (Roussow 1957;Carrier et al 2004;Kennedy et al 2011;Scarnecchia et al 2011). For others, skip spawning is an environmentally driven conditional reproductive strategy.…”

“…; Scarnecchia et al . ). For others, skip spawning is an environmentally driven conditional reproductive strategy.…”