Thermal Requirements of the Bonytail (<i>Gila elegans</i>): Application to Propagation and Thermal-Regime Management of Rivers of the Colorado River Basin

Kappenman, Kevin M.; Cureton, Elijah S.; Ilgen, Jason E.; Toner, Matt; Fraser, William C.; Kindschi, Greg A.

doi:10.1894/0038-4909-57.4.421

Cited by 10 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…In general, the thermal optimum for growth of Rainbow Trout is around 13 C (Bear and McMahon 2007), while that for Brown Trout is generally higher (14-17 C;Forseth and Jonsson 1994). Both species are much more cold-adapted than the native Colorado River fishes, which all have thermal optima of 22-26 C (Bulkley et al 1981;Kappenman et al 2012). Stocking coldwater sport fish such as Rainbow Trout into rivers with native warmwater fishes is common after construction of large hydroelectric dams (Weiland and Hayward 1997;Bettinger and Bettoli 2002;Hodgens et al 2004).…”

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confidence: 99%

Effects of Water Temperature and Fish Size on Predation Vulnerability of Juvenile Humpback Chub to Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout

Ward

Morton-Starner

2015

Trans Am Fish Soc

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Predation on juvenile native fish by introduced Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout is considered a significant threat to the persistence of endangered Humpback Chub Gila cypha in the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Diet studies of Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout in Glen and Grand canyons indicate that these species do eat native fish, but impacts are difficult to assess because predation vulnerability is highly variable, depending on prey size, predator size, and the water temperatures under which the predation interactions take place. We conducted laboratory experiments to evaluate how short-term predation vulnerability of juvenile native fish changes in response to fish size and water temperature using captivity-reared Humpback Chub, Bonytail, and Roundtail Chub. Juvenile chub 45-90 mm total length (TL) were exposed to adult Rainbow and Brown trouts at 10, 15, and 20 C to measure predation vulnerability as a function of water temperature and fish size. A 1 C increase in water temperature decreased shortterm predation vulnerability of Humpback Chub to Rainbow Trout by about 5%, although the relationship is not linear. Brown Trout were highly piscivorous in the laboratory at any size > 220 mm TL and at all water temperatures we tested. Understanding the effects of predation by trout on endangered Humpback Chub is critical in evaluating management options aimed at preserving native fishes in Grand Canyon National Park.

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confidence: 99%

Effects of Water Temperature and Fish Size on Predation Vulnerability of Juvenile Humpback Chub to Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout

Ward

Morton-Starner

2015

Trans Am Fish Soc

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“…Since 2003, mainstem Colorado River temperatures in this reach have increased from an annual range of about 8-108C to about 8-148C, because of lower reservoir levels in Lake Powell . For congener Gila species, such as Bonytail Gila elegans, temperatures of less than 148C depressed the growth of juveniles in laboratory conditions (Kappenman et al 2012). In laboratory experiments with larval and small juvenile Humpback Chub (, 50 mm TL), Clarkson and Childs (2000) found that water temperatures of 108C led to very little growth for juvenile Humpback Chub, but at 148C growth substantially increased.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Body Condition of Endangered Humpback Chub in Relation to Temperature and Discharge in the Lower Colorado River

Hayes

Dodrill

Gerig

et al. 2017

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management

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Determining the population status of endangered Humpback Chub Gila cypha is a major component of the adaptive management program designed to inform operation of Glen Canyon Dam upstream from Grand Canyon, Arizona. In recent decades, resource managers have identified a portfolio of management actions (with intermittent implementation) to promote population recovery of Humpback Chub, including nonnative fish removal, changes in water release volumes and discharge ramping schedules, and reductions in hydropower peaking operations. The Humpback Chub population in Grand Canyon has increased over this same period, causal factors for which are unclear. We took advantage of unusual hydrology in the Colorado River basin in 2011 to assess trends in juvenile Humpback Chub length-weight relationships and condition in the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam as well as in the unregulated Little Colorado River. Within each river, we observed higher length-weight b-parameter estimates (exponent of the standard power equation) at higher water temperatures. We also found higher slope estimates for the length-weight relationship at higher temperatures in the Little Colorado River. Slope estimates were more variable in the Colorado River, where mean water temperatures were more uniform. The next step is to examine whether Humpback Chub length-weight relationships influence population metrics such as abundance or survival. If these relationships exist, then monitoring condition in juvenile Humpback Chub would provide a quick and low-cost technique for assessing population response to planned management experiments or changing environmental conditions.

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“…Optimizing growth rates has been a specific recovery objective for Bonytail in the lower Colorado River because conservation goals associated with augmentation require a minimum stocking size in an effort to increase post‐release survival (Bureau of Reclamation, ; Lower Colorado River Multi‐Species Conservation Program, ). Although several studies have evaluated aquaculture techniques (i.e., cage culture, diet improvement, polyculture and thermal regimes) to facilitate Bonytail growth (Henne et al, ; Kappenman et al, ; Sowka & Brunkow, ), the effect of uncontrolled recruitment on growth rates of production fish has not been evaluated. The use of biological controls has been shown to greatly reduce densities (Kavanagh & Olson, ; Ward & Slaney, ; Ward et al, ; Westers, ), and, indeed, our results demonstrated Colorado Pikeminnow to be effective at reducing total biomass.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Water temperature was similar between years, with little variation among ponds. At the start of the experiment, water temperatures were relatively low, but by early to mid‐May, temperatures rose to 18–22°C, reaching the preferred range for spawning (Kappenman et al, ; Marsh, ). Indeed, ideal spawning temperatures corresponded to dates when larval fish were first observed in the experimental ponds.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although several studies have evaluated aquaculture techniques (i.e., cage culture, diet improvement, polyculture and thermal regimes) to facilitate Bonytail growth (Henne et al, 2007(Henne et al, , 2006Kappenman et al, 2012;Sowka & Brunkow, 1999), the effect of uncontrolled recruitment on growth rates of production fish has not been evaluated. The use of biological controls has been shown to greatly reduce densities (Kavanagh & Olson, 2014;Ward & Slaney, 1988;Ward et al, 1989;Westers, 2001), We observed a positive effect of initial size in both the ∆TL and ∆g models, indicating the starting sizes of fish had a strong effect on their growth over time.…”

Section: Bonytail Growth Ratementioning

confidence: 99%

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Endangered species managing endangered species: Polyculture of piscivorous Colorado Pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius) with production Bonytail (Gila elegans) to control recruitment and increase growth rates

et al. 2019

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The decline and endangerment of native fish has led to an increase in hatcheries that sustain and augment threatened and endangered species. In an effort to restore self‐sustaining populations, hatchery‐reared Bonytail (Gila elegans) are released into the lower Colorado River annually. Current augmentation protocols for Bonytail require a minimum stocking size of 300 mm total length due to greater apparent survival of larger individuals. The fish culture process of reaching this desired target size requires multiple years of growth, during which precocious individuals regularly spawn. Recruitment in production ponds increases densities, potentially reducing growth rates and adversely affecting culture conditions. Polyculture techniques have been shown to have synergistic effects and under proper conditions effectively control unwanted biota. In an effort to address the management implications of Bonytail recruitment on adult growth and survival, we tested the use of a historically co‐occurring piscivore, Colorado Pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius), as a biological control agent. Colorado Pikeminnow effectively controlled Bonytail recruitment and had a positive effect on adult growth rates. Our results suggest polyculture of these two species can aid management actions by increasing augmentation efforts.

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Thermal Requirements of the Bonytail (Gila elegans): Application to Propagation and Thermal-Regime Management of Rivers of the Colorado River Basin

Cited by 10 publications

References 43 publications

Effects of Water Temperature and Fish Size on Predation Vulnerability of Juvenile Humpback Chub to Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout

Effects of Water Temperature and Fish Size on Predation Vulnerability of Juvenile Humpback Chub to Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout

Body Condition of Endangered Humpback Chub in Relation to Temperature and Discharge in the Lower Colorado River

Endangered species managing endangered species: Polyculture of piscivorous Colorado Pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius) with production Bonytail (Gila elegans) to control recruitment and increase growth rates

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