Jeffrey B. Koppelman

Selection for Vulnerability to Angling in Largemouth Bass

Abstract Although a great deal of effort has been expended to try to understand the consequences of fishing-induced selection by commercial fisheries, relatively little effort has been put into trying to understand the selective effects of recreational angling. We conducted a long-term selection experiment to assess the heritability of vulnerability to angling in largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides. Three successive generations of artificially selected largemouth bass were produced from a single experimental study population. Within each generation, individual adult largemouth bass were identified as having either high or low vulnerability to angling through a series of controlled catch-and-release angling trials. Individuals of each vulnerability group (high and low) were then selected from that population for breeding to produce the next generation. The response to selection for vulnerability to angling increased with each generation; that is, the magnitude of the difference between the high- and low-...

SPECIATION IN NORTH AMERICAN BLACK BASSES, MICROPTERUS (ACTINOPTERYGII: CENTRARCHIDAE)

Abstract.— The Pleistocene Epoch has been frequently cited as a period of intense speciation for a significant portion of temperate continental biotas. To critically assess the role of Pleistocene glaciations on the evolution of the freshwater fish clade Micropterus, we use a phylogenetic analysis of complete gene sequences from two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome b and ND2), and a fossil calibration of the molecular clock to estimate ages of speciation events and rates of diversification. The absence of substantial morphological and ecological divergence together with endemism of five of the eight species in North American tributaries of the Gulf of Mexico may be interpreted as the result of a recent Pleistocene origin for these species. Speciation dates in Micropterus range from 1.01 ± 0.32 to 11.17 ± 1.02 million years ago. Only one speciation event is dated to the Pleistocene, and rates of diversification are not significantly variable in Micropterus. The premise that the Pleistocene was an exceptional period of speciation in Micropterus is not supported. Instead, a Gulf Coast allopatric speciation model is proposed, and predicts periods of dynamic speciation driven by sea level fluctuations in the Late Miocene and Pliocene. The Pleistocene, however, was a period of significant intraspecific mitochondrial lineage diversification. The application of the Gulf Coast allopatric speciation model to the remaining aquatic fauna of the Gulf of Mexico coast in North America will rely on robust phylogenetic hypotheses and accurate age estimations of speciation events.

Survival of Three Sizes of Genetically Marked Walleyes Stocked into Two Missouri Impoundments

Abstract Survival of genetically marked walleyes Stizostedion vitreum of three size-classes was used to determine stocking success in two Missouri impoundments that differ in age, productivity, and fish species abundance. Markers at the IDHP-1* gene locus were selected because they can be detected by nonlethal methods. Stocking rates averaged 1,223 fry, 37 small fingerlings (25–51 mm in total length, TL), and 24 advanced fingerlings (91–122 mm TL) per hectare. Zooplankton were sampled before and after fry and small fingerlings were stocked. Walleyes collected by electrofishing during the 2-year period after stocking were used to compare stocking success. General sampling of fish populations was also conducted by electrofishing during the study period. Small fingerlings exhibited greater rates of survival in both impoundments than did advanced fingerlings, and both fingerling sizes were returned at significantly higher rates than fry. Although increased survival is generally assumed for an increase in stoc...

Geographic variation of paddlefish allozymes and mitochondrial DNA

Abstract North American paddlefish Polyodon spathula historically occurred in the Mississippi, Saint Lawrence, and Alabama rivers, as well as several other Gulf of Mexico coastal drainages. Recent population declines in some locations and the local extirpations of others purportedly have been due to habitat loss, overharvest, and other biotic and abiotic changes to riverine ecosystems. Mitigation for these declines has emphasized hatchery production and supplemental stocking programs, which use a number of geographical sources for parental stock. To investigate phylogeographic relationships within and among several watersheds, we surveyed allozyme and mtDNA variation among 189 individuals collected from six regions of the Mississippi River drainage plus the Mobile Bay and Pearl River drainages. Paddlefish exhibited lower levels of allelic and haplotypic diversity than other freshwater species, a characteristic shared with other “primitive” fishes. Allozyme variation at 64 presumptive loci was segregated i...

Genetic relationships of hellbenders in the Ozark highlands of Missouri and conservation implications for the Ozark subspecies (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis bishopi)

The hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) is an obligately aquatic salamander that is in decline due to habitat loss and disease. Two subspecies of hellbender have been described based on morphological characteristics: C. a. alleganiensis (eastern subspecies) and C. a. bishopi (Ozark hellbender). Current conservation strategies include captive propagation for restorative releases even though information regarding the current levels of genetic variability and structure within populations is not sufficient to effectively plan for conservation of the genetic diversity of the species. To investigate patterns of population structure in the hellbender, we genotyped 276 hellbenders from eight Missouri River drainages, representing both subspecies. Our results showed low levels of within-drainage diversity but strong population structure among rivers, and three distinct genetic clusters. FST values ranged from 0.00 to 0.61 and averaged 0.40. Our results confirmed previous reports that C. a. bishopi and C. a. alleganiensis are genetically distinct, but also revealed an equidistant relationship between two groups within C. a. bishopi and all populations of C. a. alleganiensis. Current subspecies delineations do not accurately incorporate genetic structure, and for conservation purposes, these three groups should be considered evolutionarily significant units.

Evaluating a Novel Passive Integrated Transponder Tag in Largemouth Bass

Abstract Passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags are used in fisheries evaluations as a means of marking individual fish because they often have high retention rates, can be passively detected, do not affect fish behavior, and typically do not increase the mortality rates of the study fish. One potential limitation of current PIT tag designs is their glass encapsulation, which could be hazardous to humans if inadvertently consumed. In response to these concerns, plastic infusion process (PIP) PIT tags that are fully encapsulated in food-grade polymers have recently been developed. We tested in experimental ponds the retention rates of two PIT tag types (i.e., glass and PIP) implanted into two anatomical locations (i.e., the intraperitoneal cavity and dorsal musculature) in two groups of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides. Retention of both tag types was excellent, with only one glass tag being expelled during the study. Survival was higher in control fish than in tagged fish; however, tag type and an...

Polymorphic microsatellite loci for studies of the Ozark hellbender ( Cryptobranchus alleganiensis bishopi )

The hellbender is the only North American member of the aquatic salamander family Cryptobranchidae and is a species of conservation concern across its range. We developed eight polymorphic microsatellite loci for hellbenders using a magnetic bead enrichment protocol and a PCR-based detection technique. Allelic diversity averaged 4.0 (±1.8 SD) per locus and heterozygosity averaged 0.56 (±0.30 SD). The hellbender is rare and difficult to study due to its cryptic life history. These loci will provide a valuable resource for population studies, which could inform future conservation and management decisions.

Assessment of Stocking Success of Walleye in the Eleven Point River, Arkansas

Abstract Few studies have evaluated stocking programs for walleye Sander vitreus in the southern United States; this may be the first such study for a southern river. The Eleven Point River, located in southeastern Missouri and northeastern Arkansas, has been supplementally stocked by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) for many years. Our goals were (1) to assess the contribution of walleye fingerlings in the Arkansas section (∼60 km) of the Eleven Point River using the recapture rates of marked walleyes and (2) to assess the reproductive contribution of stocked walleyes using genetic tracking of mitochondrial DNA markers. All of the walleyes stocked by the AGFC during 1999–2002 were freeze-branded; these fish possess the A haplotype, which is the most common one rangewide. Wild fish and those stocked by the MDC in the Missouri portion of the Eleven Point River possess the native C haplotype of the Black River system, which includes the Eleven Po...

Genetic Diversity among Hatchery Stocks and Established Populations of Rainbow Trout in Missouri

Abstract Introduction of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss in Missouri over the last 125 years has established numerous self-sustaining populations. While many populations have been repeatedly stocked, some have received few fish beyond the original releases, and it is possible that those populations currently represent their source lineages. There is angler interest in fishing “wild” rainbow trout populations both for historical purposes and for the fighting ability of hooked fish. A genetic inventory was conducted to determine the extent to which Missouris wild fish differ from hatchery stocks. Haplotype diversity in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome b gene and allele frequencies at four microsatellite loci were examined. Significant differences in mtDNA genotypes were found among several wild and hatchery sources, indicating that multiple sources of rainbow trout were probably represented. Crane Creek—long considered a stronghold of McCloud River (California) redband trout O. mykiss stonei in M...