John H. Chick

Diet overlap among two Asian carp and three native fishes in backwater lakes on the Illinois and Mississippi rivers

Bighead and silver carp are well established in the Mississippi River basin following their accidental introduction in the 1980s. Referred to collectively as Asian carp, these species are filter feeders consuming phytoplankton and zooplankton. We examined diet overlap and electivity of Asian carp and three native filter feeding fishes, bigmouth buffalo, gizzard shad, and paddlefish, in backwater lakes of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. Rotifers, Keratella spp., Brachionus spp., and Trichocerca spp., were the most common prey items consumed by Asian carp and gizzard shad, whereas crustacean zooplankton were the preferred prey of paddlefish. Bigmouth buffalo diet was broad, including both rotifers and crustacean zooplankton. Dietary overlap with Asian carp was greatest for gizzard shad followed by bigmouth buffalo, but we found little diet overlap for paddlefish. Diet similarity based on taxonomy correlated strongly with diet similarity based on size suggesting filtration efficiency influenced the overlap patterns we observed. Although rotifers were the most common prey item consumed by both bighead and silver carp, we found a negative relation between silver carp CPUE and cladoceran density. The competitive effect of Asian carp on native fishes may be forestalled because of the high productivity of Illinois and Mississippi river habitats, yet the potential for negative consequences of Asian carp in less productive ecosystems, including Lake Michigan, should not be underestimated.

Empirical assessment of fish introductions in a subtropical wetland: An evaluation of contrasting views

We summarized data from eight quantitative fish surveys conducted in southern Florida to evaluate the distribution and relative abundance of introduced fishes across a variety of habitats. These surveys encompassed marsh and canal habitats throughout most of the Everglades region, including the mangrove fringe of Florida Bay. Two studies provided systematically collected density information over a 20-year period, and documented the first local appearance of four introduced fishes based on their repeated absence in prior surveys. Those species displayed a pattern of rapid population growth followed by decline, then persistence at lower densities. Estuarine areas in the southern Everglades, characterized by natural tidal creeks surrounded by mangrove-dominated marshes, and canals held the largest introduced-fish populations. Introduced fishes were also common, at times exceeding 50% of the fish community, in solution holes that serve as dry-season refuges in short-hydroperiod rockland habitats of the eastern Everglades. Wet prairies and alligator ponds distant from canals generally held few individuals of introduced fishes. These patterns suggest that the introduced fishes in southern Florida at present may not be well-adapted to persist in freshwater marshes of the Everglades, possibly because of an interaction of periodic cold-temperature stress and hydrologic fluctuation. Our analyses indicated low densities of these fishes in central or northern Everglades wet-prairie communities, and, in the absence of experimental data, little evidence of biotic effects in this spatially extensive habitat. There is no guarantee that this condition will be maintained, especially under the cumulative effects of future invasions or environmental change.

SPATIAL SCALE AND ABUNDANCE PATTERNS OF LARGE FISH COMMUNITIES IN FRESHWATER MARSHES OF THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES

Anthropogenic habitat alterations and water-management practices have imposed an artificial spatial scale onto the once contiguous freshwater marshes of the Florida Everglades. To gain insight into how these changes may affect biotic communities, we examined whether variation in the abundance and community structure of large fishes (SL > 8 cm) in Everglades marshes varied more at regional or intraregional scales, and whether this variation was related to hydroperiod, water depth, floating mat volume, and vegetation density. From October 1997 to October 2002, we used an airboat electrofisher to sample large fishes at sites within three regions of the Everglades. Each of these regions is subject to unique water-management schedules. Dry-down events (water depth <10 cm) occurred at several sites during spring in 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002. The 2001 dry-down event was the most severe and widespread. Abundance of several fishes decreased significantly through time, and the number of days post-dry-down covaried significantly with abundance for several species. Processes operating at the regional scale appear to play important roles in regulating large fishes. The most pronounced patterns in abundance and community structure occurred at the regional scale, and the effect size for region was greater than the effect size for sites nested within region for abundance of all species combined, all predators combined, and each of the seven most abundant species. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling revealed distinct groupings of sites corresponding to the three regions. We also found significant variation in community structure through time that correlated with the number of days post-dry-down. Our results suggest that hydroperiod and water management at the regional scale influence large fish communities of Everglades marshes.

A Comparison of Four Enclosure Traps and Methods Used to Sample Fishes in Aquatic Macrophytes

ABSTRACT Sampling efficiency of four enclosure fish traps—a square, mesh-sided 1.0-m2 throw trap; a light weight, square, metal-sided 1.0-m2 throw trap; a heavier, square, metal-sided 1.0-m2 throw trap; and a circular 2.27-m2 drop trap—were compared in two vegetation types in Lake Okeechobee, Florida. Estimates of total fish/m2 for all species pooled, fish/m2 for each of the five most abundant species, and species/m2 were similar among traps. Clearing method (dip nets or bar seine) did not affect estimates of total fish/m2 for the heavier, metal-sided throw trap or the mesh-sided throw trap. Trap clearing and sample picking methods used with the light weight throw trap and 2.27-m2 drop trap required greater field effort. Samples from the 2.27-m2 drop trap required 18 times more laboratory processing time than the average sample taken with a throw trap. Although all traps yielded similar estimates of fish density and species density, a 1.0-m2 throw trap was the most efficient method with regard to field an...

ZOOPLANKTON VARIABILITY AND LARVAL STRIPED BASS FORAGING: EVALUATING POTENTIAL MATCH/MISMATCH REGULATION

We quantified temporal and spatial variability of zooplankton in three potential nursery sites (river, transition zone, lake) for larval striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in Lake Marion, South Carolina, during April and May 1993–1995. In two of three years, microzooplankton (rotifers and copepod nauplii) density was significantly greater in the lake site than in the river or transition zone. Macrozooplankton (>200 μm) composition varied among the three sites in all years with adult copepods and cladocerans dominant at the lake, and juvenile Corbicula fluminea dominant at the river and transition zone. Laboratory feeding experiments, simulating both among-site (site treatments) and within-site (density treatments) variability, were conducted in 1995 to quantify the effects of the observed zooplankton variability on foraging success of larval striped bass. A greater proportion of larvae fed in the lake than in the river or transition-zone treatments across all density treatments: mean (x), 10x and 100x. Larvae also ingested significantly more dry mass of prey in the lake treatment in both the mean and 10x density treatments. Field zooplankton and laboratory feeding data suggest that both spatial and temporal variability of zooplankton influence larval striped bass foraging. Prey density levels that supported successful foraging in our feeding experiments occurred in the lake during late April and May in 1994 and 1995 but were never observed in the river or transition zone. Because the rivers flowing into Lake Marion are regulated, it may be possible to devise flow management schemes that facilitate larval transport to the lake and thereby increase the proportion of larvae matched to suitable prey resources.

Introgressive Hybridization between Bighead Carp and Silver Carp in the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers

Abstract Asian carps are classified as either bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis or silver carp H. molitrix by multiple presumptively diagnostic morphological characteristics; however, hybrids pose a dilemma. Fish sharing the morphological characteristics of both species were observed in an Illinois River backwater (Calhoun County, Illinois) approximately 5 mi (8 km) upriver from the confluence with the Mississippi River as well as in two locations in Pool 26 of the Mississippi River (Madison County, Illinois). Biopsied tissues from individuals exhibiting mixed morphological features were analyzed at four diagnostic allozyme loci (ADH-1*, sMDH-A*, CK-A*, and sSOD-1*) via starch gel electrophoresis. This comparison revealed a high percentage of hybridization (22.5%) from an indiscriminate sample of 120 fish. Moreover, an unexpected percentage (12.5%) of individuals identified in the wild as either parental bighead carp or silver carp by gill raker morphology were genetically identified as hybrids. Fin...

Effectiveness of Airboat Electrofishing for Sampling Fishes in Shallow, Vegetated Habitats

Abstract We evaluated the effectiveness of airboat electrofishing for sampling large fishes (standard length, SL ≥8 cm) in shallow, vegetated habitats. Concurrent block-netting (0.1 ha) and airboat electrofishing were conducted at 11 sites in freshwater marshes of the Florida Everglades. We found significant positive relationships between log-transformed electrofishing catch per unit effort (CPUE) and both fish density (number/0.1 ha) and biomass (grams dry weight/0.1 ha) estimates from block nets. Analysis of covariance revealed that estimates of species richness were similar for electrofishing and block-net samples after accounting for differences in the total number of individuals sampled. Nevertheless, length-frequency and species-composition data differed between airboat electrofishing and block-net samples. Relative abundance of yellow bullheads Ameiurus natalis, Seminole killifish Fundulus seminolis, sunfishes (Lepomis spp.), and small size-classes of all species, were lower for electrofishing than...

Long-term changes in fish community structure in relation to the establishment of Asian carps in a large floodplain river

The Upper Mississippi River System, including the Illinois River, has been invaded by a number of nonnative species including silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitirx and bighead carp H. nobilis, collectively referred to here as Asian carps. Silver carp densities in the Illinois River have increased dramatically and now represent some of the highest densities of wild silver carp anywhere in the world. Asian carps have the potential to alter existing ecosystems by consuming planktonic resources and therefore, could have the ability to alter existing fish communities as most fishes are dependent on planktonic resources during early development. However, identifying the relationship of fish community structure to the establishment of Asian carps has yet to be thoroughly investigated. Using long-term fish community data collected by the Upper Mississippi River Restoration’s Long Term Resource Monitoring element, we investigate changes in fish community structure pre- and post-establishment of Asian carps. Significant differences in the pre- and post-establishment communities were observed for the majority of gears and habitats. Species contributing to changes between establishment periods included most sportfish species and catostomids, which were less abundant post-establishment of Asian carps, while shortnose gar, grass carp, and emerald shiner were more abundant. While our analyses show Asian carps are likely contributing to major differences in fish community structure, future research and long-term monitoring should investigate the mechanisms and interactions responsible for community changes as well as identifying any potential concurrent or confounding factors such as changes in river hydrology or sedimentation.

Periphyton mat structure mediates trophic interactions in a subtropical marsh

Freshwater marshes are often subject to severe disturbance from seasonal drying (dry-downs) and frequently have distinct food webs relative to other freshwater systems. Subtropical marshes in the Florida Everglades have a unique trophic structure characterized by low nutrients, high standing stocks of algae in the form of floating and benthic periphyton mats, low standing stocks of primary and secondary consumers (omnivorous small fishes, tadpoles, and large macroinvertebrates), and very low standing stocks of tertiary consumers (large fishes). To account for this trophic structure, two hypotheses have been proposed: 1) high algal standing stocks result from top-down control over omnivores (small fishes, tadpoles, and macroinvertebrates) by large fishes, or 2) that the physical and biotic structure of periphyton mats impedes grazing. We conducted caging experiments before and after the dry season to delineate interactions among species influencing trophic structure in these marshes. Treatments included a refuge cage that was accessible to omnivores but excluded large fishes, an open cage accessible by omnivores and large fishes, and an omnivore exclusion cage designed to exclude fishes, tadpoles, and large macroinvertebrates. The physical and biotic structure of mature periphyton mats mediated direct and indirect interactions of omnivores and large fishes. More omnivores used the refuge treatment compared to the open treatment, likely to avoid large fishes, leading to a trophic cascade where abundance of epiphytic algae was reduced. Reductions in epiphytic algae were especially pronounced after the dry season when neonate sailfin molly were the dominant omnivore. We did not find comparable reductions of periphyton-mat biomass in the refuge treatment, suggesting that edible forms within these mats gain an associative refuge from grazers. Reduced grazing on edible algae in mature periphyton mats may explain the high standing stocks of algae characteristic of Everglades marshes.

Evaluation of and insights from ALFISH: a spatially explicit landscape-level simulation of fish populations in the Everglades

We present an evaluation of a spatially explicit, age-structured model created to assess fish density dynamics in the Florida Everglades area. This model, ALFISH, has been used to compare alternative management scenarios for the Florida Everglades region. This area is characterized by periodic dry downs and refloodings. ALFISH uses spatially explicit water depth data to predict patterns of fish density. Here we present a method for calibration of ALFISH, based on information concerning fish movement, pond locations and other field data. With the current information, the greatest coefficient of determination achieved from regressions of ALFISH output to field data is 0.35 for fish density and 0.88 for water depth. The poor predictability of fish density mirrors the empirical findings that hydrology, which is the main driver of the model, only accounts for 20–40% of the variance of fish densities across the Everglades landscape. Sensitivity analyses indicate that fish in this system are very sensitive to frequency, size and location of permanent ponds as well as availability of prey.