Publication Date

8-1977

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Robert Hoyt, Rudolph Prins, Gary Dillard

Degree Program

Department of Biology

Degree Type

Master of Science

Abstract

A total of 7,485 fish, representing 49 species, 25 genera, and 11 families, were electroshocked from three stations on the Middle Fork of Drake's Creek during the period January, 1972 through January, 1973. Community structure was influenced by seasonal changes in both numbers of species and numbers of individuals. The number of species per collection was at its highest, at all stations, during the month of September. The total number of species and individuals collected at each station progressively increased toward the upstream areas. Eleven of the forty-nine species collected during the course of the study provided 91.8% of the total number collected.

Diversity (D) values were used to compare average diversities for each of the monthly samples at each station. Monthly diversity values tended to fluctuate erratically, with the greatest stability being observed at the "mid-stream" study area. Individual species' contribution to diversity were computed using "information units" expressed as a percentage of the total diversity to find dominant species at each station and during each season.

Species were categorized, according to frequency of occurrence, into permanent residents, seasonal residents, and transients. Monthly contributions to diversity, expressed in per cent, were used to compare dominant species of each category at each station. Transient species were observed to be most prominent in the lower stream reaches during the period June through September.

Attempts were made to detect movement of stream fishes by mark-and-recapture techniques. The recapture of marked fish represented a return of 10.9%, as 16 of 146 marked fish were recaptured. The home range concept of some stream fishes was supported in some instances; however, streams were found to be open systems which do not lend themselves readily to mark-and recapture studies.

Disciplines

Animal Sciences | Aquaculture and Fisheries | Biology | Life Sciences | Marine Biology

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