Migration and habitats of diadromous Danube River sturgeons in Romania: 1998-2000
Journal of Applied Ichthyology
By: B. Kynard, R. Suciu, and Martin Horgan
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Abstract
Upstream migrant adults of stellate sturgeon, Acipenser stellatus (10 in 1998, 43 in 1999) and Russian sturgeon, A. gueldenstaedtii (three in 1999) were captured at river km (rkm) 58-137, mostly in the spring, and tagged with acoustic tags offering a reward for return. The overharvest was revealed by tag returns (38% in 1998, 28% in 1999) and by harvest within 26 days (and before reaching spawning grounds) of the six stellate sturgeon tracked upstream. A drop-back of > 50% of the tagged sturgeon, some to the Black Sea, shows a high sensitivity to interruption of migration and capture/handling/holding. Harvesting and dropback prevented tracking of sturgeon to spawning sites. Gillnetting and tracking of stellate sturgeon showed that the autumn migration ended in early October (river temperature 16??C) and identified a likely wintering area at river km (rkm) 75-76 (St George Branch). Thus, fishery harvesting after early October captures wintering fish, not migrants. Rare shoreline cliffs in the lower river likely create the only rocky habitat for sturgeon spawning. A survey for potential spawning habitats found five sites with rocky substrate and moderate water velocity, all ???rkm 258. Drift netting caught early life-stages of 17 fish species and one sturgeon, a beluga, Huso huso, larva likely spawned at ???rkm 258. All diadromous Danube sturgeons likely spawn at ???rkm 258.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Migration and habitats of diadromous Danube River sturgeons in Romania: 1998-2000 |
| Series title | Journal of Applied Ichthyology |
| DOI | 10.1046/j.1439-0426.2002.00404.x |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue | 4-6 |
| Year Published | 2002 |
| Language | English |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Journal of Applied Ichthyology |
| First page | 529 |
| Last page | 535 |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |