Movement and habitat use of stocked juvenile paddlefish in the Ohio River system, Pennsylvania

North American Journal of Fisheries Management
By: , and 

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Abstract

In 2002 and 2003 we released a total of 66 hatchery-reared, juvenile paddlefish Polyodon spathula (249-318 mm eye-to-fork length) in Pennsylvania's upper Ohio River system and tracked them with radiotelemetry in two different pools of the Ohio and Allegheny rivers to determine (1) poststocking survival, (2) whether release site influences survival, (3) dispersal distance and direction of movement, and (4) habitat selection. Survival was fair (mean = 78% in 2002 and 67% in 2003) for 0.23-0.43-kg paddlefish after 9 weeks. In 2003, fish stocked in the upstream half of the pool had a greater survival (100%) after 63 d than those stocked in the downstream half (44%). Within 4 d of stocking, 77% of juvenile paddlefish were located in tailwaters, and fish found these habitats regardless of stocking location. Habitat measurements at all postdispersal locations had median depths of 5.2 and 6.1 m in 2002 and 2003, respectively, and median near-surface velocities of 0.17 and 0.12 m/s. Fish selected tailwater habitats and avoided habitats with disturbance from commercial barge traffic in both years. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2007.
Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Movement and habitat use of stocked juvenile paddlefish in the Ohio River system, Pennsylvania
Series title North American Journal of Fisheries Management
DOI 10.1577/M06-232.1
Volume 27
Issue 4
Year Published 2007
Language English
Larger Work Type Article
Larger Work Subtype Journal Article
Larger Work Title North American Journal of Fisheries Management
First page 1316
Last page 1325
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