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Microhabitat use, movements and abundance of gilt darters ( Percina evides ) in southern Appalachian (USA) streams
Author(s) -
Skyfield J. P.,
Grossman G. D.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
ecology of freshwater fish
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.667
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1600-0633
pISSN - 0906-6691
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0633.2007.00273.x
Subject(s) - cobble , ecology , abundance (ecology) , streams , biology , habitat , etheostoma , population , geography , fishery , demography , computer network , sociology , computer science , fish <actinopterygii>
– We examined microhabitat use by gilt darters ( Percina evides ) in two streams in the south‐eastern USA. Darters were over‐represented in erosional microhabitats with higher average velocities and more cobble. Male darters tended to show stronger selection than females. Size‐based analyses showed that larger (≥60 mm) gilt darters tended to use microhabitats with more heterogeneous substrata and more boulder than smaller (≤59 mm) darters. We also conducted a short‐term movement study and calculated population estimates based on mark–recapture data in autumn 2005. Darters moved both long and short distances with 40% of all recaptures occurring within 5 m of the initial capture point. Using Program mark and model‐averaged parameter estimates gilt darter density was 0.31 darters·m −2 (225 darters/730 m 2 ). Conservation of this species will require the preservation of erosional habitats in streams.