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Growth of the Fishes in the Salt River, Missouri
Author(s) -
Purkett Charles A.
Publication year - 1958
Publication title -
transactions of the american fisheries society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1548-8659
pISSN - 0002-8487
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8659(1957)87[116:gotfit]2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - dorosoma , gizzard shad , lepomis , ictalurus , fishery , catostomus , notropis , sucker , catfish , biology , environmental science , hydrology (agriculture) , fish <actinopterygii> , geology , zoology , geotechnical engineering
Age‐and‐growth data are presented for 11 species of fish from three habitats in the Salt River, Missouri; a dredged upstream station, an unmodified lower station and an intermediate middle station. The middle station is 46 stream miles from the upper station and 69 stream miles from the lower station. Compared to growth data from the central United States, carp, (Cyprinus carpio), smallmouth buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus), freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens), green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) and white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) grew moderately fast; gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) at an average rate. River carpsucker (Carpiodes carpio) grew very slowly at the upper station and slightly slower than average at the middle and lower stations. Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), flathead catfish (Pilodictis olivaris), northern redhorse (Moxostoma aureolum), and white crappie (Pomoxis annularis) grew slowly. All but one of the more abundant species showed a trend toward faster growth downstream; a phenomonen also noted in other Missouri streams. The differences in growth indicate little movement between stations. Freshwater drum of the 1947 year class were very abundant and they and all freshwater drum competing with them grew slowly. Minimum desirable length for angling in this stream is reached by carp (14 inches), buffalo (12 inches) and white crappie (7 inches) in the third year; green sunfish (6 inches) in the fourth year; and catfishes (12 inches) in the fifth and sixth years.