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Species Composition and Biomass of Fish in Selected Coves in Beaver Lake, Arkansas, during the First 18 Years of Impoundment (1963‐1980)
Author(s) -
Rainwater William C.,
Houser Alfred
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
north american journal of fisheries management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1548-8675
pISSN - 0275-5947
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8659(1982)2<316:scabof>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - dorosoma , standing crop , micropterus , fishery , biology , ictalurus , population , cove , bass (fish) , ecology , catfish , biomass (ecology) , geography , fish <actinopterygii> , demography , sociology , archaeology
Fish samples were collected annually with rotenone in coves in Beaver Lake, Arkansas, to (1) detect changes in species composition, relative abundance, and standing crops, (2) explore interactions between important groups of species and their physical environment, and (3) describe trends in the total fish population in the reservoir during the first 18 years of impoundment. Fish recovered after treatment of coves with rotenone indicated that the number of species decreased after impoundment. Twelve species showed a general increase in abundance during the period, six species decreased, and three species disappeared‐yellow bullhead (Ictalurus natalis), black bullhead (Ictalurus melas), and mooneye (Hiodon tergisus). Of five species introduced into the lake‐striped bass (Moroue saxatilis), bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus), smallmouth buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus), blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus), and threadfin shad (Dorosoma peteneuse)‐ only threadfin shad made a major contribution to the total standing crop. Shad (Dorosoma spp.), common carp (Cyprinus carpio), and sunfishes (Lepomis spp.) made up 85% of the total standing crop during the period of study. Biomass of most species was highest in the upper lake, probably because nutrient levels were higher, food was more abundant, and the water was shallower there than in the mid‐lake and down‐lake regions. Differences in total standing crop between down‐lake and mid‐lake regions were not significant. Although correlations were not significant (P > 0.05), high water levels during spring and summer apparently had a positive effect on initial survival of young‐of‐the‐year black bass (Micropterus spp.). There were no significant correlations between annual fish biomass and mean depth, maximum depth, or surface area. Of the major groups represented, the black basses and sunfishes decreased and carp, suckers (Moxostoma spp.), and catfishes (Ictalurus spp.) increased in abundance. Total standing crop varied, with peaks occurring every 5‐6 years. Within these long‐term trends, high rates of production and survival of the black basses probably will occur only when water levels are high during the spawning and growing season (April‐October) but other species may not respond in the same way.