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Age, Growth, and Reproduction of Mountain Suckers in Lost Creek Reservoir, Utah
Author(s) -
Wydoski Richard G.,
Wydoski Richard S.
Publication year - 2002
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(2002)131<0320:agarom>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - sucker , spawn (biology) , flathead , fecundity , catostomus , tributary , fish <actinopterygii> , life history , streams , fishery , biology , hydrology (agriculture) , geography , ecology , geology , zoology , population , computer network , demography , cartography , geotechnical engineering , sociology , computer science
In this paper, we summarize aspects of the life history of mountain suckers Catostomus platyrhynchus in Lost Creek Reservoir, Utah, and compare our findings with populations in two Montana streams as reported in the only detailed life history paper on the mountain sucker previously published. Mountain suckers in Lost Creek Reservoir, Utah, grew faster than did populations in Flathead Creek and East Gallatin River, Montana, reaching a mean total length (TL) of 64 mm at the end of their first growing season and 193 mm by the end of their sixth season. They migrated from the reservoir and spawned in Lost Creek from late May until the end of June when water temperature was 9‐11°C. The shortest mature male was 115 mm TL; the shortest mature female was 143 mm. Fecundity was correlated to female total length (1,163 eggs for a 130‐mm fish to 2,730 eggs for a 180‐mm fish) and weight (1,327 eggs for a 26‐g fish to 2,900 eggs for a 75‐g fish). Fecundity was greater for fish from Lost Creek Reservoir than for fish from Flathead Creek and for fish from the East Gallatin River (albeit, just those <160 mm TL). As in other western reservoirs, mountain suckers in Lost Creek Reservoir required a tributary stream (Lost Creek) with suitable habitat in order to spawn successfully. Over 75% of mountain suckers spawned in riffles that were 11‐30 cm deep where water velocities were 6‐20 cm/s. Although the mountain sucker is abundant in some parts of the Great Basin in western North America, this species appears to be declining in some parts of its historical range in California and Wyoming. The reasons for the decline of some populations are discussed.