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Distribution of Florida Largemouth Bass in a Lake after Elimination of All Submersed Aquatic Vegetation
Author(s) -
Colle Douglas E.,
Cailteux Richard L.,
Shireman Jerome V.
Publication year - 1989
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 - 10.1577/1548-8675(1989)009<0213:doflbi>2.3.co;2
Subject(s) - bass (fish) , micropterus , fishery , macrophyte , environmental science , aquatic plant , habitat , benthic zone , hydrology (agriculture) , hectare , grass carp , ecology , fish <actinopterygii> , biology , geology , geotechnical engineering , agriculture
Distribution of 16 Florida largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides floridanus was monitored weekly for 1 year by radiotelemetry in 80‐hectare Lake Baldwin, Florida. The lake contained grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella , which had elminiated all submersed aquatic macrophytes. Six of the largemouth bass stayed predominantly (87% of tracking locations) in water deeper than 3.5 m (60% of lake surface area), where they established home ranges averaging 21.0 hectares (range, 0.6–39.5 hectares); the offshore region had no natural or artificial structures. The other radio‐tagged fish were relocated a majority of times in water depths of 3.5 m or less. Five of these fish established year‐round home ranges averaging 4.1 hectares (range, 1.0–9.8 hectares) in the inshore region where water depths were less than 2.0 m, and had significant (P < 0.05) preferences for habitats with water tupelo Nyssa aquatica . The remainder of the largemouth bass used both the inshore region and water depths out to 3.5 m and had significant preferences for the 11 piers in Lake Baldwin.