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Comparison of Traps Lighted by Photochemicals or Electric Bulbs for Sampling Warmwater Populations of Young Fish
Author(s) -
Kissick Lee A.
Publication year - 1993
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(1993)013<0864:cotlbp>2.3.co;2
Subject(s) - fish <actinopterygii> , electric fish , environmental science , juvenile , fishery , biology , zoology , chemistry , ecology
This study examined whether larval and juvenile fish were attracted equivalently to traps lighted by either electric bulbs or photochemical light sticks. There were no statistically significant differences (P ≥ 0.05) in collection rates of bluegills Lepornis rnacrochirus and brook silversides Labidesthes sicculus by light type. Significantly more threadfin shad Dorosoma petenense occurred in chemical light traps, but it could not be determined whether either light type sampled threadfin shad larvae effectively. The mean total length of bluegill (the only species collected in sufficient numbers to permit valid comparison) tended to be greater in chemical light traps, though not significantly so. Whereas results showed electric and chemical light traps were equally effective at sampling some species, the reliance on a photochemical reaction to illuminate traps has limitations. For instance, the temperature range (27–29°C) during this study may have been too narrow to impart differences in luminance (i.e., sample effort) that may be expected between electric and chemical light traps operated in colder waters. Further, chemical light traps can be operated for only brief, uniform sample intervals because chemical luminance declines sharply over time. Electric lights showed no obvious decrease in sampling intensity over time but, unlike chemical lights, were prone to component failure. This study showed that chemical light traps can sample as efficiently as electric light traps for 1 h in water temperatures commonly encountered during the summer in southeastern U.S. waters.