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Habitat Preferences of Introduced Smallmouth Bass in a Central Arizona Stream
Author(s) -
Barrett Paul J.,
Maughan O. Eugene
Publication year - 1994
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(1994)014<0112:hpoisb>2.3.co;2
Subject(s) - bass (fish) , micropterus , beaver , juvenile , fishery , habitat , population , ecology , biology , geography , demography , sociology
Smallmouth bass Micropterus dolmieu have been introduced and persist in Wet Beaver Creek in central Arizona. With a predominantly sand substrate, Wet Beaver Creek is not a typical smallmouth bass stream. Despite the atypical habitat, the smallmouth bass population is reproducing and individual fish are reaching total lengths in excess of 355 mm. In general, adult and juvenile smallmouth bass in Wet Beaver Creek preferred the same velocities and depths as has been reported for smallmouth bass in other geographic regions. However, adult fish from Wet Beaver Creek had a lower preference for deeper waters (between 1.5 and 3.0 m) than has previously been reported and preferred much finer substrates. Juvenile fish preferred gravel substrates and greater velocities than did adults.