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Evidence for the Concepts of Home Range and Territory in Stream Fishes
Author(s) -
Gerking Shelby D.
Publication year - 1953
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/1930901
Subject(s) - citation , range (aeronautics) , library science , genealogy , history , geography , ecology , computer science , biology , engineering , aerospace engineering
The size and structure of fish populations have received much attention in recent years. Contributions in this field have provided ideas concerning the theory of animal populations as well as a sound basis for the management of sport and commercial fishing. Among the factors influencing fish populations, most study has been accorded food, feeding habits, reproductive behavior, reproductive potential, growth, and mortality. The fish population has been considered an aggregate of animals in most studies of this sort. Very little attention has been given to the interaction between individuals of a fish population and to the effect such interaction might have on the size and structure of the group. The present work attempts to interpret a population of stream fishes as the result of competition among the individuals of which it is composed. The movements of the fish have been followed in detail and the possible importance of these activities is discussed. Evidence will be presented to show that many stream fishes live in very restricted areas during most, if not all, of their lifetime. The movements of fish will be considered from two viewpoints: (1) home range, and (2) territory. Home range is a term borrowed from the mammalogists who have found that many mammals live within rather narrowly circumscribed limits. Such small mammals as the meadow vole, woodland deer mouse, woodmouse, and chipmunk