Seasonal abundance of fishes in three northwest Florida rivers

The seasonal abundances of 39 fish species in electrofishing collections were compared in the Escambia, Choctawhatchee, and Apalachicola rivers of northwest Florida. Relative abundances, as indicated by catch per unit effort of electrofishing, were examined in the Escambia River. Lepisosteus osseus,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Florida scientist 1982, Vol.45 (3), p.145-171
Main Authors: Beecher, Hal A., Hixson, W. Carroll
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Catfish
Dams
Dorosoma cepedianum
Dorosoma petenense
Freshwater
Freshwater bass
Freshwater fishes
Gizzard
Lepisosteus osseus
Lepomis megalotis
Moxostoma poecilurum
Mugil cephalus
Mullet
Osteichthyes
River water
Shad
Streams
Sunfish
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Summary:The seasonal abundances of 39 fish species in electrofishing collections were compared in the Escambia, Choctawhatchee, and Apalachicola rivers of northwest Florida. Relative abundances, as indicated by catch per unit effort of electrofishing, were examined in the Escambia River. Lepisosteus osseus, Dorosoma cepedianum, D. petenense, and Mugil cephalus were abundant during winter and spring high water in all 3 rivers, but seasonal patterns were less distinct in the larger Apalachicola. These seasonal euryhaline fishes and the catostomids contributed the greatest amounts to the fish biomass in the Escambia River. The abundance of Carpiodes cyprinus declined in the fall during low water, despite increased catch rates of other resident fishes. Female C. velifer outnumbered males during summer, but in winter sex ratios approached 1:1. Male C. velifer were more numerous downstream in late summer. A mark-and-recapture study of Moxostoma poecilurum, a dominant resident in the Escambia River, indicated 1095 ± 504 in a 1 km segment of the Escambia River. Lepomis macrochirus and L. megalotis were 2 of the most abundant fishes in the Escambia River.
ISSN:0098-4590