Two modified Breder traps for quantitative studies of tropical amphidromous migration

• Published in: Hydrobiologia 2005, Vol.532 (1-3), p.209-214
• Main Authors: BURKY, Albert J, BENBOW, M. Eric, WAY, Carl M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Brackish; Fauna; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Heterogeneity; Larval development; Life cycles; Marine; Quantitative research; Streams; Studies; Synecology; Tropical environments; Urban development; Water flow
• ISSN: 0018-8158; 1573-5117
• DOI: 10.1007/s10750-004-6422-6

Amphidromy is a life cycle of fauna found throughout the tropics and subtropics, including representatives from three phyla. Amphidromy involves a life cycle of oceanic larval development, with postlarval migration into streams where growth and reproduction take place. With increasing industrial and urban development in tropical regions, demands for freshwater are continuously growing, resulting in the construction of dams and diversions that break the freshwater continuum necessary for the amphidromous life cycle; thus, jeopardizing many populations of native and endemic tropical stream fauna. Because of this, more quantitative studies are needed to better understand this unique life cycle, which heretofore, has been relatively little studied compared to tropical terrestrial communities. As such, new and quantitative methods are needed to study the immature stages (e.g., postlarvae) associated with amphidromy. In this paper, we introduce two modifications of the original Breder trap that have been designed specifically for standardized, quantitative monitoring of amphidromous postlarval migration. In addition, the two modified traps can be used in a variety of stream settings from natural bed substrates to modified channels with little heterogeneity. The first modification is made of acrylic, with a flat bottom useful in channelized streams or streams with relatively flat, unnatural benthic substrate (e.g., concrete). The second modification is an affordable trap made from polyvinylchloride (PVC) compression couplings, to be used in streams with natural benthic substrates, particularly those with large, embedded and immovable boulders and bedrock outcrops. Both traps were designed for continuous water flow through the traps, providing the necessary rheotactic cue for migrating amphidromous postlarvae, and ameliorating deficiencies of earlier traps not intended for tropical amphidromous fauna. We also make recommendations for standardized use of these traps to facilitate data comparisons among studies.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]