Swimming Speed Performance of t h e Bigeye Shiner from the Ouachita
River Drainage
William G. Layher and April Osmer ~alston'
Pine Bluff Cooperative Fisheries Research Project
U , S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division
1200 N. University, P.
0.
Box 4912
Pine Bluff, AR 71611
-
'present
. ..
.
address:
Arkansai Game and Fish Commission,
Resources Drive, L i t t l e Rock, Arkansas
72205.
#2
Natural
INTRODUCTION
A
p r o t e c t i o n of small streams and their associated fauna are of
importance to land management agencies such as
major
Small streams provide habitat for endemic species
Forest Service.
in the Ouachita drainage such as the paleback darter
, l .~ n r s u m ) a s
mllld
well
as
(Wwg
other more distributionally widespread
(Robison and Buchanan 1988) .
species
the U. S.
Some of
the species that
occur in small streams, while found in other areas as well, are
nevertheless important components of the streams ecosystem.
Modification of streams can come i n a variety of forms ranging
from
channel alterations
to
land use practices
Channel restrictions such as culverts can increase current
runoff.
causing d i f f i c u l t y
velocities and reduce stream bottom roughness
for
affecting stream
small
fishes moving
Theoretically this
upstream.
could
eliminate ephemeral spawning grounds as well as recruitment into
ephemeral drainages when conditions were more favorable for fishes.
The velocities which small fishes can endure and for what periods
of time are of special concern in de~ermiing impacts of structural
stream alterations such as culverts.
A
of
number
studies have
performed on
been
the
swimming
abilities of larger fishes ( e g . Thomas and Donahoo 1977; Buckley et
al.
1985).
Apparatus
unsuitable
for
shiners.
Much
swimming
used
determining
of
abilities
the
often
in
each
swimming
of
speeds
literature on
involve
these
small
selection
of
studies appeared
fishes
fishes
of
such
as
related
to
-
habitats
in
an
artificial stream by fishes rather than assessing ability of the
fish to
successfully negotiate a current
Matthews et a1 . 1990) .
the bigeye shiner
of known velocity
(eg.
In this study we determine the endurance of
(Notronis b o n ~ s )
to
select current velocities
from low velocities to velocities which produce complete failure
the fish to negotiate.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Layher and Ralston
found significant differences
(1995
between swimming performance of small fishes coilected by seining
and
those collected by
electrofishing.
Consequently all
fishes
used in this study were collected by seining which was assumed to
have no negative impact on the fishes swimming ability.
collections
of
tributaries.
housed
fishes
These
were
made
the
in
provided
collections
Ouachita
specimens
in a controlled environment where oxygen and
were held relatively constant.
Several
River
which
and
were
temperature
Temperatures varied from 1 7 . 9
to
20.1 C and dissolved oxygen ranged between 6.0 and 7 . 0 mg/l.
Ralston
and
Layher
(1997)
described an
ichthyonatometer, a
device designed to allow the determination of either fish swimming
endurance at a select velocity or the point at: which a fish can no
longer traverse the current.
This device was used in this study.
The device produces velocities from 0 to over 100 cm/sec.
Six
different velocities were used to assess the endurance of bigeye
shiners: 26, 33, 36, 39, 46, and 53'cm/sec.
prior
to
placing
temperature in the
swimming
.
fish
in
signs of
velocity
to
water
significant temperature
Fish were inspected upon removal from their aquarium
for signs of disease or fungus.
allowed
ichthyonatometer,
tank of origin was compared to that in the
chamber reservoir to -ensure no
difference.
any
the
ill health or incomplete caudal
acclimate
was
No fish were used that displayed
to
gradually
low flow levels in
increased
to
the
fins.
Fish were
the chamber before
sesired
level.
upon
A
reaching the test velocity, t i m e w a s recorded to the nearest second
until the fish was exhausted or ten minutes had been successfully
negotiated.
One-hundred
and twenty bigeye s h i n e r s were
the apparatus, 2 0 a t each selected velocity.
at
a
time to avoid potential effects of
chamber.
tested
in
F i s h were t e s t e d one
flow alteration in the
Percent failure at two minute intervals for each t e s t
veelocity were calculated.
RESULTS
Bigeye shiners were.able to endure velocities up to 36 cm/sec
for two minutes (Table I).
Success rate dropped to 90 percent for
two minutes when velocities reached 39 cm/sec.
At 46 cm/sec 75
percent of the twenty shiners subjected to these velocities failed.
No
shiners could traverse yelocities at 53
rm/sec for any
time
period.
Success rates of
speeds of
33 cm/sec
shiners at four minutes began
(Table I) .
However success rates remained
high, 95 gercent, through velocities of 36 m / s e c .
success fell below 50 percent.
falling at
At 39 cm/sec
At 46 cm/sec only 05 percent of the
fish could endure for four minutes.
As
length
time
of
the
fish
were
subjected
various
to
velocities increased, the percent of success declined
(Table I),
except for speeds up to 26 cm/sec at which fish easily endured for
up to ten minutes.
minutes.
At 33 cdsec all shiners could swim for two
Success fell to 90 gercent at ten minutes.
A
sudden
decline in success occurred at 39 cm/sec with success rates falling
from 90 percent for two minutes to only 05 percent at eight and ten
minute duration trials.
at
46
cm/sec.
No
Success fell to zero after eight minutes
fishu could
velocities above 53 cm/sec
difference
.m
size
swim
(Fig. 1).
of
(T=O.996;P>T=O. 4 2 3 ) (Table 11).
fish
for
even
two
There was no
used
minutes
at
significant
between
-
trials
Results of these endurance trials suggest that bigeye shiners
can traverse higher velocities
shape has
trials.
a
great
than
sunfishes.
doubt body
No
influence on the success rates of
Ralston and Layher
(1994)
endurance
reported that golden shiners
son^ cry~nl~iic-aq)
exhibited dramatic declines in length of
time the fish could endure at slightly higher water velocities.
Fishes such as these utilize substrate positioning less than
darters or stonerollers and hence are probably more likely to be
subjected
the
to -velocities in
water
column.
BY
subtracting
velocity from endurance speed for a given time, one could calculate
time needed to traverse a potential,barrier such as restricted flow
through a road culvert.
potential
distance
By utilizing times and speeds in Table I,
traveled
at
any
velocity
Data can also be used to estimate percentages
be successful in such attempts.
can be
calculated.
of fish expected to
Literature Cited
Buckley, L. J., Tj.
P. Yevich.
Halavik, G. C. Lawrence, S. J. Hamilton and
A.
Comparitive swimming, stomina, biochemical
1985.
composition, backbone mechanical properties, and
histopathology of juvenile striped bass £om rivers and
hatcheries of the eastern United States.
Trans. Am. Fish.
SOC.
114: 114-124.
Layher, W. G. and A.
0.
Ralston.
Swimming speed gerformance
1995
of the bigeye shiner and the longear sunfish from the
Final report to the Quachita
Quachita River drainage.
National
Service.
Forest
Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
National
U.S.
Biological
Service,
llpp.
Matthews, W. J., F. P. Gelwick, and T. J. Gardner.
1990.
system of replicated recirculating streams.
J.
A simple
Freshwater
Ecology 5: 437-443.
Ralston, A . 0. and W. G . Layher.
golden shiners
quachita
the
Velocity endurance in
1994.
iqonous civsoleucas).
(-
National
Forest.
U.
S.
Final report to
National
biological
Survey, Pine Bluff, Arkansas. 23 pp.
Ralston,
A.
0. i d W. G. layher.
ichthyonatometer
fishes.
J.
A
for
assessing
Thomas,
A.
swimming
performance
of
small
Freshwater Ecology' (in press)
Robinson, H. W. and T .
Press.
1997. An inexpensive
536 pp.
M. Buchanan.
1988.
Fishes of Arkansas
,.;
E. and M. J. Donahoo.
1977.
Difference in swimming
speeds in fish: the groblem of currbnts.
Aquat. Sci. 34: 3 0 4 - 3 0 7 .
Can. J. Fish and
Table I.
p e r c e d success of bigeye s h i n e r s for various velocities
(cm/sec) at two minute time-intervals.
Time
(minutes1
3
33
36
39
46
53
2
4
6
8
10
100
100
100
100
100
100
95
90
90
90
100
95
85
80
70
.90
45
20
05
05
25
00
00
00
00
00
-
Velocites
05
05
00
00
Table 11.
T o t a l length statistics for bigeye shiners used in
swimming speed trials at various velocities (cm/secI7.
Analysis of variance revealed no significant difference
between groups: F=O - 9 9 6 , P>F= 0 . 4 2 3 .
Velocities
26
minimum
maximum
mean
variance
standard
deviation
50.0
78.0
62.3
54.2
33
36
39
46
53
54.0
-73.0
49 - 0
73 .O
45.0
72.0
60.6
27.8
62.3
47.6
5 3 .O
78.0
63.3
42.8
49.0
64.0
59.4
61.6
47 - 5
11.4
Figure I.
Relation of velocity and time to swimming performance
of bigeye s h i n e r s
% success