Seasonal and diel patterns of larval fish drift in a western South Carolina swamp

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:7027637

Kissick, L A; Paller, M H; Heuer, J H

Fish larvae were collected weekly during 1986-1987 from the lower 3 km of Steel Creek (Barnwell County), a riverine swamp, to assess reproduction in this rarely studied habitat type. In 1987, larvae appeared in the following order and abundance (as a percentage of the total diural density): blackbanded darter Percina nigromaculatus (3%) and other darters Etheostoma spp. (32%); pirate perch Aphredoderus sayanus (NA); pygmy sunfish Elassoma spp. (7%); chubsuckers Erimyson spp. (13%); bluespotted sunfish Enneacanthus gloriosus (16%); bluegill Lepomis macrochirus (1%), redbreast sunfish L. auritus (<1%), brook silverside Labidesthes sicculus (6%) and ironcolor shiner Notropis chalybaeus (8%); warmouth L. gulosus (8%); spotted sunfish L. punctatus (NA). Unidentified cyprinids (2%), centrarchids (2%) and miscellaneous species (3%) were collected throughout the study period. Monthly diel collections showed that drift densities of chubsuckers, cyprinids, Etheostoma spp., bluegill and pygmy sunfish increased 41 to 160X after sundown; pirate perch and spotted sunfish were collected only at night. Swamp densities peaked during 2000-0159 h (111.5 per 100m), whereas densities in the channel that drained the swamp into the Savannah River peaked during 0200-0759 h (38.7). The later peak in the channel was attributed to larvae that had drifted from the swamp and were essentially lost from the system. 4 figs., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Environmental and Chemical Sciences, Inc., Aiken, SC (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-76SR00001
• OSTI ID: 7027637
• Report Number(s): DP-MS-88-121; CONF-880775-1; ON: DE88012420
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520100* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ECOSYSTEMS
FEDERAL REGION IV
FISHES
LARVAE
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NORTH AMERICA
POPULATION DENSITY
RIVERS
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SOUTH CAROLINA
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
TRANSPORT
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA
VERTEBRATES