Abstract
We sampled for eggs of Asian carps, (bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, silver carp H. molitrix, and grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella) in 12 sites on the Lower Missouri River and in six tributaries from the months of May through July 2005 and May through June 2006 to examine the spatial and temporal dynamics of spawning activity. We categorized eggs into thirty developmental stages, but usually they could not be identified to species. We estimated spawning times and locations based on developmental stage, temperature dependent rate of development and water velocity. Spawning rate was higher in the daytime between 05:00 and 21:00 h than at night. Spawning was not limited to a few sites, as has been reported for the Yangtze River, where these fishes are native, but more eggs were spawned in areas of high sinuosity. We employ a sediment transport model to estimate vertical egg concentration profiles and total egg fluxes during spawning periods on the Missouri River. We did not identify substantial spawning activity within tributaries or at tributary confluences examined in this study.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brown DJ, Coon TG (1991) Grass carp larvae in the lower Missouri River and its tributaries. N Am J Fish Manag 11:62–66
Chang YF (1966) Culture of freshwater fish in China. In: Gangstad EO (ed) (1980) Chinese fishculture. Report 1. Technical report A-79. Aquatic plant control research program. Washington, DC. U.S. Army Waterways Experiment Station (draft translated by TSY Koo 1980)
Chapman DC (2006) Early development of four cyprinids native to the Yangtze River. U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 239
Chapman DC, Deters JE (2009) Effect of water hardness and dissolved-solid concentration on hatching success and egg size in bighead carp. Trans Am Fish Soc 138:1226–1231
Chapman DC, George AE (2011) Developmental rate and behavior of early life stages of bighead carp and silver carp U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5076
Chen J, Huang W, Zhang B (2006) Influence of waterpower projects in the upper stream of the Yangtze River on the ecological environment of the river system. Water Resour Dev Res 8:1–71 (In Chinese)
Duan X, Liu S, Huang M, Qiu S, Li Z, Ke W, Chen D (2009) Changes in abundance of larvae of the four domestic Chinese carps in the middle reach of the Yangtze River, China, before and after closing of the Three Gorges Dam. Environ Biol Fish 86:13–22
Dudley R, Platania S (1999) Imitating the physical properties of drifting semibuoyant fish (Cyprinidae) eggs with artificial eggs. J Freshw Ecol 14:423–430
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2010) Watershed Assessment, Tracking, & Environmental ResultS. http://www.epa.gov/waters/tools/WATERSKMZ/WATERSKMZTutorial.html Accessed 5 November 2010
Fermin AC (1990) Sexual maturation of bighead carp, Aristichthys nobilis (Richardson), during high turbidity and seawater intrusion in Laguna de Bay, Philippines. J Appl Ichthyol 6:129–135
Golenowski D (2010) Don’t fear Asian carp, OSU professor says. Columbus Post-Dispatch. http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2010/09/05/dont-fear-asian-carp-osu-professor-says.html. Accessed 11 November 2010
Gorbach EI, Krykhtin ML (1981) Maturation rate of the white amur Ctenopharyngodon idella and silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix in the Amur River. Vopr Ikhtiologii 21:835–843
Hall JW, Smith TIJ, Lamprecht SD (1991) Movements and habitats of shortnose sturgeon Acipenser brevirostrum in the Savannah River. Copeia 1991:695–702
Huet M (1970) Textbook of fish culture: breeding and cultivation of fish. Fishing News, Surrey
Jankovic D (1992) Natural reproduction of herbivorous fish Ctenopharyngodon idella and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix in the Djerdap accumulations. Acta Biol Jugosl Serija E, Ichthyol 24:51–59
Jiang W, Liu HZ, Duan ZH, Cao WX (2010) Studies on the drift pattern of drifting fish eggs with tracers in upper Yangtze River. Acta Hydrobiol Sin 34:1172–1177 (In Chinese with English abstract)
Kolar CS, Chapman DC, Courtenay WR, Housel CH, Williams JD, Jennings DP (2007) Bigheaded carps: a biological synopsis and environmental risk assessment. American Fisheries Society Special Publication 33
Krykhtin ML, Gorbach EI (1981) Reproductive ecology of the grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella, and the silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, in the Amur Basin. J Ichthyol 21:109–123
Kuronuma K (1968) New systems and new fishes for culture in the Far East. FAO Fisheries Report 5:123
Leslie AJ, Van Dyke JM, Nall LE, Miley WW (1982) Current velocity for transport of grass carp eggs. Trans Am Fish Soc 111:99–101
Li C, Peng J, Liao W (2006) Study on the eco-hydrological factors and flow regime requirements on spawning of four major Chinese carps in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. J China Inst Water Resour Hydropower Res 14:170–176 (In Chinese with English abstract)
Li SF, Yang QL, Xu JW, Wang CH, Chapman DC, Lu G (2010) Genetic diversity and variation of mitochondrial DNA in native and introduced bighead carp. Trans Am Fish Soc 139:937–946
Liu SP, Chen DQ, Duan XB, Qiu SL, Huang MG (2004) Monitoring of the four famous Chinese carps resources in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Environ Resour Yangtze Basin 13:183–186 (In Chinese with English abstract)
Schrank SJ, Braaten PJ, Guy CS (2001) Spatiotemporal variation in density of larval bighead carp in the lower Missouri River. Trans Am Fish Soc 130:809–814
US Geological Survey (2010) Streamflow Measurements for Missouri. http://waterdata.usgs.gov/mo/nwis/measurements. Accessed September 2010
van Rijn L (1984) Sediment transport, part II: Suspended load transport. J Hydraul Eng 110:1613–1641
Verigin BV, Makeyeva AP, Zaki Mokhamed MI (1978) Natural spawning of the silver carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, the bighead carp Aristichthys nobilis, and the grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella in the Syr-Dar’ya River. J Ichthyol 18:143–146
Wang S, Liao W, Chen D, Duan X, Peng Q, Wang K, Li C (2008) Analysis of eco-hydrological characteristics of the four Chinese farmed carps’ spawning grounds in the middle reach of the Yangtze River. Resour Env Yangtze Basin 17:892–897 (In Chinese with English abstract)
Xie S, Li Z, Liu J, Xie S, Wang H, Murphy BR (2007) Fisheries of the Yangtze River show immediate impacts of the Three Gorges Dam. Fish 32:343–344
Yi B, Yu Z, Liang Z, Sujuan S, Xu Y, Chen J, He M, Liu Y, Hu Y, Deng Z, Huang S, Sun J, Liu R, Xiang Y (1988) The distribution, natural conditions, and breeding production of the spawning ground of four famous freshwater fishes on the main stream of the Yangtze River. In: Yi B, Yu Z, Liang Z (eds) Gezhouba water control project and four famous fishes in the Yangtze River. Hubei Science and Technology Press, Wuhan, pp 1–46 (In Chinese with English abstract)
Yi B, Liang Z, Yu Z, Lin R, He M (2006) A study of the early development of grass carp, black carp, silver carp and bighead carp of the Yangtze River. In: Chapman DC (ed) Early development of four cyprinids native to the Yangtze River. U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 239:15-51
Zhang G, Chang J, Shu G (2000) Application of factor-criteria system reconstruction analysis in the reproduction research on grass carp, black carp silver carp and bighead in the Yangtze River. Int J Gen Syst 29:419–428
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank all those whose efforts contributed to this paper. Brian Carollo, Jessica Counihan, Chad Vishy, Monique Koll, and Carl Korschgen assisted with field work. Jessica Counihan, Monique Koll, and Eric “Caleb” Troutt assisted in the lab. Aaron DeLonay provided Missouri River temperature data. Amy George assisted with staging eggs, and Roy Thorsby, Chad Vishy, Karl Anderson, Kim, and Marcia Nelson Chojnacki assisted with generation of Figures. Robin Calfee, Patrick Braaten, and Robb Jacobson provided early reviews of the manuscript. Reference to trade names does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Deters, J.E., Chapman, D.C. & McElroy, B. Location and timing of Asian carp spawning in the Lower Missouri River. Environ Biol Fish 96, 617–629 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-012-0052-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-012-0052-z