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Movement dynamics and habitat selection of Suwannee bass Micropterus notius

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Abstract

We investigated movement dynamics and habitat selection of Suwannee bass (Micropterus notius) in one of few river systems known to house this endemic species of the Southeastern United States. The home range of Suwannee bass ranged from a minimum of 0.15 ha to 142.97 ha (mean = 30.61 ± 7.11 ha). Thirty-four percent of tagged individuals made substantial movements in relatively short amounts of time, with the maximum distance recorded at 28.53 km. Movement from these fish were erratic and unrelated to sex, length, weight, or time of year. The remaining 66% of tagged fish moved little across the study period. Suwannee bass exhibited positive selection preferences for limestone and boulder substrates and a negative selection preference for sandy substrate, indicating that coarse substrates likely play a key role in the life history of the species. The observed variability in movement, the potential for long-distance movements to influence population dynamics, and preference for coarse habitat are important attributes that should be considered for future conservation or management efforts.

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Data availability

All data collected as part of this study are available from the author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We thank B. Deener, J. Glomb, H. Greenway, D. Harrison, T. Hessler, D. Higginbotham, J. Swearingen, R. Weller, and others who assisted in field sampling and project preparation. Funding for this study was provided by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, grant no. F20AF00082-01. This study was conducted under University of Georgia IACUC protocol 10-017.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Georgia - Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, 180 E. Green Street, Athens, GA, 30601, USA

    Joel W. Yeager

  2. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Post Office Box 2089, Waycross, GA, 31502, USA

    Timothy F. Bonvechio

  3. University of Georgia - Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, 180 E. Green Street, Athens, GA, 30601, USA

    Martin J. Hamel

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  1. Joel W. Yeager
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Yeager, J.W., Bonvechio, T.F. & Hamel, M.J. Movement dynamics and habitat selection of Suwannee bass Micropterus notius. Hydrobiologia 851, 1153–1167 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-023-05379-0

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