Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-25wd4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-27T00:32:17.363Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Comparison of point and transect-based electrofishing to sample American eel (Anguilla rostrata) in wadeable riverine habitats

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 April 2011

S. M. Reid
S. M. Reid*
Affiliation:
Aquatic Research and Development Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, K9J 7B8 Ontario, Canada
*
a Corresponding author: reid.scott@ontario.ca
Get access

Abstract

Dramatic declines in American eel (Anguilla rostrata) recruitment have resulted in strong conservation measures being implemented. Recovery actions in Ontario have included stocking of glass eels. Given the financial costs and imperative to undertake effective recovery actions, post-stocking monitoring is essential. In this study, point- and transect electrofishing sampling were compared in terms of eel detection, catch rates, size-selectivity, and power to detect changes in abundance. Transect sampling was more likely to detect eels and captured over twice the number of eels than point-sampling. Differences in catch rates and statistical power were dependent on the catch-per-unit-effort measure (i.e. sampling unit vs. time). Results support a transect-based sampling program for stocked eels in Lake Ontario tributaries.

Keywords

MonitoringRiversAmerican eelAnguilla rostrata
Type
Brief Report
Information
Aquatic Living Resources , Volume 24 , Issue 1 , January 2011 , pp. 79 - 83
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, IFREMER, IRD 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Acou, A., Gabriel, G., Laffaille, P., Feunteun, E., 2009, Differential production and condition indices of premigrant eel in two small Atlantic coastal catchments of France. Am. Fish. Symp. 58, 157–174. Google Scholar
Bonhommeau, S., Chassot, E., Rivot, E., 2008, Fluctuations in European eel (Anguilla anguilla) recruitment resulting from environmental changes in the Sargasso Sea Fish. Oceanography 17, 32–44. Google Scholar
Briand, C. D., Fatin, D., Fontenelle, G., Feunteun, E., 2005, Effect of re-opening of a migratory pathway for eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) at a watershed scale. Bull. Fr. Pêche Piscicult. 378–379, 67–86. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chapman L.J., Putnam D.F., 1984, The Physiography of Southern Ontario, third edition, Toronto, Ontario Geological Survey Special Volume 2.
Cohen J., 1988, Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences, second edition, Hillsdale, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Copp, G.H., 2010, Patterns of diel activity and species richness in young and small fishes of European streams: a review of 20 years of point abundance sampling by electrofishing. Fish Fish. 11, 439–460. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) 2006, Assessment and status report on the American eel Anguilla rostrata in Canada, Ottawa.
Fuenteun, E., Acou, A., Guillouet, J., Laffaille, P., Legault, A., 1998, Spatial distribution of an eel population (Anguilla anguilla L.) in a small coastal catchment of northern Brittany (France), Consequences of hydraulic works. Bull. Fr. Pêche Piscicult. 349, 129–139. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flotemersch, J.E., Blocksom, K.A., 2005, Electrofishing in boatable rivers: does sampling design affect bioassessment metrics? Environ. Monit. Assess. 102, 263–283. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garner, P., 1997, Sample sizes for length and density estimation of 0+ fish when using point sampling by electrofishing. J. Fish Biol. 50, 95–106. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gerow, K.G., 2007, Power and sample size estimation techniques for fisheries management: assessment and a new computational tool. N. Am. J. Fish. Manage. 27, 397–404. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hood G.M., 2005, PopTools version 2.6.9. Available from www.cse.csiro.au/poptools
Jellyman, D.J., Graynoth, E., 2005, The use of fyke nets as a quantitative capture technique for freshwater eels (Anguilla spp.) in rivers. Fish. Manage. Ecol. 12, 237–247. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kruegeré, W.H., Oliveira, K., 1999, Evidence for environmental sex determination in the American eel, Anguilla rostrata. Environ. Biol. Fishes 55, 381–389. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laffaille, P., Briand, C., Fatin, D., Lafage, D., Lasne, E., 2005, Point sampling the abundance of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) in freshwater areas. Arch. Hydrobiol. 162, 91–98. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lambert, P., Feunteun, E., Rigaud, C., 1994, Étude de l’anguille en marais d’eau douce, Première analyse des probabilités de capture observées lors des inventaires par pêche électrique. Bull. Fr. Pêche Piscicult. 335, 111–121. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lapointe, N.W.R., Corkum, L.D., Mandrak, N.E., 2006, Point sampling by boat electrofishing: a test of the effort required to assess fish communities. N. Am. J. Fish. Manage. 26, 793–799. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lasne E., Laffaille P., 2008, Assessing the freshwater distribution of yellow eel. Knowl. Manage. Aquat. Ecosyst. 390–391, 04.
Lobón-Cerviá, J., Utrilla, C.G., Rincón, P.A., 1995, Variations in the population dynamics of the European eel Anguilla anguilla (L.) along the course of a Cantabrian river. Ecol. Freshw. Fish, 4, 17–27. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacGregor R., Casselman J., Greig L., Allen W.A., McDermott L., Haxton T., 2010, DRAFT Recovery Strategy for the American eel (Anguilla rostrata) in Ontario. Ontario Recovery Strategy Series. Peterborough, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.
Machut, L.S., Limburg, K.E., Schmidt, R.E., Dittman, D., 2007, Anthropogenic impacts on American eel demographics in Hudson River tributaries, New York. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc. 136, 1699–1713. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacKenzie, D.I., Royle, J.A., 2005, Designing occupancy studies: general advice and allocating survey effort. J. Appl. Ecol. 42:1105–114. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mahon, R., 1980, Accuracy of catch-effort methods for estimating fish density and biomass in streams. Environ. Biol. Fishes 5, 343–360. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marcogliese, L.A., Casselman, J.M., 2009, Long-term trends in size and abundance of juvenile American eels ascending the Upper St. Lawrence River. Am. Fish. Symp. 58, 191–205. Google Scholar
Mathers, A., Stewart, T.J., 2009, Management of American eels in Lake Ontario and the Upper St. Lawrence River. Am. Fish. Symp. 58, 359–366. Google Scholar
Naismith, I.A., Knights, B., 1990, Studies of sampling methods and of techniques for estimating populations of eels, Anguilla anguilla L. Aquac. Fish. Manage. 21, 357–367. Google Scholar
Nelva, A., Persat, H., Chessel, D., 1979, Une nouvelle méthode d’étude des peuplements ichthyologiques dans les grands cours d’eau par échantillonnage ponctuel d’abondance. [New method for investigating fish populations in large streams by multiple point abundance sampling.] CR Serie D 289, 1295–1298. Google Scholar
OMNR (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources), 2006, State of Resource Reporting: American eel in Ontario. Available: www.mnr.gov.on.ca/mnr/sorr/eel.html (March 2007).
Pedersen, M.I., 2009, Does stocking of Danish lowland streams with elvers increase European eel populations? Am. Fish. Symp. 58, 149–156. Google Scholar
Peterman, R.M., 1990, Statistical power analysis can improve fisheries research and management. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 47, 2–15. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Quist, M.C., Gerow, K.G., Bower, M.R., Hubert, W.A., 2006, Random versus fixed-site sampling when monitoring relative abundance of fishes in headwater streams of the upper Colorado River basin.N. Am. J. Fish. Manage. 26, 1011–1019. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reid, S.M., Mandrak, N.E., 2009, Effect of diel period and season on seining effort required to detect changes in Lake Erie beach fish assemblages. Environ. Monit. Assess. 153, 73–82. CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reid, S.M., Lean, J., Carl, L., 2005, Influence of riffle characteristics, surficial geology, and natural barriers on the distribution of the channel darter (Percina copelandi) in the Lake Ontario basin. Environ. Biol. Fishes 72, 241–249. CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Verreault, G., Dumont, P., Dussureault, J., Tardif, R., 2010, First record of migrating silver American eel (Anguilla rostrata) in the St Lawrence Estuary originating from a stocking program. J. Great Lakes Res. 36, 794–797. CrossRefGoogle Scholar