Off-campus South Dakota State University users: To download campus access theses, please use the following link to log into our proxy server with your South Dakota State University ID and password.

Non-South Dakota State University users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this thesis through interlibrary loan.

Document Type

Thesis - University Access Only

Award Date

1993

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Wildlife and Fisheries Science

First Advisor

Walter G. Duffy

Keywords

food habits, emeral shiner, spottail shiner, lake oahe, south dakota

Abstract

Abundance, age/length relationships, and food habits were studied for the emerald shiner Notropis atherinoides and the spottail shiner Notropis hudsonius at three sites on Lake Oahe, South Dakota, in 1990. Emerald and spottail shiners were among the most abundant species sampled in beach seine hauls between May and September. Spottail shiners were occasionally caught in small mesh gill nets. Emerald shiners were common in the upper and middle reservoir but were rare near the lower end of Lake Oahe. Spottail shiners were captured in higher numbers by night seining than by daytime seining. Age groups 0-3 were present for both species. Emerald and spottail shiners ate primarily large zooplankton and insects. Both species showed a preference for Daphnia. Shifts in feeding from zooplankton to insects occurred for both species when zooplankton abundance was low. The diets of emerald and spottail shiners showed considerable overlap on several sampling dates, indicating possible competition. Emerald and spottail shiners provide a prey base for predator fish in Lake Oahe in habitats where the primary prey, rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax is scarce or absent.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Notropis -- Oahe, Lake (S.D. and N.D.) -- Feeding and feeds
Notropis -- Oahe, Lake (S.D. and N.D.) -- Geographical distribution

Description

Includes bibliographical references (page 46-51)

Format

application/pdf

Number of Pages

62

Publisher

South Dakota State University

Rights

Copyright © Deborah C. Sewell. All rights reserved.

Share

COinS