The Huron River Fish Community

The Pleistocene Epoch Most recent ice age to date Forced native species south in refugia Completely reshaped the topography of Michigan Opened up new niches for colonizers to occupy

The Huron River Watershed Comprises an area of approximately 1000 mi.2 Main branch: 136 miles Main branch + tributaries: 367 miles Headwaters at Big Lake near Huron Swamp in Oakland county Flows out into northwest corner of Lake Eerie

Early Human Colonization European settlers arrived in the 1600’s. Utilized for trade and transportation Development of the surrounding area increased over time Draining swamps Channelization Lake-level control structures Hydroelectric Dams

BARTON PLANT

Physiology of temperate, freshwater, lotic fishes Thermoregulation Osmoregulation Morphology

Thermoregulation Ectothermal (“ecto” = external; “thermal” = heat) Refers to the source of heat not variability in body temperature (i.e. homeotherm/poikilotherm), which are outdated terms Most fishes are ectotherms Exceptions: Tunas (large bodied fishes) Trade-offs abound in nature While endotherms experience certain adaptive advantages (such as, the ability to perform sustained vigorous activity, ability to withstand extremes in environmental temperature, and a buffering system against external temperature fluxuatiosn), it results in a dramatic reallocation of resources to maintenance. Increased costs of endotherms: A human (endotherm) of the same size as an alligator (ectoterm) needs 22 times as many calories at resting state than their ectothermal companion As a result endotherms require m Source: http://esi.stanford.edu/temperature/temperature3.htm

Thermoregulation Fish Responses to Temperature : Behavioral Dormancy Swimming rates Feeding behaviors Physiological Metabolism Enzymatic structure/activity Gene expression Morphological Size changes Fishes respond to changes in temperature at multiple levels.   they may respond behaviorally by undergoing a period of dormancy or by physically evading the undesirable temperature they also can change their swimming or feeding rates to conserve energy (Johnson and Dunn, 1987).   Researchers suggested early in the 20th century that polar fish should experience a metabolic adaptation to cold (Clarke 1991).  However, Clarke and Johnson conducted a metastudy relating metabolic rates to temperature in teleost fish and found no evidence supporting the hypothesis that polar teleosts have significantly different resting metabolic rates to compensate for their cold environment.  However, they did find a curvilinear relationship between oxygen consumption and temperature, suggesting that temperature does indeed affect metabolism in fishes.   Pörter et al. suggest that there are metabolic costs to eurythermal ectotherms in comparison to their stenothermal counterparts.  Eurythermal organisms experience higher energy costs at extreme temperatures compared to thermally specialized marine fishes.  This pattern is likely in freshwater systems, as well.   Johnson and Dunn reported increases in mitochondria density and capillaries in the skeletal muscles as temperature decreased.  These changes occurred in temperate fish in times spans as short as one second and as long as more than a month. Mechanisms such as changes in enzyme structure and activity and alterations in gene expression were proposed to explain observed physiological changes.   Furthermore, it is important to note that these changes are not mutually exclusive.  A fish that undergoes dormancy may concurrently undergo homeostatic responses to compensate for deleterious effects of reduced temperatures.

Osmoregualtion Freshwater is more dilute than body fluids FW fishes maintain water balance by excreting dilute urine. Organisms living in water must overcome issues arising from concentration gradients of water Osmosis, the movement of water through a semipermeable membrane from high to low concentration of water. Movement from more dilute to less dilute water. In order to overcome the dilute concentration of water externally compared with their body fluids organisms must osmoregulate FW fishes excrete dilute urine in order to shed some

Morphology Increased swimming velocity to overcome strong currents Streamline body, symmetrical caudal fin, derived locomotion Most adaptations to lotic environments are behavioral Source: Long Term Ecological Research Network, http://www.lternet.edu/research/keyfindings/river-continuum

Life History Freshwater is most diverse group of fishes due to diversity of habitats High seasonality means that fish must cope with differing environments throughout the year Different environments will favor different suites of traits

Types of Strategies Opportunistic: small body size, early maturation, low juvenile survivorship Habitat: areas with high disturbance rates

Types of Strategies Equilibrium: small to medium body size, moderate age at maturation, low fecundity per reproductive cycle, high juvenile survivorship (usually due to parental care) Habitat: low environmental disturbance rates

Types of Strategies Periodic: large body size, late maturation, high fecundity, low juvenile survivorship Habitat: highly seasonal but otherwise stable Example:

Community Structure Northern brook lamprey Ichthyomyzon fossor (rare) Mimic shiner Notropis volucellus Brown trout Salmo trutta Pugnose minnow Opsopoeodus emiliae (rare) Trout-perch Percopsis omiscomaycus Silver lamprey Ichthyomyzon unicuspis (rare) Northern redbelly dace Phoxinus eos (rare) Banded killifish Fundulus diaphanus American brook lamprey Lampetra appendix Southern redbelly dace Phoxinus erythrogaster (threatened) Blackstripe topminnow Fundulus notatus Sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus Brook silversides Labidesthes sicculus Spotted gar Lepisosteus oculatus (rare) Bluntnose minnow Phimephales notatus Brook stickleback Culaea inconstans Longnose gar Lepisosteus osseus Fathead minnow Pimephales promelas Mottled sculpin Cottus bairdi Bowfin Amia calva Blacknose dace Rhinichthys atratulus White perch Morone americana Mooneye Hiodon tergisus (endangered) Creek chub Semotilus atromaculatus White bass Morone chrysops Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus White sucker Catostomus commersoni Rock bass Ambloplites rupestris Gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum Lake chubsucker Erimyzon sucetta Green sunfish Lepomis cyanellus Central stoneroller Campostoma anomalum Northern hogsucker Hypentelium nigricans Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus Goldfish Carassius auratus Spotted sucker Minytrema melanops Warmouth Lepomis gulosus Redside dace Clinostomus elongatus (threatened) Black redhorse Moxostoma duquesnei (declining) Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus Spotfin shiner Cyprinella spilotera Golden redhorse Moxostoma erythrurum Longear sunfish Lepomis megalotis Common carp Cyprinus carpio Shorthead redhorse Moxostoma macrolepidotum Redear sunfish Lepomis microlophus Striped shiner Luxilus chrysocephalus Greater redhorse Moxostoma valenciennesi (rare) Smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieui Common shiner Luxilus cornatus Black bullhead Ameiurus melas Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides Redfin shiner Lythrurus umbratilis (rare) Yellow bullhead Ameiurus natalis White crappie Pomoxis annularis Silver chub Macrhybopsis storeriana (rare) Brown bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus Black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus Hornyhead chub Nocomis bigutatus Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus Eastern sand darter Ammocrypta pellucida (threatened) River chub Nocomis micropogon Stonecat Noturus flavus Golden shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas Tadpole madtom Noturus gyrinus Greenside darter Etheostoma blennioides Pugnose shiner Notropis anogenus (rare) Brindled madtom Noturus miurus (declining) Rainbow darter Etheostoma caeruleum Emerald shiner Notropis atherinoides Northern madtom Noturus stigmosus (endangered) Iowa darter Etheostoma exile Silverjaw minnow Notropis buccatus (rare) Fantail darter Etheostoma flabellare Bigmouth shiner Notropis dorsalis (rare) Grass pickerel Esox americanus vermiculatus Least darter Etheostoma microperca Blacknose shiner Notropis heterolepis Northern pike Esox lucius Johnny darter Etheostoma nigrum Blackchin shiner Notropis heterodon Central mudminnow Umbra limi Yellow perch Perca flavescens Spottail shiner Notropis hudsonius Cisco (lake herring) Coregonus artedi Northern logperch Percina caprodes Silver shiner Notropis photogenis (threatened) Coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch Blackside darter Percina maculata Rosyface shiner Notropis rubellus Rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss Sand shiner Notropis stramineus Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Hay-Chiemewlski et al. 1995)

Community Structure 99 different species of fish 5 threatened Silver shiner Redside dace Southern redbelly dace Eastern sand darter Sauger 1 endangered Northern madtom H

Introduced Exotics Sea lamprey Alewife Goldfish Common carp Bigmouth shiner Rainbow trout Coho salmon Chinook salmon Brown trout White perch Redear sunfish

Riffles and Gravel Substrate Common shiner Hornyhead and creek chub Northern hogsucker Brindled madtom Rock bass Mottled sculpin Rainbow and greenside darter Blacknose dace

Pools and Abundant Vegetation Central mudminnow Grass pickerel Pugnose minnow Lake chubsucker Yellow bullhead Brook stickleback Least darter Blackstripe topminnow

Impoundments Northern pike Small- and largemouth bass Black and white crappies Walleye Channel catfish Muskellunge Bluegill

Potamodromous Below Flat Rock Dam from Lake Erie Walleye Chinook salmon Coho salmon Steelhead/rainbow trout White bass Sauger

Anthropogenic Effects of the Huron River Dams Invasive Species Implications

Photo retrieved from: Huron River Watershed Council Dams 98 dams in the Huron watershed, most for water level regulation Dam removal: improved fisheries, increased aquatic species, improved water quality (Riggs 2003) Photo retrieved from: Huron River Watershed Council

Invasive Species Zebra & Quagga Mussels Asian Carp Rainbow Smelt Harmful species to ecosystem (Mackie 1991) Stable conditions, little threat (Birkett 2011) Asian Carp Rainbow Smelt Decline of walleye populations (Mercado-Silva 2005) Alewife

Implications Huron stocked with channel catfish, smallmouth bass, and walleye (Riggs 2003) Conservation efforts in Huron watershed: dam removal, prevention and control of invasives, maintenance of surrounding ecosystems

Literature Cited Birkett K.M. 2011. An Analysis of Spatial and Temporal Changes in Fish and Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities Associated with Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) Abundance in the Huron River, Southeastern Michigan. University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources & Environment. Hay-Chmielewski, E. M., Paul W. Seelbach, Gary E. Whelan, and Douglas B. Jester Jr. 1995. Huron River Assessment. Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division, Fisheries Special Report No. 16. Mackie 1991. Biology of the exotic zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, to native bivalves and its potential impact in Lake St. Clair. Hydrobiologia 219:241-268 Mercado-Silva, Norman. Invasive species in aquatic systems: Population, community, food web and landscape perspectives. Ann Arbor, MI: ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 2005. Riggs, Elizabeth H.W. 2003. Ann Arbor, MI. Huron River Watershed Council. Case studies in river restoration through dam removal.