Abundance and movement patterns of age-0 juvenile lake sturgeon in the Peshtigo River, Wisconsin
- First Online:
- Cite this article as:
- Caroffino, D.C., Sutton, T.M. & Lindberg, M.S. Environ Biol Fish (2009) 86: 411. doi:10.1007/s10641-009-9540-1
- 112 Views
In Great Lakes tributaries, age-0 juvenile lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens use riverine nursery habitats during their first summer of life and migrate to adjacent lakes after a seasonal decline in water temperature. We used mark-recapture data collected during this river-residency phase to monitor patterns in juvenile abundance and movement in the Peshtigo River, Wisconsin, during 2006 and 2007. Jolly-Seber and multistate models were used to estimate abundance and describe the probability of movement between river sections. Juvenile abundance was higher in 2007 than in 2006; however, in both years, abundance at the end of the sampling season was lower than at the beginning. Downstream movements were observed more frequently than upstream movements, and the probability of a downstream movement was higher than the probability of an upstream movement. The lower abundance later in the sampling season and propensity for downstream movements suggests that some age-0 juvenile lake sturgeon may leave the natal river before a seasonal decline in water temperature.