TPWD 1954 F-7-R-2 #99: Job Completion Report: Laboratory and Statistical Results of Analysis of Materials and Data Collected in the Field, Lake Wichita and Big Wichita River

STATE a . ..-. JOB GOMPLETION REPORT Leo Do Lewis and welter'W;_Dalqeeet TITLE Laborateey and statistical reeelte of analysis of materials and data eolleeted in the fieldo GBJEGTIVES in To determine the fellowing data from laboratery examinatidn ef’field eelleeted speeimene and datag a0 Growth rate of the epeeiee present» he Food habits. eo Sexual development and spawning eueeeeeo do Comparative phyeieal eenditien (eeeffieient of eenditien). fl -£o Te determine population estimatea and trende from field datao TECHNIQUES lo Field and laboratory teehniqeee fer ebjeetive is above? were as fellewes a0 This objective was abandened an the haeie of last year9e findings. be Stemaehe of all predaeieue fiehee that obviously eontained feed were preserved in a fermalin aeletieh and later examined in the laboratoryo Stomaehee of a.number of nonmpredaeioue fiahee were alee epened and examined» ea Sexual developmeatg spawning aeaeone and epawning eeeeeeeee were determined'hy'field ebeervatieneo Repreduetive petential was determined'hy’making eeunte ef the egge in the ewariee of female fiehee that were almeet ready‘te spawno do Ceefflieiente of eenditieh were eempeted in the laherateey free meaeeremente ef length andweight‘9 made in the field9 after the fewmela presented by Garlander (Freehewater Fieheriee Bielegy). 2o Pepelatien eetimatee of the fishes of Lake'Wiehita and the Big'Wiehita River were determined'by'gill net and aeining eelleetioneo The data ie presented elsewhere (Gempletien Repewte eataaaeg job Bag and jabs Au? and.Be63 eemhined)a The report on the laboratory and statistical analysis of materials and data c llected in the field during the 1953s195h project year. covering Lake Kickapoos Lahe Kemp and Lake Diversion (Gompletion Report ra7ess1. Joh Bah) is used as the ontline for the present report9 which is organised in a similar fashion so that the statistical results of the three lakes stndied last year may'he readily compared with the one lake and one river studied this yearo ' The Canadian River. in the Texas Panhandle» was also studied in detail in the past year but.no large fishes yielding data of the type summarised here were "taken 0 as -¢--* *0!“ Oar detailed studies of the flannnli“ on the scales of fishes from this part of Terasg in the l9§3el95h project yearg led to no usefnl findings that conld'he applied to the fisheries biology of this area. Our summary of our lastayearfls work is repeated here. We‘have found no reason to change it. 99W's-are forced to conclude that annnli on the scales of fishes from this regiong if valid for age determination at ally will require far more time and detailed study than we can spare for them. In this region. winters are mild and the lakes rarely freezes Insect and plant life is available throughout the year. It is possible that scale marks reflect violent ecological conditions such as drceth. excessive salinity or sudden floods rather than regnlar yearly growth stageso ' wWe do feel. however. that scale markings may showy or at least indicate in a general'wayg age of the specimenso If’the aridiculousfl specimens are discarded and the doubtful specimens read as best they can be determined. the results are in fair agreement with what we wonld judge from sine and weight. nevertheless we hare no confidence in the reselts and would rather depend on length and weight as age indicators.” ' we hare noted several recent publications that also cast some dodht on the complete validity of’annulig even from areas where annnli have been much need in the pasta FOOD HABITS- The stomachs of all predaoions fishes were examined in the field. Those stomachs that contained feed were removedfl labeled and preserved in l0% formalin. In the laboratory'these stomachs were opened. under a microscope when necessary. ferasitic worms were discarded and only'those food items that conld'he identified ‘with reasonable certainty'were recorded. Of the nonmpredacions fishes9 a rtessntfle nnmber of stomachs? gnllets and the anterior portions of intestinal tracts. were tied off and removed from specimens for laboratory examination. Essence of the nature of the food itemss no quantitative method of presenting this data conld'he devised. Feedehahits data is here presented hy‘species. in phylogenetic ordero legisostens ossens (Longenosed Gariomm A specimen from.Diversion Dam Station on t e sig'Wichita lr'ttiver9 taken ingestz33 195h3 contained two small h "399%? necrophirnsQB each about 85 mm. in length. *- slnegill snnfishes (h tan-Io ‘ r g u- . _ Lena ”53333 E eduhtns (Spotted Garl we 21;: specimen from Lake Wichi.ta9 female 3““ grams9 contained a small giesard st'i {Dorosomac ceEedianum)9 tOO rogesied to meals ure9 on October 299 l95h9 9 c frinellus (Bigmouth Buffalo)9mm Two small specimens9 taken may .9 9 3122; 'yiv*planktonic organismso the food habits of this buffalo o be identical to those of the neat species. Iot10hus huhalus (Smallmouth Buffalojoee A number of smallmouth huffalos war . 3 h Lie h has no distinct stomach9 and the pharynx constricts to a tube of aims at uniform diameter in which esophagus9 stomach and intestines are sea sly diiferenriated9 externally; In the field we tied off the threats and an or portions of’the gut and saved these parts in formalin ion the laboratoWV'we found gre eatrnumhers of sooplankton in the gullets and anterior tetra of the gut9d1gooted sooplankton and reddish o:il in the parts 1mmfiflirgelv posterior9 and only fecal material iarther backo 0n December l39 l95h9 the'digestive tracts of three large specimens were caref*llv examine d9 Gnly sooplankton9 almost entirely large fo;rms of Gladooera and Gop poda9 was presento Great numbers o.f these we:re found in perfect on rgieno A plankton haul in the lake showed the dominant planktonio animals to be rotifers anud protosoao These small forms ou.tnumbsred the entomosira s aii. least l0 to 19 “but only'the larger arthropods had been eaten'hy'the buffaloso inherently the smallmouth‘buffalo9 and.probably the largemouth buffalo also9 is seriously s leotive in its feeding hab:its9 Garsiodesc cagpio (River Garpsuckerlamm Small qu.antities of’planhton were found .: ;;e anterior parts of the digestive tracts of several river carpsncker along with a small amount of unidentifiable material that seemed to be vegetable in natures Farther'haok the long digestive tract contained only large quantities of fecal mattero ‘we are not sure the material in the anterior part of the gu.t was stoodo Gertainly it was present in amounts too small to support fishes as large as arpsu kerso Q Hiodon ~lrso o1d (Goldeye)9em A female weighing 225 g rams9 taken at the 2’=3 an 32 tide3 on the Big Wichita River9 July’69195h9 contained a la ergo Gerahid bee. tie and a small Acrid grasshopper Iotaaurus inn sates (Spotted Shanna l Catfiohloen inr two channel *4 is with foot in t3eir stomac s were taken9 hoish from Lake Wit hitso A3 £5 gram fish *1wen Sept em.er 239 l9os9 contained one small glass? shade Ac f: h cakes 9,9tasc9 23 12359 held a large gissard shad and several loanthocephalan parasitese 2221 was melee (BiockrBullnead3ame All Of 2h?» W Wimfififi containing food weye 99; 9 . 9991999 On catchers 2;99 195h9 a 600 gram .fm is held one creirisr9 an 30G gram fish held 21 “an”lih229 3/3 KO 3 32233: 13 length9 and El ting‘crerfislesg a 250 gram £22212 held 1 glflyafd 3323 3 = 3“ I“ "‘ grass shrimp (malecmanotselo ,9 923 L'lvas , n37! ‘~ her.239 Lsdho One held 1.1 small sunfi one the other held two small gieware shade A specimen taken December 2l9 l9Sh9 held two s mall gissard shade l ergo Wellhead rec Feb rosary l9 l23'j9 send eight small sunfishes9 coaranthy all he ends Wignellus9 and two smal girsard shad9 ‘ 'fi;ree large specimens we on May 259 225% had their at sumac s bulging with :eésyeo9‘hcown vegetation that seemed to he ca,'t tail (2‘ ha)9 One stomach held 1 1e1111g 611:1h1e Vegete11119 The ether tWer M T1 1erge membere 01 large fish egge Teefi emperee meet fevereb1e with the eggs 61 Tel 1111 (Aelodinetee grunniene). 3., CL t” Meree-e e.hv;wepe (White Bees)9mu There eeemed1 1e be 111111 Seesanal varietien .fl the “an,“ .99., Leed e1 i3 *Tit® bees:1Wem Lake Wiehite Gieeeld ehed and graee shrimp emee The bulk 61 The1100d9111h efiher smell 111111 maxing up the differeneeo 11+ 1he Big Tiehite River9 enly'gieeerd shad were feund in The etemaehe e1 epeeimene Takena The defie frem Leke'WTeh111e is presented in the felleeing tebml MieepWLeWee eelmeidee (BleektBaee)oww 111 01 01W epeeimeee of bleek base “ their efiomeehs came iiWem KemW t;e 11g 116311 FTWeW That eenteined fGOd in ' J" ”Dem 81111019 On'Deeember 1133 19519 one bees held a smell gi.eeard ehad.9 ene held 1 emeLr deem; eeether held a large parret minnOW'CPimeehelee v1g1la1) On "M uWWW peeeteeus Tebeeeev 219 19119 a base 290 emu long held a ehanne‘ ea? ,1; 91%,. T6 mmo leega On 11111 1919559 e,epeeimen 193 mmo long held 131211 E§e.dnmmammflmm eee1hee9 355 men leng9 eonteined three email gieeard shade Seepmei epeelmene 116m Lake Wiehita also een eeined 10069 One taken em 159 19519 eenteined e gieeerd Shed tee inehee longo One taken Deeember 19 19519 eeneaxeed +16 email gieeari ehad and e gWeee ehrimpo Five tekee.1e iT 11h. L9 19909 QrLd 100d ee Telleees eee geese ehrimpg one emell geldee r1.1 fee em1eeeeee e1*WleeeLae)9 three eeh Weefielned a eingle gieeard eheda Th :fe11vmeg eemnefle some The ma emails 11111111. ” ed 1.11 1211131111“ 10111111 Ue1em1 '5 Pamsxis annularis (White Crappie)¢ma Onle’ene grappie With feed in its seemasfima%§””' saEen Eiem fihe Wichita Rivers at Kemp Dam Station en December 139 l9§ho It esntained a small green sunfish and a lasge parset minnow. A number of speeimens from Lake Wishisa sensained (flexes9 as fellowse Axledieetns granniens (Freshwater Dmam)ome a male dremg 298 grams in weight gels: ; 3‘ b.53 5 session Dam Statien an the Big Wiehita Rivers9 eentained a large shentmhorned grasshopper; This is our first resend of an inseet free she seemaeh sf a fish of ibis speeieso _ Tee speeimens were taken at Lake Wiehita en Oeeobes 59 l9§h9 with feed in eaeie stemaehsa One female of 675 grams sansained tee small gisaand shade A 'mele sf ?00 grams held smasher drama about fihnee inehes in lengths we feend this speeies he be sensibalistie last year alsoa A deem taken in.Lake Wiehita en Febeaaey lg l95§9 sentained tee small gissasd Shade REgfiflflggllgl tun- .- Reeends were kept ef all ebseseatisns in she field of spanning fish and sensels of fig; All yeang sf large fishes that were taken in seine hauls were eesnted and measuredo All fishes taken in gill nets were examined fer stages sf sexual develepmens and seeesded ass (1) immasenefl wish smallg than.ieeiee e? small ssaeies eenteining eggs sf mediamasiee er smalleeg (E) sissy sieh lasgsg teies testes en large evesies eentaining large eggs; CB§ spent? siih.ilabey sesses es esamiesc9 esaries essally"sisn a small namnes sf anlaie eggs and Often wish erases sf bleedo The judgment sf EBimmature1m and ”nipefi is perely assiseaey'esig in she fields fee beedeeline eases esseno The assesses simply asks himself; Wis fihis fish readg'er nearly eeafiy ts breedoH3 En generalg eggs sf a sips female fish.ean easily'be separated frem assessesnes and easily'be sesneeda The Wspensw eenditien is mere diffienlt ts ‘jexjfige‘9 espeeielly in male fisheso leiis else a eenditien sf share duratieno Same serene are deebeless inelesed is this elassifieatien beta When many'fish ef‘a speeies are neeerded es WspsneW in a single eaten? it is fiheaght shat she aetual spawning daee was 'ent a few says passe The eearies sf a,nnmber of females reassess as 93‘swipe?g were saved in a fesmelie selesisno In the labenateny she eearies were weighed so the nearest L . .lfllo gsamo a small pertisng less than see grams was then snipped from the large masefl as representative a sample as pessibleg and weighed en a ehemisal balanee usfiihs nearest milligramo The eggs in this small sample were shes scented and see eeeal nsmben of eggs in the ripe every thus estimatedo Sines the number 4‘ eggs is an devises finnetien ef the weight of she ‘itlisie9 we list fihe:nember sf 6 eggs per fish and eggs per’kilegram as eel i. In general iE s.eems Ehat Ehe pasE'pregees'r”dr*sas a mesh more normal rear Ehan Ehe l9§ ~.3ul95hr prejeeE year33 prineipalIy'heeaase Ehis year Ehe lakes sens nearIy fail and rainfall was abundanE. In Ehe l9§3u3h.year3 lakes were eaEremer.lee and iE was a fidrenghtw yearo CAll sp eies ier'shieh ne'hare adeqnaEe daEa did breed in Ehe spring er snmmer of l95h. Same ferns anparenEly did neE de se in 19530 Breeding Eimes ales seemed somewhaE mere regular and I imited this past seaseno ' Spawning daEa is here lisEed fer sash speeies3 with daEa free Ehe Big 'WL Wi Rig ner given firsta 'We suppose that Ehe reprednetire peEenEial sf a rpeeies sf fish is gen.eEieally fired in any given area and Eherefere we have net li s.Eeds separater egg eennts from EheJWiehiEa River and Lake‘W'ic- ehiEaa assessoem Th.e largesE spawn of Ehis gar Eeek plaee in 3cih.Ehe _M~. 3” '7333733ke Wishita in May3 @550 A similar spawn nust‘har1 ensurred in May'Le.r early Jane3 195L3 for gar fry were Eaken in laEe June3 l95h3 in Ehe lakeo A fan fish siEh genads large snengh ts be in spanning eendiEian were Essen in Ehe fall and earIy springo 1Iatsatamnsome The spanning seasen of Ehe sherEnosed gar seems ‘3 :7 n 0.7 Ehe above speeieso We fonnd most large females ts be flr1pew in April l95h and 19550 Several spanning iish.nere taken in August and September3 suggesting Ehat Ehis form may spawn Eniee a,yeara Levi se eEens arednnEn 0mm Alfiripe93 female Eahen in Lake WiehiEa en July l53 I7111 a res slid £791? "331313 Pwt’ 3733210 Deresema ee ediannmomm The prineipal breeding seasen sf Ehis speeies in Ens I '“. gey*eeenrs 1n May3 when mssE speeimens Eaken have “ripefl genadso A E“e3 seati ered individnals hare Wripefi genads at eEher msnEhs_ e2 Ehe'vear In seine seals we Eeek tiny’giaaard shad3 obviensly'nst more Ehan a .fen days eld3 in aims-a every manEh. e2 Ehe vear3 :InElnding the sinEer manEhso We judge EhaE a1; er -3“rIy all sf Ehe adnlE fish sf Ehis kind breed in May3'hat a iraeEien sf ass per reen.E breed Eaiee3 aE any‘Eims 9f Ehe yeaa=3SurE1Eel 0i Ehe eiTSpring Qf Ehes se fiwsease breeders seems ts be snrprisingly‘highs '{Jnranellasomm The higmenEh'bnffale spasned snraessfnllr'ia lane " 1?,1'”as3 speeimens ens Es Ewen i.nehes leng were taken 1n se.ne 1%d in Jane, No more smalls eimens were taken aniil May3 ausmlali lab 10 .Ee l2 inehes lsng were eeanght in a EEIBW heal.a On ~ . speeie s green about a feeE in Ehe iirsE yearo 3 Eiebaa “absinsaew The smallnesih,EEETEle spanned sn3ee3sln1ly‘1n May3 il?se3 1n75 ans ”lamaa Fish slightlr’mere Eha.n an inEh in lengEh sere abundantg an; saEh an as easianal‘h1gmenih buffalo sf s 1ghtlv'1arger si.ae3 in Jane3 l95ho I‘m a Week er se3 these small fishes nere eemmeno Br’ll 1y3 as mere were taken Erin. heals in.Ehe shallewse On Fahrnary‘23 l95§3 a se.ine heel in deeper ear er Each 20l yenng hn.:ffale e2 Ehis speeieso They ranged free 102 Es 130 maO m standard lengEh Cmean llfofi) and free 33 E0 ?6 grams in weight (mean EB T) Eases. derelepment sf Ehs sm3,lmenEh ealrale is gradnalG NeEieeahle er argumeni of eggs and erase lee senses in seErMar *fild Ehreho By’lpril3 eggs are lisEed as Wripew alEhengh a few aliaseasen spawners are reserded as “ripe“ at eEner Eimes ef the yearn ? Earriedes 3 'cie.uu The earpsweher erases aE irregular Eimesa In LaIe E§:7§3§E777"?7e77emales Eahen in February sad Iareh were “ripe.” A few’ rage isdiridsals were Eakes aE sEher meaEhs sf Ehe years In Ehe pasE prejesE year3 relaEiweIw few earpsweker fry‘aed swung fish were heEedo In the previewsgyear3 Ehe earpsweker was ens sf Ehe'mesE sueeessfwl spawnerso Perhaps this speeies reersdsees mesE seeeessfelly when Ehe sdIy'beEEom aweilahle is mad er silE3 as is Eras is droughE years when the lakes are redeeed is release CZ grinds egggieomm ‘we Eeok a ripe-female is Fahreary3 19553 and reserded a ”speeEW female is May; OEherwise all Ehe European carp we eapEered in gill hsEs were:aeE is er appreaehieg breeding essdiEieno We EeeI enly*a.few’swall earg:is seine healsu IsEalwres peeeEaEes3nm Ewe females in breeding eewdiEien were Eahea3 see is laws Eire, -15 see is early Apriln DisEineE enlargemenE sf ovaries was seen is fish Eaken'Mareh E3 19550 The eaEfish spawned sueeessfelly'is.Lake'WiehiEa is irril3 hwE weE in members eemparahle Es eEher nearby lakes where Badeeh fish,were e,nwisasee E0 fishermen in June and Jalyo imeiarwe melasoam Two females taken on April 293 19553 eonEained ripe searieso XII eEEers Eeken3 heEh males and females3 were immaEereo This indieaEes a quite regular spawning seasen3 in early'Mari 'No fry of Ehis specieS'were taken is Iahe'Wiehian MErsne eh:“3e§s3me 'WhiEe bass in bath the Big WiehiEa River and.Lake WiehiEa H.1H.‘_I.-‘l. .. seaweed sweeessm in the spring sf 1951; and again 1n Ehe spring sf 19559 The breeding seesaw of Ehe speeies is raEher aernsire3 reaehing frem.lpril E0 July} In dely3 fish frem a few inehes Es nearly’l/h pewnd in weighE swear EegeEher in Ehe rapids and is deeper peelso “We found ne offeseasen breeders in Ehis speeies. tjv3i3ssomm Blaeh Bass spawned saeeesfelly’ih Lake WiehiEa u s is Ehe WiehiEa Rivera Peseris ansslarissww The spawning seesaw of Ehe whiEe erasrie in Lake WiehiEa assareeEIy s arEed is earIy May3 heeasse ripe females were Eaken es iiril 293 1§5§o The spawning seesaw was sherEo All adle females Eakes is May were rises ill Eahee afEer EhaE'mshEh were immaEereo Few.igr and he fiegerliegs seine hauls3 and iE is possible EhaE Ehe swash mighE eeE hare Essa “.F573EEIE grewhisnsomn Oar only ripe female draw was Eaiee is Laks'WiehiEa ' “ "‘ ‘ *1 em'were fswnd in Ehe sEemaehs sf’predaeieas fishes is REPRODUCTIVE POTENTIAL (EGG scenes) epeeiee 'weight of fish number 0f egge eggs per kilogram hgooo lhgleS 35521 800 693?0 ?9963 13300 159908 129235 13300 273?65 219258 625 BShghSO 5679120 550 1?h9378 31?3051 515 1255810 ehhfiegl 725 1369000 1879586 Shfi 2139803 Acigh?3 Q28 12h938h 290960? 510 loaghéo 112366? 19.125 11159653 3965.133 ea: 10 600 lahflhES 30793?? 800 2639 8?}; 3299 8L3 850 h58930? 5593185 39500 3869?h6 1109h98 29100 9698?0 120?95 710 113M?6 1e3163 760 973500 128920? 925 ?53888 Bagoul Nerwee ehewee ~ £55 2709600 5969035 h3h 1609®00 eéaggeh 382 2&198?5 5333181 hog 3013815 Veegeeé m2 L1,?39?88 3689195 M90 3899000 T9398?8 Nieeeeteeue ealmeidee 388 I $353606 599000 egé 219962 Béghlg renniene 775 233839 309?60 The egg eeeete reveal some rather intereetieg feeteo For examples the leegeeeefi gar is far more nemerees and eueeeeeful in norfihmeentral Texas fihan is fine eheefieeeed gero Neverfiheleeeg the letfier lays more egge per kilogram of body weigheo In generalg'the ehannel eetfish ie far mere numerous and eueeeeeful in agreemeeefieal Teeee fihan ie the blaek bullheedo ‘Xet the latter lays fer mere eggeg befih pee fieh and per kilegram ef bedy‘weightg fihan deee the ehannel eetfieho QEFLFFFFIHF OF CSNEITION m..mm Fhe WK” .faehere were determined for eaeh speeimee ef large fish taken in :: gall hereo Ohrieee errere in reeording resulted in some impossible rabies F lee th he weighi9 and hheee were disearded. All others are included in the e leeang earagraphe. 'we have preferred to state all of our actual data rather * give areragee er ehher etatietieal eenelusionss so that our figures ean he eaai veempared with +heee of other workers by'any'preferred mehheds. 3 ie ehriehe that the fiehes taken.in Lake Wichita'were in much better “hjeleal eenditien fihan these from fihe Big'Wiehita River. This is true of both reneh fiehe ea and game fisheea planktenaeatere and predaeioes species. Thie Fears e1? Whah we bade eeheln ded from our field dbservatiens ef the fishes frem ihe tee watere. she eempared with Lak.e Kiekapeog Lake Kemp and.Lake Diversion3 as determined daring hhe prerieae pre wee years the fishes from.Lake'Wiehita are in superior ehgeieal eehditien and here higher ”K” faefiorsg though fihe differences are net ee great ae he+weeh the lake and the Wiehiha River. This alee agreee wihh ear ilele wheerraeaaha, Lake'Wiehita seems he he the meet preduetive body of water he hhie area. 'DISTRIBUTION or are FACTORS FOR LAKE WIGHITA Legisesteue oeeeus Femalee ‘21:": ‘m' mum's-v. n 10 '% resoma ee ediemem Fetiebm CE rinellee ”F Ietiobus behalus “afar“ 395‘ 3.6 3.7 3.8 30.9 he ale «- a "z 13 16 33 23 20 gay: 10"”11'62 :“WLL. e n - n 2 l 1 7 6 2 6 3 2 3 2 '" Gage 10 deal earp 1e . 6 2-7 208 20.9..“ a 3° $054 17 11.11; 10' '6: 3" '1 a ~1wmmm WW3 fife-halume Esme; "hates were; m l flee Wi‘ifi'l ”K99 eff 2o 3 3r Fe “Frag; 1* $33.1 am ll mafia?” e ie a eeihe haul eh. Feh raary 32 19:35., Th eee range we. m we: mm: L '1 - .. ‘ v. a 3. - ‘ , ‘ "a " ° . We? leaf 0 e 3,33: mm. m etahaard lengths, and from 33 "he “3’6 grams l‘fl weaghta er aware J‘s-agr'e a. ir: a maee 2 he “h determined; ee he sex2 but; fiedifidually meae ered 1* lercro The average (mean) ”K” for ‘theee young fieh wee 3&0