TPWD 1955 F-3-R-2 #175: Inventory of the Species Present in Caddo Lake: Job Completion Report

sears. m ‘ PROJECT Noe FfEEngz" "59b“3*;hnw PERIOD ”_Dsssabsr.lflnl953hi.h_m to May 31, 1955 JOB COMPLETION REPORT by Charles E. Gray TITLE Inventory of the Species Present in Caddo Lakea OBJECTIVES To determine the species present and their relative abundance as well as to determine the ecological factors influencing their distributiono METHODS Four netting stations were selected at widely separated sites in order to sample the various environments in the lakec (See attached map for location of stationsJO These stations were netted once each month using experimental type gill nets composed of 25 foot sections of varying mesh, including 3/h”, l", é", 2” and 3” square mesh; Hoop and fyke nets of l/e” and l" mesh were also used“ Fish were kept alive until examined for length, weight, sex and stage of sexual development. Scale samples were taken and saved for future study and comparision with those from other sections of the Staten Some doubt exists at present as to the reliability of annnli in age determination at this latitudeo Stomachs of sport species were preserved for food analysiso Results of the analysis of ten species are recorded in Table #150 Ecological data recorded for each collection include: an Temperature: air and surface water to pH cu Turbidity do Depth of water ea Depth of net set f0 Direction and strength or wind g. Dissolved oxygen he Main cover types it Bottom type Because of the heavy vegetation in Gaddo Lake seining stations were difficult to findo The fire sites were chosen simply because they were about the only ones open enough to allos'seining operations and even these become impossible at times because of thick mate of water hyacinthso Seining collections were made once each month after waders became availableo All seining specimens were brought to the laboratory for counting and identifications Ecological data recorded for each collection include the same items listed above for netting collectionso 2, For the purpose of comparing pepulations and conditions in the different areas of the lake, the data for each netting station was treated separately, Five collecm tions were made at each station during the period covered by this Toport . D NETTING COLLECTIONS Station No, l m This site is located where the dense cypress breaks open into the waters of the Big Lake area, The area contains scattered cypress (Taxodium distichum) of a density of about four or five trees to an acre, Submerged aquatics occur here in dense beds although they do not cover the area completely, The more important ones in estimated order of abundance include: pondweeds (Potamo enton) water milfoil (Myriophyllum), coontail (Carats h 113m) and muskgrass iChara5. By early summer, dense beds of water lily (N%mphaea5 and lotus (Nelumbo) emerge to cover part of the area, Water hyacinths Eichornia crassippesj almost cover the . Wit-mm area at times, depending on the time of year and win bottom of this station is a sandy silt covered with organic litter, The water depth is normally 5 to 8 feet, Twentynfive species of fish, including nine famim lies were collected at this stationo Table #1 shows the relative abundance of each species taken at this stationa Results of the water analysis for this station are recorded in Table #6. d direction and velocity, The and due to wind action it is generally more turbid than the other stationso Subs merged aquatics are present but are much less abundant than at other stations, water milfoil, (Mygiophllum), Pondweeds (Potamogeton), Coontail (Ceratophyllum) and muskgrass (Chara were found in the more shallow water, Mats of water hyam cinths (Eichornia:crassipes) drift throught the area wi - ". Twenty six s “ ° Station Eco 3 m This station lies in the Clinton Lake area as shown on the attached mapn Needy vegetation in the area consists of thick cypress breaks and open water dotted with scattered cypress treeso becomes choked with very difficulto in warm weather, Clinton Lake submerged aquatics to such an extent that boat travel becomes The major submerged species found here include: Pondweeds (Potamogeton), water mi1 ifoil (Myriophyllum , Coontail (oeratoph llama and Mushgrass (Charajt Some scattered beds of water lillies (E aphaea, and lotus (Nelumbofi emerge in the spring, The water in this area is very clear, becoming turbidmohly after prolonged rains and very high water, water depth ranges from three to eight feet, The bottom is a sandy clay covered with organic litter. Twentymthree species res presenting ten families of fish were collected at this at for this station is recorded in Table #3, ationo Relative abundance Results of water analysis are recorded in Table #8, Station Not A m This station is located in t treme upper end of Caddo Lakeo Aquatic vegetation at station four is much the same as at station three, However, station four receives even less water from the bayou than station threeo This can easily be seen on the attached mapo very seldom does all of the water in Garters Lake become turbidc The bottom is sandy clay and sandy silt covered with organic litter, Netting collections at station four produced nineteen species of fish which included ten familieso Relative abundance for this station is recorded in Table #t, Results of water analysis are shown in Table #9, he Carteris Lake area in the ex: SEINING COLLECTIONS Five seining stations were selected at sites were vegetation was least likely to interfere with seining operationso (See attached map for location of seining stations)” There were times when water hyacinths prevented seining at some stem tionso Fifty species, representing twelve families of fish were collected at these five stationso The silversides family represented by Menidia audens and Labidesthes sicculus were the most abundant, and stomach analysis showed that these two species made up a large portion of the diet of the game specieso The relative abundance of each species is shown in Table-#50 water analysis results are shown in Table #10 through ‘#lku On April 30, 1954, at station #2, 119 largemouth bass fry were taken in a 50 fto haul with a 30 X 6 ftl bag seine On the same day under the same conditions, station #5 produced 80 largemouth bass fry, station #t produced 26 and station #3 yielded 99 . It is interesting to note that although Caddo Lake was once famous for White crappie fishing, not a single white crappie was collected at the seining stations and only 36 were taken in gill nets during the entire period. Three hundred and fifteen black crappie were taken by seining and gill nets during the period. The white crappie were found to be more abundant in the more open and turbid water at netting stations #1 and #2 while the black crappie were more abundant in the wooded portion of the lake at netting stations #3 and #h, SUMMARY In order to measure and compare ecological differences in various localities in Caddo Lake, data from each collection station was recorded and studied sepaw ratelyo Four netting stations and five seining stations were selected in widely A total of 5,2tl fish were collected at the four netting stations during the periods A breakdown of the species and their relative abundance for each station may be found in Table #1 through #tg Stomach analysis were run on 1,057 indivim duals of 15 speciesc Table #15 shows the results of these analyseso Lengttheight data was kept and the comefficient of condition computed for 12 species totaling 1,05% individualsl These records are shown in Table #17. Water analysis data for the four netting stations is recorded in Tables #6 through #90 A total of 8;?53 fish including 50 species and 12 families were coliected at the five seining stationsa On April 30, 195h, one 50 fta haul with a 30 X 6 fto bag sein yielded 119 black bass fry at station #20 Other stations produced good catches of bass fry on this same day, thus indicating a good base spawns White crappie, which were once extremely abundant in Caddo Lake, appear to be on the decline while black crappie seem to be increasing in abundanceo A total of 69 species including 16 families were collected by all methods during the periodo A checklist of species collected during the period of this report is shown on Table #16” TABiE #10 Results of 12 Netting Collections; Statioo.#l, Gaddo Lake % OF TOTAL SPECIES - NUMBER Short nose gar Spotted gar Long nose gar Gizzerd shed Chain piokerel Bigmouth buffalo Small mouth buffalo River Calpsuoker I Spotted sucker ChUbsuoker . Golden Shiner 3. channel oat Blue oat Black bullheed cat YelloW'bullheed Flathead oat White base YelloW'oeee Large mouth bees wermouth Redeer Bluegill White erappie Black Grapple Drum TOTAL TABLE #2. Rese1ts of 12 Retting Collections, Station #2, Ceddo Lake '0‘ % OF TOTAL' ' %'0R TOTAL I SPESIES NUMBER WEIGHT Short nose gar h 0.03 1.91 Spotted gar 28 2.98 7.05 Long nose gar 13 1.38 11.17 Gizzard shed 30h 32.38 217.32 27 96 Chain piekerel 15 1.59 21.96 2.77 Smell mouth buffalo 8 0.85 23.31 2.99 River oarpsuoker 33 3.51 58.58 7.52 Spotted sucker 55 5.86 60.61 7.78 IChubsuoker 2 0.21 2.56 0.32 5. Channel eat 9 0.96 9.37 _1 20 Blue eat 3 0.32 3.13 0.00 Black bullheed l 0.11 0.31 0.04 Yellow bullhead 7 0.75 5.25 0.67 R1steesd cat 10 1.06 25.95 3.33 White base 49 5.22 39.05 5.02 Yellow base 251 26.7e 75 17 9.7h Spotted base 1 0.11 1.25 I 0.16 ELarge mouth.base 23 2.e5 13.78 1.77 1 Ewermouth . 10 1 1.06 3.38 0.43 gReeeev g 08 5.11 13.t5 E 1.72 E iR1oeg111 i 10 1.06 3.17 0.e0 EWblte Grapple : 28 i 2.98 19.86 2.55 EBlaoR orapeee 5 ll 1.1? 5.hh 0.69 Deom g 1e 1.e9 17 13 2.20 ’Longear ’ l 0.11 0.03 Skip Jafu 1 0.11 0.18 J ToTe: 939 100% 100% m- _--—--—-—-—__—_......._.._...___,.,.__ SPECIES NUMB Short nose gar h ‘Spotted gar 85 Long nose gar 8 Giezerd shad 639 Chaim piokerel 73 River oerpeuoker l Spotted sucker 83 Chubsuoker 66 Golden Shiner l S. ehennel Get 1 Black bullheed 72 Yellow bullhead 19 Flathead eat 1 Yellow bees 58 leege mouth bees l8 weemouth #2 Redeer 31 Bluegill 80 White ereppie l Sleek eeeppie 79 Drum 3 'Weetern ep. sunfish 8 Bowfin 2 % OF TOTAL NUMBER WEIGHT % OF TOTAL WEIG.; TABLE # u. Resu1ts 0f 12 Netting Collections, Station #A, Caddo Lake SPECIES Short nose gar Spotted gar Alligator gar Gizzerd shad Chain pickerel Spotted sucker Chubsuoker Flier Black bullhead Yellow'bullhead Yellow bass Lergemouth'bass Warmouth Redesn Bluegill White oneppie Bleak sneppie Golden Shiner Bowfin western sp. sunfish TOTAL ' % OF TOTAL 1 NUMBER NUMBER ; 5 60 l 866 102 172 189 66 19 27 101 MO 59 103 1807 0.27 3.29 0.05 h7.h7 5.69 9.h3 8.16 0.32 3.61 1.86 l.h8 5-53 2.19 3023 0.05 5.6h 0.16 I WEIGHT 10.00 179.18 2.31 703.69 1A8.05 272.u3 91.72 2-53 86.86 16.25 2L.32 32.31 A0.21 12.90 19-79 1.00 72.n5 0.87 3u.76 0.13 1751.76 m. nil-up.- .... an— H...- .‘ ..—._. % OF TOTAL _ WEIGHT 0.50 10.07 0.12 A1.07 8.00 15-35 5.2h 0.19 n.90 0.91 1037 1.81 2.26 0.67 1.11 0.05 e.07 0.05 1.90 0.01 100% wnmm- W _TABLE #5. Results of 12 Seining Collections, Caddo Lake, March 25, 1959 through Feb. 28, 1955 SPECIES Dorosome petenensis Dorosoma copedienum 1 Esox vermienlatus 1 Been niger Minytreme melanops Notemigonns onysoleucas Opsopoeodns emiliee Notropis Notropis Notropis NotTOpis iropis Notropis Notropis Notropis Notnopis *Notropis ohelbeus roseus amnis venustns lutrensis deliciosus atrooeudalis voluoellus moonletus alpha Hybognethus nnohelis Pimepheles vigilex Ameiurns Ameiurns notelis melee Sehilbeodes mollis Sohilbeodes nooturnus Eundulus Bundulns Fundulos ohrysotus notti notetns ‘WW . 53 10 10 100 STATION N0. 2 18 10 116 STATION NO. 3 1m STATION NO. 11 l2 17 111.5 f E 1 h i 1 5| 1 3 5 1 STATION N0. 5 l l i i 9 1 18 4:. 123 to . -39 13 27 10 l_..J 259 155 163 *TABLE'#'5 m Page 2 Gamhusia affinis 1&5 'enidia eudens Labidesthes sicculus 313 Morons interrupts Mioropterus salmoides 15 Chaenobryttus coronerius 8 Lepomis symmetricus 3 Lepomis punctatus 7 Lepomis mierolophus 9O Lepomis macrochirus . 153 Lepomis auritus 31 Lepomis megalotis 18 lepomis marginstus h Pomoxis nigr0wmaou1atus .essoma zonatum 3 Hadropterus shnmardi Porcine oaprodes Ammocrypta vivax Etheostoma chlorosomun i Etheostome graeile g E Etheostoma barratti Etheostoma proliare 11 Etheostoms fontioola 1 A Aplodinotus grunniens TOTALS 22k 201 135 73 70 9m % Undescribed species collected in Caddo Lake, Key to The Freshwater Fishes of Texas, Feb. 22, 1955. reotions and has not been officially published on the d 107 #20 240 U.) 25 3O 1 1u32 #062 . -l503._l.1 IWHV .. wom- 97 200 48 212 378 107 55 184 208 16 10 EWMM......_HH_ ”...—Mm- mum-m- 570 3089 2077 325 23 A2 68 595 669 32 2 1 _ .8953 ... mm»: ..... a: -. ..'—1.“ ' now listed as Notropis alpha in Clark Hobbs. This Key is under study for core ate of this report. J ‘ TABLE-#6. water Anaylsis, Netting Station #1, Caddo Lake DISSOLVED 0 00m DISSOLVED O2 0 Sin. 2 nARRON_ELOXIOE 7.2 uARBON DIOXIDE !:m