TPWD 1955 F-6-R-2 #170: Inventory of Fish Species in Small Lakes of the Rio Grande Valley: Segment Completion Report

STATE,,...HMWTexas.uh-~ Project NOW PERIOD July 1, 195A to June 30 1955 Segment Completion Report by ‘Alvin Flory and Luciano Guerra aisle inventory of the fish species present in some small lakes in the Rio Grande valley. OBJECTIVES To determine the species present and their relative numbers in the above ' waterso PROCEDURE a. Netting Collections lo Two net stations were established in each of the three lakes studiedo Twentyuone experimental gill net sets were made in 'both Delta Orchards Lake and Olmito Lake during the period and twentymsix were made in Bentsen Lake; 20 Two 100 X 8 foot gill nets with 2 inch square mesh and three 100 X 8 foot nets with 3 inch square mesh were set in Bentsen Lake in an attempt to control rough fish. 30 No hoop or fyke nets were seto at All fish taken in these nets were weighed, measured, sexed and parasites noted» Stomachs were collected and preserved for laboratory study” bi Seining Collections l. A bag seine 30 x 6 feet with l/h inch was used to make two collections in Lake Bentsen and two collections in Delta Orchards, No suitable seining beach has been found in Olmito Lake” no Date recorded from the fish taken in netting and seining was res corded and filed for use in making the detailed job completion report” RESULTS e. Netting Collections 1. From Lake Bentsen a total of 866 fish of 12 species were taken, from Delta Orchards Lake l523 fish of ls species were taken and from Olmito Lake lOSS fish of 16 species were taken. 2. The five 2 and 3 inch mest nets Set in Lake Bentsen took 2&1 fish of 9 species. 3. No fish were taken in hoop or fyke nets. ha Information gathered from the fish was recorded and filed for future use on the job completion report. b. Seining Collections 1. The two seining collections from Bentsen Lake produced 1081 fish of 8 species” The two from Delta Orchards Lake produced 343 fish of 6 species" c. A total of 18 species of fish were recorded from Lake Bentsen, 17 from Delta Orchards Lake. Data concerning the fishes condition and size was recorded and will be used in the job completion report. The at- tached tables show the numbers and percentages of the fish taken from the different lakes. SUMMARY All fish taken from three small lakes in the lower Rio Grande valley (Lake Bentsen, Delta Orchards Lake and Olmito Lake) were weighed, measured, sexed and parasites noted. Data collected will be presented in job completion report. Fish lists show the numbers and percentages of each species of fish taken from the three lakes during the second segment. Table 1 Results of Seining and Netting Collections in Lake Bentsen Species Lepisosteus spatula Lepisosteus productus Lepisosteus osseus Dorosoma cepedianum Astyanax fascietus Ictiobus bubalus Carpiodes carpio Eybopsis aestivalis Notropis lutrensis lctalurus furcatus Ameiurus melee Cyprinodon variegatus Menidia beryllina Micropterus salmoides Lepomis cyanellus Lepomis macrochirus Aplodionotus grunniens Cichlasoma cyanoguttata Total Seining 82 8 0 0 0 5 h 0 0 9 109 0 0 12 31 0 1 0 0 10 1081 Netting l3 29 71 866 Total 13 29 9 896 8k 34k 18 9 109 115 1 12 16 1 a 243 13 19h? Percent .667 1.u89 .t62 h6.019 n.314 17.668 .92t .u62 5.598 5.906 .051 .616 1.592 .821 .051 .205 12.t80 .667 TMfle2 Results of Seining and Netting Collections in Delta Orchards Lake Species Lepisosteus spatula Lepisosteus productus Lepisosteus osseus Dorosoma cepedianum Astyanax fasciatus Ictiobus bubalus Carpiodes carpio NotrOpis lutrensis Ictalurus furcatus Mugil cephalus Menidia beryllina Micropterus salmoides Pomoxis annularis Lepomis cyanellus Lepomis macrochirus Aplodionotus grunniens Cichlasoma cyanoguttate Total Seining OOLMOOOOOO-«JOOWKOHOO UL} -F—" U) Netting 72 10 17 9t 0 h87 52 0 361 60 0 3 281 2 5 1&0 l 1585 Total 72 10 18 L103 3 187 52 7 361 60 20 3 281 2 8 1110 1 1928 3. .518 .931; .903 .155 .259 .697 .363 18. .112 .037 .155 1h. . 101;. A15 .261 .052 20 HUJ Percent 731% 721:. 575 Results of Netting Collections in Olmito Lake Species Lepisosteus spatula Lepisosteus productus Dorosoma cepedianum Ictiobus bubalus Carpiodes carpio ictalurus furcatus Ictalurus punctatus Ameiurus melee Mugil cephalus Micropterus salmoides Pomoxis annularis Lepomis macrochirus Lepomis auritus Aplodionotus grunniens Cichlasoma cyanoguttata Total Table 3 Netting 20 229 126 381 87 5 Percent 1.97u 22.606 12.t38 37.611 8.588 .t9t 9197 2.t68 .u9t .h9h 2.369 3.554 1.97M 3.653 1.086