TPWD 1955 F-7-R-3 #176: Laboratory and Statistical Analyses of Materials and Data Collected in the Field, Segment Completion Report, Project F/7R3, Job B-4

--- Page 1 --- STATE Texas PROJECT NO. F/7R3, Job B-4 PERIOD June 1, 1955 = May 31, 1956 Segment Completion Report Leo D. Lewis, Project Leader Walter W. Dalquest, Assistant Project Leader TITLE Laboratory and Statistical Analyses of Materials and Data Collected in the Field. OBJECTIVES 1. To determine the following from laboratory examination of field-collected specimens and data: a. Food Habits. b. Sexual development and spawning success. c. Comparative physical condition (Coefficient of Condition). 2. To determine population estimates and trends from field data. TECHNIQUES Data for item 1, above, was obtained by field collections, field notes, and laboratory studies. Techniques are explained in full detail in the following pages. Population estimates and trends (Item 2, above) were determined in th field with the aid of gill-nets, seines and rotenone collections. This information for the concerned waters, Buffalo Lake and the Little Wichita River, has been reported elsewhere (Completion Reports, Job B-9, and Jobs A-3 and B-8, combined, respectively). BACKGROUND This is the third segment completion report on this job. The first (F7RL) covered data obtained from Lake Diversion, Lake Kemp and Lake Kickapoo. The second (F7R2) included Lake Wichita and the Big Wichita River. With the inclusion of Buffalo Lake and the Little Wichita River in the present report, the volume of data, all collected in similar fashion and strictly comparable, becomes especially valuable. FOOD HABITS Stomachs of predacious fishes were examined in the field by opening the body wall and squeezing the stomach between thurb and forefinger. Bulk of the stomach alone did not prove the presence of food, because some fishes, especially catfishes, swallow water when captured and their stomachs may be greatly distended although free of food. If solid materials are felt through the wall of the stomach, a thread is tied tightly zround the base of the esophagus and another is tied around the duodenum, and the stomach cut free. A label is tied to the stomach, stating locality and date of capture, species of fish, sex, length and weight. A few small holes are punched in the stomach wall, and the organ is dropped into a container of formalin solution, to be opened in the labora- tory at a later date. --- Page 2 --- 2. In the laboratory, the stomach to be opened is first soaked in water for several hours. Then the label is removed and the label data written at the top of a sheet of paper. The stomach is slit completely open and the contents washed into a small, white enamel pan. The contents are examined, identified and noted on the proper sheet of paper. Materials were not recorded unless identification was reasonably certain. Statements such as "unidentifiable fish remains" are meaning- less, because all predacious fishes are presumed to eat other fishes. Because the aquatic fauna, both vertebrate and invertebrate, of Buffalo Lake and the Little Wichita River are different, food habits of fishes from each area are discussed separately. Hiodon alosoides - Goldeye. Seven specimens containing food were taken, all from the Little Wichita River. These stomachs contained remains of insects only. This is rather surprising on two counts. First, the fishes managed to find consider- able insect food even in the winter months, when supposedly few insects were present. Second, the goldeye does eat fishes on occasion because many are taken by fishermen using minnows for bait. Perhaps the goldeyes attack fishes only when the latter are injured. A goldeye taken July 28, 1955, contained only a large shorthorn grasshopper. Five specimens taken November 23, 1955, contained food as follows: (1) finely-divided insect remains, including a large grasshopper, 2 blue-bottle flies, 1 robber fly, 1 car- abid beetle, and 1 stinkbug; (2) considerable finely-divided and unidentifiable insect remains and 1 large tiger beetle, 2 lady beetles, hor 5 chrysomelid beetles and a stinkbug; (3) crammed with insect remains, not as finely chewed as numbers 1 and 2, including 1 large yellow-jacket, 1 large assassin bug (wheelbug), 3 or 5 small phalaenid moths and a grasshopper; (4) 1 grasshopper, 2 phalaenid moths, 1 house fly, 1 mayfly larva and several tiny insects too digested to identify; (5) crammed to bulging with tg phalaenid moths, all of the same species and the same as contained in numbers 3 and above. A fish taken March 29, 1956, contained only two species of insects but was filled to bulging. The catch included 11 carabid beetles and 9 tiger beetles. Ictalurus punctatus - Channel Catfish. Arthropods and fishes were the principal food eaten by channel catfish in both Buffalo Lake and the Little Wichita River. In general, smaller fishes fed more extensively on insects and larger individuals ate more fishes. Details are shown in the following two tables. Table 1. Food of Channel Catfish in the Little Wichita River. a Food Item Frequency of Occurrence Total Number Identified Gizzard Shad (Dorosoma) Carpsucker (Carpiodes) Crappie (Pomoxis) Grasshopper (Orthoptera) Dragonfly (Odonata) Cicecada (Homo tera) Crayfish (Procambrus) Grass Shrimp (Palemanotes) PWRreEeEP DD YVWEEUE DD --- Page 3 --- Note; In addition to the above materials, the following was found: two catfish had swallowed a number of large scales of individual fishes far too large to have been prey of the catfishes. The catfish that had eaten the dragonfly larva also held a large wad of algae that might have been swallowed inadvertently along with the larva. Table 2. Food of Channel Catfish in Buffalo Lake. Food Item Frequency of occurrence Total Number Identified Lizard (Holbrookia) Gizzard Shad (Dorosoma) Carpsucker (Carpiodes) Carp (Cyprinus) Goldfish (Carassius) Shiner (Notropis Bullhead (Ameiurus ) Damselfly (Odonata) Grasshopper (Orthoptera) Cricket (Orthoptera) Stinkbug (Hemiptera) Carabid Beetle (Coleoptera) Blister Beetle (Coleoptera) House Fly (Diptera) Honey Bee (Hymenoptera) PROP PPMP RP RPARP EPP ND PPP PHWEPPRPWHEPED Note: In addition to the above, the following trash was found: fish scales in 6 stomachs, an old, dried pectoral fin of a fish in 1, and algae in 3. Pilodictus olivaris - Flathead Catfish. One specimen from the Little Wichita River contained two small Derosoma gepedianum and many scales that seemed to be from a carpsucker. A second individual contained a complete crappie (Pomoxis ) about six inches in length. Our only full stomach from Buffalo Lake held two small gizzard shad and a small crawling water beetle. The insect may have been swallowed by accident, be-~ cause all our other data indicates that the flathead catfish feeds exclusively on fishes. Ameiurus melas = Black Bullhead. ‘Two specimens from the Little Wichita River contained food. One held a small carpsucker, about two and one-half inches long, and the other held a freshly-swallowed grasshopper. Morone chrysops - White Bass. The only specimen with food in its stomach came from the Little Wichita River. It contained a single silvery plains minnow (Hybognathus ) that may have been a bait minnow. Micropterus salmoides - Largemouth Black Bass. Large specimens of the black bass are usually pisciverous. Two specimens from the Little Wichita River held fish in their stomahcs; one, an orange-spotted sunfish (Lepomis Humilis) and the other, a small bullhead, probably Ameiurus melas. We obtained nine filled stomachs in Buffalo Lake that contained identifiable fish remains: eight held one gizzard shad (Dorosoma.) , ne held a small goldfish in addition to a shad, and one held a small white bass (Morone vhrysops) . --- Page 4 --- 4, Pomoxis annularis = White Crappie. Many crappie with filled stomachs were taken, but in many instances the food present could not be identified beyond the obvious fact that it was fish remains. In th: Little Wichita River, seven stomachs contained a total of 11 gizzadr dhad (Dorosoma ) ; one contained a small sunfish with a deep body, probably Lepomis megalotis; two contained a total of three grass shrimp (Palemanotes); one contained four tiny insects, possibly mosquitos. Food items found in crappie from Buffalo Lake are shown in the following table. Table 3. Food of White Crappie from Buffalo Lake Food Item Frequency of Occurrence Total Number Identified ak Gizzard Shad (Dorosoma) Goldfish (Carassius) Shiner (Notropis) Sunfish (Lepomis) Crappie (Pomoxis) Grasshopper (Orthoptera) Backswimmer (Hemiptera) Ke) Ll PRRPRPUPRR BOP Note: One large crappie contained the pectoral fin of another large crappie, freshly severed with a knife and obviously scrap from a fisherman's catch. SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT AND SPAWNING SUCCESS Larger fishes were opened in the field and their gonads examined and the stage of development recorded. If the gonads were of medium-size or smaller, and were poorly=~ developed, they were recorded as "immature." If they were large and well-developed, obviously approaching spawning condition, they were termed "ripe." In those few instances where a fish was captured shortly after spawning, it was called "spent." The latter condition is difficult to determine in males but easier in females. Immature individuals of the larger fishes were taken in seine drags and measured and counted. In addition, notes were made of schools of fry seen, young fishes found in the stomachs of predacious fishes, etc. When ovaries contained large eggs, nearly ready to be spawned, the two ovaries of such a fish were carefully removed, labeled and preserved in formalin. In the laboratory, the ovaries were carefully cleaned of excess tissues and weighed to the near- est one-tenth of a gram. Then a small quantity, roughly a gram, was snipped from one ovary and weighed on a chemical balance to the nearest one~one hundredth of a gram. The eggs in the small portion were then counted and the total number of eggs present in the two ovaries estimated (number of eggs counted times weight of both ovaries divided py the weight of the small section). Lepisosteus osseus - Longnosed Gar. Females of large size from the Little Wichita River were listed as "ripe" from February through September. The main spawning season comes in early June and growth of the young is rapid. In July, they are scarcely larger in diameter than a lead pencil, but in August, they range from 9 to 11 inches in length. A seven-inch specimen as thick as a man's thumb was taken June 25. --- Page 5 --- 5 Lepisosteus platostomus - Shortnosed Gar. Little information was gained on this species this year. A female taken May 15, was recorded as "spent," but this might nave been an error. A large female taken October 16, was "ripe." No fry or young were taken in seine drags. Dorosoma cepedianum - Gizzard Shad. Shad become "ripe" as early as mid-May but the major spawning season is mid-June. The young-of-the-year are common in May and June and become abundant in July. There are usually a few off-season spawns that some- times are quite successful. Hiodon alosoides - Goldeye. Most adult female goldeyes were ripe from January to May in the lower Little Wichita River. Not only were the eggs large, but even a mod- erately-firm squeeze would force separated eggs from the cloaca. ‘There was every evid- ence of spawning, and a few fish were even recorded as "spent." Nevertheless, we did not actually find goldeyes spawning, and much seining failed to take goldeye fry. Ictiobus bubalus - Smallmouth Buffalo. A few ripe females were taken in May, but no fry or young were captured in the past project year. Ictiobus cyprinellus - Bigmouth Buffalo. Three females, one taken in November, one in December and one in January, were all recorded as "ripe." No other information about the spawning of the species was obtained this year. Carpiodes carpio ~ River Carpsucker. The principal spawn of this fish occurs in May, June and sometimes early July. A fair number of individuals are in spawning condition at almost every time of the year. Young carpsuckers also are found every month of the year. Cyprinus carpio - European Carp. The carp usually become ripe in May, but actual spawning seems to be deferred until the spring rains raise the water level. The spawning season of this species is quite uniform in our area. Carassius auratus - Goldfish. There is some overlap in the spawning seasons of the carp and the goldfish, but in Buffalo Lake, most of the carp have completed spawning before the goldfish begin. Carassius x Cyprinus = Carp-Goldfish Hybrid. A very few ripe female hybrids were taken in Buffalo Lake in late May. Ictalurus punctatus - Channel Catfish. The main spawn of this species occurs in late June in our waters, and sometimes later. Some young channel catfish, only an inch or so long, are taken as late as August. Ameiurus melas - Black Bullhead Catfish. No ripe females were taken during the project year, but fry were found in late May. In August, the young were about one and one-half inches long at Kickapoo Station; in September, two inches long; in October three inches long. These were not found on later visits to the same locality. Pilodictus olivaris - Flathead Catfish. Spent females were taken at Lake Kickapoo on May 15. Ripe females were taken at Buffalo Lake in August. Young flatheads, two to three inches long, were taken at Henrietta Station in September. Morone chrysops - White Bass. The major white bass spawn came in mid-May this past year. We found no out-of-season spawners this year. --- Page 6 --- Micropterus salmoides - Largemouth Black Bass. Large black bass were almost all ripe in late May of the project year. Spawning probably did not occur until well into June. Pomoxis annularis - White Crappie. In the past project year, the main crappie spawn came in mid-April, and only an occasional ripe female was found after that date. Table 4. Reproductive Potential Length of Fish Weight of Fish Total Number of Eggs DOROSOMA CEPEDIANUM 296 381 109, 760 294 4O1 34,425 290 410 kh , 886 295 410 121,375 295 456 68,266 309 480 201,119 HIODON ALOSOIDES 290 248 189, 321 295 432 152,240 300 4.66 141,566 298 598 212,596 CARPIODES CARPTO 345 1,280 300,955 367 1,460 359,068 382 2,000 377,509 4.36 3,025 551,045 CYPRINUS CARPIO 28h 575 122,553 310 670 82, 861 308 680 576,627 305 700 348,135 300 TL5 122,040 320 760 377,696 330 890 82,408 330 925 100,016 345 1,050 137,101 475 2,230 275,401 CARASSIUS AURATUS 280 727 7h, 887 --- Page 7 --- Table 4. (Continued) nn neeneneeeenemneeenee Length of Fish Weight of Fish Total Number of Eggs. ce ICTALURUS PUNCTATUS 305 75 4 4-70 308 500 7,576 295 525 6,518 312 560 13738 310 515 5,937 295 590 6, 820 330 700 8,717 340 705 6,338 340 710 9,657 348 TAS 8,728 345 750 6, 802 345 800 9, 834 360 810 7,055 359 1,003 12,186 365 1,110 2h, 810 385 1,2k5 11,234 370 1,260 8,127 540 3,710 26,160 920 3,900 23, 762 PILODICTUS OLIVARIS 4oo 1,400 5,501 852 15,207 33, 765 MICROPTERUS SALMOTDES 273 600 29,114 300 655 55,497 326 1,060 64.425 328 1,070 82,023 330 1,095 55,496 323 1,103 81,079 340 1,125 96, 361 335 1,174 116,229 350 1,175 115,073 335 1,205 52,480 393 1,240 62,580 346 1,250 105, 709 2 1,425 99,977 350 1,440 Wh 523 375 1,500 25,689 355 1,550 114,595 370 1,660 112,778 372 1,660 60,155 380 1,790 176,000 --- Page 8 --- Table 4. (Continued) nr enn ee EE OLE EO A A OC CC CL CCCI Length of Fish Weight of Fish Total Number of Eggs MICROPTERUS SALMOIDES 398 1,820 75,029 385 1,825 129,200 390 1,850 116,867 395 1,960 39,200 460 2,030 145, 780 4.00 2,100 85 , 843 398 2,355 209, 664 25 2,500 86, 708 405 2,900 122,937 4.20 2,900 152,880 POMOXIS ANNULARIS 203 208 36,080 190 219 47,40 196 251 43,887 194 263 80, 422 195 272 36, 300 198 278 26,000 196 280 43,371 205 280 19,239 200 300 145,800 202 BLS 37, 787 197 317 63,196 203 351 175,950 216 OT 45,819 228 he 8h. , 920 228 Ws 27,026 228 4.50 211,641 27h 645 82,588 226 650 20,436 282 875 167, 760 COEFFICIENT OF CONDITION "kK" factors were worked out for all of the larger fishes taken in Buffalo Lake and the Little Wichita River. Not all of the fishes taken are listed in the following tables, because some immature animals are rejected and approximately one fish out of each hundred was recorded erroneously, resulting in ridiculous "K" factors. Some striking differences are noted in the comparison of the factors of fishes from Buffalo Lake and the Little Wichita River. The carpsuckers from the Panhandle lake are extremely large and have large "K" factors, far greater than those from the Little Wichita River. On the other hand, gizzard shad and European carp from the lake are in poor condition as compared with fish from the river. --- Page 9 --- 9. Table 5. Distributimof "K" Factors for the Little Wichita River. ——— Lepisosteus osseus factor .3 aH 5 males ha 18 females - 10 6 Lepisosteus productus factor .5 .6 eT Bs: 9 ! w fon bh bh males females - 2 1 1 a Dorosoma cepedianum factor 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 8.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 males 1 4 5 10 12 25 13 #13 #10 6 Fk 1 @ 1 females 3 9 5 13 19 29 23. 27 18 20 15 9 5 - Hiodon alosoides factor 1.5 1 1.5 1.6 1.7 168 19 2.0 males = = 2 35 18 81 - females 1 4 8 12 15 7 2 2 Ictiobus bubalus factor 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 h.o males 1 2 3 21 5 6 3 9 1 - 3 - 1 females - = 2 2 2 - 1 2 1 1 1 - ~ Ictiobus cyprinellus factor 2.9 3.0 3.1 3. 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 males - 2 - 1 2 1 - 1 females 1 - - = 1 - = Au --- Page 10 --- 10. Table 5. Distribution of "K" Factors for the Little Wichita River. Carpiodes carpio factor 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 males 1 2 5 17 18 29 25 15 2 22 7 5 9 5 5 females 2 - 1 4 9 12 17 #16 2 18 18 6 11 6 1 5 Cyprinus carpio factor 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 males 1 - 4 5 8 6 6 2 1 1 2 females 1 - mn 7 5 8 2 4 2 2 - Ictalurus punctatus factor 143 1.4 1.5 1.6 157 Le 1.9 2.0 2.1 males - 1 1 h 2 1 1 7 females L = 1 7 5 3 1 3 2 Ameiurus melas factor 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 males 2 4 7 3 3 1 ol - - = - 1 1 = i females 1 - 4 - 1 e@ = 2 - - - re wa as 1 Pilodictus olivaris factor 1.3 sel. te5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 females L - ~ ~ 1 - 2 Morone chrysops factor 1.9 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 3.0 males 1 - 1 1 1 5 he 7 8 10 5 3 females - - ~ 1 - - 3 Ty 8 9 1 1 --- Page 11 --- 11. Table 5. (Continued) Micropterus salmoides actor 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 males 1 = ~ - = 1 - 1 - - females 1 1 - 1 1 - 1 - 1 1 Note: Black bass weighing less than 350 grams had "K" factors of less than 2.5; bass with "K" factors higher than 2.6 weighed more than 1 ,000 grams. Pomoxis annularis factor 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 males 2 2 2 5 6 & 1 4 1l 7 5 5 Bd - - females 1 3 4 3 lo 8 8 9 6 4& 6 9 2 1 2 Aplodinotus grunniens factor 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 26 2.7 2.8 males 1 - - - - - - 1 females = 1 2 1 1 1 - = --- Page 12 --- 12. Table 6. Distriubtion of "K" Factors for Buffalo Lake. Dorosoma cepedianum factor 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 males 3 22 56 108 117 125 90 35 12 g. Jo ku 2 females 4 10 69 110 156 17% 126 64 22 10 - 2 4 1 Carpiodes carpio factor 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 males 2 3 7 4 g 2 2 ho - - females - = = 1 iL i 1 2 3 4 1 5 Cyprinus carpio factor 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 males 4 12 20 31 45 31 13 3 h ~ - - females 6 12 19 30 28 26 12 6 7 6 & 1 Carassius auratus factor 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 4.0 4¥.l 4.2 4.3 HA 4.5 4.6 males 2 = - - 1 2 1 1 - 1 - 2 1 females - 1 = ~ = 1 - 1 HE lL 2 1 - Cyprinus x Carassius factor 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 5.5 3.6 males 1 1 5 2 3 1 z 2 females ~=- 1 1 5 1 ~ - = Ictalurus punctatus factor 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 2.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.1 males 1 - 1 1 h 15 15 12 11 6 2 - females - ~ 2 i 6 13 i. 16 ple 8 2 2 --- Page 13 --- 13. Table 6. Distribution of "K" Factors for Buffalo Lake. (Continued) Ameiurus melas factor 4G 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 males 1 - ~ 2 = 1 1 females 2 = 1 = 1 1 1 Pilodictus olivaris factor 1.8 1.9 2.0 eel 2.2 2.3 males 1 = o = ~ 1 females 2 = 2 1 2 = Morone chrysops factor 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 males 1 = = = ~ 2 = ~ = = 1 females = ~ = 2 = 2 = 2 1 A, 3 Micropterus salmoides tor 2,2 2.3 24 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 males 1 2 2 2 1 mn 4 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 1 females 1 1 2 1 5 1 h h 7 7 5 2 1 3 1 Pomoxis annularis factor 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 males 27 45 8663 89 99 QL 47 430 29 19 #11 #213 #213 ~=«°7 | females 19 43 52 94 89 102 39 ho 27 2 I Uu 8 5 5 SUMMARY The food habits, spawning success and comparative physical condition of larger fishes which were taken in Buffalo Lake and the Little Wichita River are described, and, insofar as possible, reduced to tabular form.