Robert Kroger
Leandro E. Miranda
Daniel B. Goetz
2014
<p>The smallmouth buffalo <i>Ictiobus bubalus</i> is a native benthivore to floodplain lakes in the Yazoo River Basin, USA. Based on evidence from other benthivorous fish studies we hypothesized high biomasses of <i>I. bubalus</i> contribute to poor water quality conditions. We tested this hypothesis in shallow (< 1.5 m) 0.05 ha earthen ponds at three stocking biomasses over a 10-week period during the summer of 2012. The most notable results from the permutational multivariate analysis of variance suggest <i>I. bubalus</i> at high and moderate biomasses significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced turbidity and suspended solid levels while decreasing Secchi depth. Our results suggest that effects of <i>I. bubalus</i> on water clarity may have considerable ecological implications in natural habitats such as shallow floodplain lakes.</p>
application/pdf
10.1007/s00128-014-1231-8
en
Springer-Verlag
Effects of smallmouth buffalo, <i>Ictiobus bubalus</i> biomass on water transparency, nutrients, and productivity in shallow experimental ponds
article