A comparison of lead lengths for mini-fyke nets to sample age-0 gar species
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Abstract
Mini-fyke nets are often used to sample small-bodied fishes in shallow (<1 m depth) water, especially in vegetated shoreline habitats where seines are ineffective. Recent interest in gar (Lepisosteidae) ecology and conservation led us to explore the use of mini-fyke nets to capture age-0 gar and specifically how capture is affected by lead length of the fyke net. In the summers of 2012, 2013, and 2015, mini-fyke nets with two different lead lengths (4.57 m and 9.14 m) were set at random sites in backwaters and coves of the Red River arm of Lake Texoma, Oklahoma. Mean CPUE (catch-per-unit-effort; number per net night) was significantly lower for mini-fyke nets with short leads (0.52) compared to those with long leads (1.51). Additionally, Spotted Gar (Lepisosteus oculatus) were captured at a higher rate than the other three gar species present in Lake Texoma, although this could have been an artifact of sampling location. We found that differences in length-frequency of captured gar between gear types were nearly significant, with total length ranging from 47mm to 590mm. Mini-fyke nets with longer leads increased the efficiency of sampling for age-0 gar by increasing catch rate without affecting estimates of other population parameters and appear to be useful for this purpose.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | A comparison of lead lengths for mini-fyke nets to sample age-0 gar species |
| Series title | Proceedings of the Oklahoma Academy of Science |
| Volume | 96 |
| Year Published | 2016 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Oklahoma Academy of Science |
| Contributing office(s) | Coop Res Unit Atlanta |
| Description | 14 p. |
| First page | 28 |
| Last page | 35 |