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AUTHORS: Crystal C. Nichols, Ball State University and Jason C. Doll, Ball State University
ABSTRACT: Abstract Anthropogenic perturbations, such as culverts, can affect fish species distribution and potentially prevent fish movement. These structures often reduce stream width, thereby increasing water velocity to a rate at which fish cannot overcome. Increased velocities may inhibit species distributions because movement is largely dependent on the physical ability of the fish to cross these barriers. Further, individuals within a species also possess varying swimming abilities based on their sex, size, and the habitat they occur in. Thus, our objective is to assess swimming performance of the Bluntnose Minnow Pimephales notatus. Swimming performance was measured using a flow chamber in which the fish was placed in, following the UCrit procedure. After an hour acclimation period fish were subjected to velocities starting at five and then increasing by five until the fish is unable to keep swimming. We compared Ucrit across habitat where the fish were collected (lentic vs. lotic), sex, and body size on the swimming performance of Bluntnose Minnows. We described swimming performance of Bluntnose Minnows across habitat, sex, and body size. Our results can be used to understand potential hydraulic barriers for this species.
