Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Neal, Jason Wesley

Committee Member

Miranda, Leandro E.

Committee Member

Rush, Scott A.

Date of Degree

5-3-2019

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture

Degree Name

Master of Science

College

College of Forest Resources

Department

Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture

Abstract

Introduced cichlid species are increasingly more common in tropical freshwater systems and expanding in range, often with negative consequences to receiving systems. To better understand, monitor, and manage these populations, improved cichlid sampling protocols are required. The goal of this study was to (1) evaluate diel electrofishing and gill netting sampling catch efficiency, and (2) compare two non-lethal methods for extracting stomach contents from Butterfly Peacock Bass Cichla ocellaris. This study suggests that electrofishing, particularly at night, may be a more appropriate gear for sampling cichlid species in the littoral zone of reservoirs, as gill nets were more time intensive, had more variable catch rates, and exhibited considerable selectivity. Pulsed gastric lavage was more effective than acrylic stomach tubes for extracting stomach contents from Butterfly Peacock Bass and was less injurious, with bruising of the stomach wall the most common injury being observed.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/21045

Comments

invasive species||tilapia||fisheries

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