Porter, Tyler J., Duve, Brandon, & Koch, David E. “White Sucker Movement Patterns and Stream Diversity of Two Mississippi River Tributary Streams.” Poster presentation for the Chlapaty Research Fellowship Program, University of Dubuque, 2013.
Abstract:
In Northeast Iowa, two cold-water streams, Catfish Creek and Little Maquoketa River in Dubuque County are stocked with three trout species (rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss; brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis; brown trout, Salmo trutta) and fished relatively heavily by anglers. The richness of species and diversity of the streams have been an ongoing study for the past five years by the University of Dubuque to measure stream health and inter-annual variations. This summer, both streams were sampled using electro-shocking once a week for eight weeks. The white sucker (Catostomus commersonii) is the most populous fish in both of these streams, and its movement patterns have been studied very little in Eastern Iowa. Three adult white suckers were tagged with radio telemetry tags in Catfish Creek and tracked over the course of three weeks in late summer. The white suckers were mostly stationary, with only short inter-pool movements, except for the occurrence of one large movement near the end of the study. Catfish Creek yielded more fish, with higher diversity and richness than the Little Maquoketa River.