Great Basin Naturalist
Ecological investigation of a suspected spawning site of Colorado squawfish on the Yampa River, Utah
Abstract
On 5 July 1981, 13 adult Colorado squawfish were found in spawning condition at river mile 16.5 in the Yampa River, a major tributary to the Green River. An investigation was undertaken to quantitatively describe this section of the river to gain insights on the spawning requirements of this endangered species. The substrate at the suspected spawning site was cobble with large interstitial spaces devoid of organics, silts, or clays. It appeared that larvae of several fish species utilized these cobble areas and the associated voids. Diurnal sampling indicated that larval drift occurred between 0100 and 0125 hours. Substrate size also appeared to be a dominant factor in fish distribution. Feeding intensities of these fish corresponded to macroinvertebrate drift.
Recommended Citation
Lamarra, Vincent A.; Lamarra, Marianne C.; and Carter, John G.
(1985)
"Ecological investigation of a suspected spawning site of Colorado squawfish on the Yampa River, Utah,"
Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 45:
No.
1, Article 19.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol45/iss1/19