The effects of aquatic macrophytes on the spatial distribution of young-of-year fish

The focus of this research was to determine if aquatic macrophytes had any effects on the spatial distribution of larval fishes. Two vegetated coves and one unvegetated cove on Guntersville Reservoir were sampled for 10 weeks with light traps to capture the fish. Each cove was divided into three areas: Area 1, near the shoreline or inside; Area 2, the middle of the cove or margin of the vegetation; and Area 3, the outer portion of the cove. Additionally, water quality variables were measured to determine how they might be affected by the presence of aquatic vegetation. quality variables measured included temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, Secchi disk transparency, turbidity, chlorophyll a, carbon-14 phytoplanktonic primary productivity, and phytoplankton abundance and composition. Water

Results indicated that aquatic macrophytes do have an effect on the spatial distribution of larval fishes. Higher catch rates were observed in the unvegetated cove than in either vegetated cove. Within the vegetated coves, higher catch rates were observed in Area 2 than in Area 1 or Area 3. Lepomis spp. dominated Area 1, Area 3. Lepomis spp. dominated Area 1, shad (Dorosoma petenense) and sunfish co-dominated Area 2, and shad dominated Area 3 of all three coves sampled. There was some indication that the effects of aquatic macrophytes on water quality and phytoplankton density may affect the spatial distribution of larval fishes.