Dennis DeVries | Auburn University (original) (raw)
Papers by Dennis DeVries
Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 1993
Southeastern Naturalist, 2004
We surveyed 39 tributaries of the Tallapoosa River drainage in Alabama in an effort to increase t... more We surveyed 39 tributaries of the Tallapoosa River drainage in Alabama in an effort to increase the available knowledge of its crayfish fauna. The survey yielded six crayfish species: Cambarus (Depressicambarus) englishi, C. (Depressicambarus) halli, C. (Depressicambarus) latimanus, Orconectes (Tubericambarus) holti, Procambarus (Pennides) spiculifer, and P. (Pennides) versutus. Cambarus englishi and C. halli are endemic to the Piedmont Plateau province of the Tallapoosa drainage, where they were syntopic with each other and with C. latimanus and P. spiculifer. The genus Orconectes has not previously been reported from anywhere within this drainage. Orconectes holti and P. versutus were found only in the Coastal Plain, where O. holti was syntopic with P. spiculifer, but not with P. versutus. The two Procambarus species occupied mutually exclusive sites. Crayfishes were present at sites with lower pH, lower conductivity, shallower riffles, lower stream order, and lower link magnitude than occurred at sites where no crayfish were found. The presence of one or more individual species was significantly correlated with specific environmental factors.
Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 2015
ABSTRACT Dams have many effects on river systems, including impeding the migratory movements of f... more ABSTRACT Dams have many effects on river systems, including impeding the migratory movements of fishes. However, locks associated with lock-and-dam structures may be useful for passing fish during their migrations. We investigated the potential to facilitate fish passage at dams through two navigational lock structures on the Alabama River, Alabama—Millers Ferry Lock and Dam (L&D) and Claiborne L&D—using targeted, nonnavigational lock operations. The movements of Paddlefish Polyodon spathula with implanted ultrasonic tags and/or radio tags were tracked via both manual receivers and submersible ultrasonic receivers (SURs) deployed inside of the lock chambers and above and below each dam to quantify migration characteristics and determine whether fish passage occurred. We tagged a total of 96 fish (79 received sonic tags, 4 received radio tags, and 13 received both types of tag), and we recorded over 275,000 SUR detections of 84 individuals and 91 manual detections of 39 individuals. Although nonnavigational lock operations increased the number of days available for potential passage by 0.5-4.7 times, only seven Paddlefish passed upstream through the locks (8% passage rate). Most of the fish movement past dams occurred during spring, when many riverine fish make spawning migrations. Movement past Claiborne Dam occurred most often over the spillway (87% of passage) during high-water events. Our results suggest that while specialized nonnavigational lock operations along the Alabama River increased opportunities for upstream fish passage, relatively few Paddlefish actually moved upstream through the lock chambers.
Several pond enhancements are commonly used to increase fish production or enhance angling opport... more Several pond enhancements are commonly used to increase fish production or enhance angling opportunities, but their effects are rarely evaluated. We investigated whether providing supplemental feed to bluegill leads to higher bluegill reproductive rates as measured by growing season larval fish density and fall age-0 density. In April 2009, adult bluegill were stocked in nine 0.1-ha ponds (125/pond); ponds were provided with no pelleted food (control), a low ration (1.52 kg/ha/d), or a high ration (2.68 kg/ha/d) from May to September. Ten largemouth bass (mean TL = 140 mm) were stocked into each pond in late July. Supplemental feeding increased growth of initially-stocked bluegill compared to the control, but growth did not differ between low and high ration treatments. In contrast, larval bluegill density during the growing season and the final number of age-0 bluegill at experiment’s end did not increase with feeding. Whole-body caloric density of age-0 bluegill was higher in both...
For many temperate fishes, cohort strength is influenced by overwinter mortality and predation du... more For many temperate fishes, cohort strength is influenced by overwinter mortality and predation during the first year of life. Populations from different latitudes are adapted to local environmental conditions and early life history strategies have likely evolved that promote overwinter survival. We assessed the potential for latitudinal origin and predation risk to influence overwinter survival, growth, and energy allocation of age-0 largemouth bass. Parental largemouth bass were collected from northern Illinois and southern Alabama and allowed to spawn naturally in mid-latitude ponds. Equal numbers of similarly-sized Illinois and Alabama age-0 bass were marked and introduced into ponds. Five ponds had adult bass predators and five were predator free; however, predation risk had no influence on any response variable. Overwinter growth did not differ between populations of age-0 bass; however, Illinois fish exhibited significantly higher overwinter survival compared to Alabama fish. ...
Relative to inland populations, largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) in Alabama’s Mobile-Tensa... more Relative to inland populations, largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) in Alabama’s Mobile-Tensaw River Delta (MTRD) have slow growth, high condition, and low annual survival similar to other coastal populations. To evaluate the estuarine effects on growth of largemouth bass we incorporated the metabolic cost of salinity into a bioenergetics model. Bioenergetics simulations suggested that salinity, high peak summer temperatures, and consumption of lower caloric density invertebrates (e.g., blue crabs) reduced growth in both downstream and upstream regions of the MTRD and were correlated with discharge. Metabolic costs of salinity increased with mass, and mean caloric density of consumed prey declined with age due to the greater incorporation of blue crabs into the diet, reducing the growth potential of larger fish, particularly in the downstream region. Embedding bioenergetics constraints into a life-history model revealed that the estuarine environment may increase the likelihood ...
Pond enhancements are commonly used to increase fish production or enhance angling opportunities,... more Pond enhancements are commonly used to increase fish production or enhance angling opportunities, but their effects are often not evaluated. We used stable isotope analysis to estimate the contribution of different rations of pellet feed to bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) reproduction and ultimately to largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) growth in both the presence and absence of threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense). We used two approaches: a controlled small pond experiment and sampling of established ponds. We stocked 10 0.1-ha ponds with bluegill and largemouth bass in February of 2012, and fed them one of five feed rations (0, 1.3, 1.9, 3.2, and 4.4 kg – ha-1 d-1). Ponds were sampled through the summer and harvested in August. We also sampled 9 established ponds, 3 with neither threadfin shad or pellet feed, 3 that received only pellet feed, and 3 that received pellet feed and contained threadfin shad. As expected, bluegill growth increased with increasing feed rations, while ...
Many freshwater mussels require specific host fish species to complete the parasitic portion of t... more Many freshwater mussels require specific host fish species to complete the parasitic portion of their complex life cycle. Despite this we know little about the abiotic requirements of many host fishes, likely because many are non-game species that have received relatively little research attention. Here we used respirometry to quantify the influence of temperature and dissolved oxygen as potential stressors on host fishes. We quantified routine metabolic rates and critical oxygen tension for 4 fish species from the Mobile River Basin (Percina palmaris, Etheostoma jordani, Cyprinella venusta, Micropterus coosae) at three temperatures. Combining intermittent flow with static respirometry allowed us to measure oxygen consumption and estimate critical oxygen tensions. For all species, respiration increased with temperature as expected; the increase was largest for M. coosae and smallest for C. venusta. Oxygen consumption remained constant as dissolved oxygen decreased until a critical t...
page 61 Introduction 61 Conceptual arguments and exposition of premise 62 Evidence from selected ... more page 61 Introduction 61 Conceptual arguments and exposition of premise 62 Evidence from selected individual-based models 68 Summary and chronology of the literature 74 Empirical evidence from freshwater systems 74 Empirical evidence from marine systems 76 Discussion 77 Acknowledgements 80 Appendix 81 References 82
Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 1993
ABSTRACT.Factors that affect recruitment of threadfin shad Dorosoma petenense and gizzard shad D... more ABSTRACT.Factors that affect recruitment of threadfin shad Dorosoma petenense and gizzard shad D. cepedianum, two important prey species in southern reservoirs, are not well understood. Larval shad typically have not been identified to species, though interactions ...
Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 2000
Previous work has demonstrated that survival of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides through the... more Previous work has demonstrated that survival of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides through the first year of life can be size dependent, favoring larger individuals. Because size, diet biomass, lipid accumulation, and ultimately overwinter survival of juveniles are typically positively related to age, early spawning is clearly advantageous. However, a true understanding of which largemouth bass cohorts contribute to the new year-class remains somewhat unclear because these conclusions have largely been based upon fish collected during summer rather than fish collected during spring. Conceivably, even earlier hatched cohorts of largemouth bass could have existed in many of these studies, and these fish may simply not have survived to the summer collection period. In order to assess this possibility, we quantified first-summer survival of largemouth bass cohorts collected during 1992 and 1993 in Auburn, Alabama, ponds (which were 2-5 ha each). Our results indicate that it is early-hatched cohorts that likely contribute to the new year-class. Although we found that early-hatched cohorts were lost between May and July, these losses were not attributable to age-dependent mortality; instead, sampling biases associated with avoidance of seines by older, larger young-of-year largemouth bass appear to have driven these shifts. In addition, because we found that size-dependent cannibalism during summer acted to remove smaller, later-hatched largemouth bass, early hatching may enhance survival during larval and early juvenile stages in southern systems (and not just during the winter period). Given this information, fishery managers may potentially be able to implement harvest regulations that are designed to protect large, early-spawning adults, thereby increasing the probability of producing a strong year-class by enhancing first-summer growth and, ultimately, recruitment to adult stages.
Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 1999
Factors related to growth and survival of 10-d cohorts of larval bluegills Lepomis macrochirus we... more Factors related to growth and survival of 10-d cohorts of larval bluegills Lepomis macrochirus were examined in two small impoundments via daily growth increments on otoliths. Successful spawning occurred from April through September, producing peak larval densities greater than 360 fish/m. Larval bluegill density was negatively correlated with zooplankton density in both ponds, suggesting that larvae reduced zooplankton abundance via
North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 2000
Within 2 years of a December 1995 reduction in a population of gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum i... more Within 2 years of a December 1995 reduction in a population of gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum in a 66-ha public fishing reservoir, their abundance rapidly returned to high levels. During 1996, age-0 gizzard shad density was low, and they experienced rapid growth as larvae and juveniles, achieving average lengths (±SE) of 236 ± 7 mm total length (TL) by 13
The Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis) is an important component of coastal marsh ecosystems. Beca... more The Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis) is an important component of coastal marsh ecosystems. Because individuals move little remaining close to the marsh throughout their life, they are a potential indicator species for environmental impact studies. Additionally, fish otoliths grow continuously, providing a record of growth and incorporating microchemical markers from the surrounding environment. Here we sampled F. grandis from 10 sites across 4 states in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Louisiana and Alabama both had paired oiled/non-oiled sites (oiled sites were exposed to Deepwater Horizon oil from the 2010 spill). Sites in Mississippi included one adjacent to an oil refinery and a control site, while our Florida site was unexposed to oil. We found distinct otolith microchemical signatures across states, but paired estuaries within states could not be distinguished, suggesting minimal effects from the 2010 spill. We also found a seasonal component, with otolith microchemical differen...
The scientific literature has seen a proliferation of peer-reviewed journals
Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 1993
Southeastern Naturalist, 2004
We surveyed 39 tributaries of the Tallapoosa River drainage in Alabama in an effort to increase t... more We surveyed 39 tributaries of the Tallapoosa River drainage in Alabama in an effort to increase the available knowledge of its crayfish fauna. The survey yielded six crayfish species: Cambarus (Depressicambarus) englishi, C. (Depressicambarus) halli, C. (Depressicambarus) latimanus, Orconectes (Tubericambarus) holti, Procambarus (Pennides) spiculifer, and P. (Pennides) versutus. Cambarus englishi and C. halli are endemic to the Piedmont Plateau province of the Tallapoosa drainage, where they were syntopic with each other and with C. latimanus and P. spiculifer. The genus Orconectes has not previously been reported from anywhere within this drainage. Orconectes holti and P. versutus were found only in the Coastal Plain, where O. holti was syntopic with P. spiculifer, but not with P. versutus. The two Procambarus species occupied mutually exclusive sites. Crayfishes were present at sites with lower pH, lower conductivity, shallower riffles, lower stream order, and lower link magnitude than occurred at sites where no crayfish were found. The presence of one or more individual species was significantly correlated with specific environmental factors.
Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 2015
ABSTRACT Dams have many effects on river systems, including impeding the migratory movements of f... more ABSTRACT Dams have many effects on river systems, including impeding the migratory movements of fishes. However, locks associated with lock-and-dam structures may be useful for passing fish during their migrations. We investigated the potential to facilitate fish passage at dams through two navigational lock structures on the Alabama River, Alabama—Millers Ferry Lock and Dam (L&D) and Claiborne L&D—using targeted, nonnavigational lock operations. The movements of Paddlefish Polyodon spathula with implanted ultrasonic tags and/or radio tags were tracked via both manual receivers and submersible ultrasonic receivers (SURs) deployed inside of the lock chambers and above and below each dam to quantify migration characteristics and determine whether fish passage occurred. We tagged a total of 96 fish (79 received sonic tags, 4 received radio tags, and 13 received both types of tag), and we recorded over 275,000 SUR detections of 84 individuals and 91 manual detections of 39 individuals. Although nonnavigational lock operations increased the number of days available for potential passage by 0.5-4.7 times, only seven Paddlefish passed upstream through the locks (8% passage rate). Most of the fish movement past dams occurred during spring, when many riverine fish make spawning migrations. Movement past Claiborne Dam occurred most often over the spillway (87% of passage) during high-water events. Our results suggest that while specialized nonnavigational lock operations along the Alabama River increased opportunities for upstream fish passage, relatively few Paddlefish actually moved upstream through the lock chambers.
Several pond enhancements are commonly used to increase fish production or enhance angling opport... more Several pond enhancements are commonly used to increase fish production or enhance angling opportunities, but their effects are rarely evaluated. We investigated whether providing supplemental feed to bluegill leads to higher bluegill reproductive rates as measured by growing season larval fish density and fall age-0 density. In April 2009, adult bluegill were stocked in nine 0.1-ha ponds (125/pond); ponds were provided with no pelleted food (control), a low ration (1.52 kg/ha/d), or a high ration (2.68 kg/ha/d) from May to September. Ten largemouth bass (mean TL = 140 mm) were stocked into each pond in late July. Supplemental feeding increased growth of initially-stocked bluegill compared to the control, but growth did not differ between low and high ration treatments. In contrast, larval bluegill density during the growing season and the final number of age-0 bluegill at experiment’s end did not increase with feeding. Whole-body caloric density of age-0 bluegill was higher in both...
For many temperate fishes, cohort strength is influenced by overwinter mortality and predation du... more For many temperate fishes, cohort strength is influenced by overwinter mortality and predation during the first year of life. Populations from different latitudes are adapted to local environmental conditions and early life history strategies have likely evolved that promote overwinter survival. We assessed the potential for latitudinal origin and predation risk to influence overwinter survival, growth, and energy allocation of age-0 largemouth bass. Parental largemouth bass were collected from northern Illinois and southern Alabama and allowed to spawn naturally in mid-latitude ponds. Equal numbers of similarly-sized Illinois and Alabama age-0 bass were marked and introduced into ponds. Five ponds had adult bass predators and five were predator free; however, predation risk had no influence on any response variable. Overwinter growth did not differ between populations of age-0 bass; however, Illinois fish exhibited significantly higher overwinter survival compared to Alabama fish. ...
Relative to inland populations, largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) in Alabama’s Mobile-Tensa... more Relative to inland populations, largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) in Alabama’s Mobile-Tensaw River Delta (MTRD) have slow growth, high condition, and low annual survival similar to other coastal populations. To evaluate the estuarine effects on growth of largemouth bass we incorporated the metabolic cost of salinity into a bioenergetics model. Bioenergetics simulations suggested that salinity, high peak summer temperatures, and consumption of lower caloric density invertebrates (e.g., blue crabs) reduced growth in both downstream and upstream regions of the MTRD and were correlated with discharge. Metabolic costs of salinity increased with mass, and mean caloric density of consumed prey declined with age due to the greater incorporation of blue crabs into the diet, reducing the growth potential of larger fish, particularly in the downstream region. Embedding bioenergetics constraints into a life-history model revealed that the estuarine environment may increase the likelihood ...
Pond enhancements are commonly used to increase fish production or enhance angling opportunities,... more Pond enhancements are commonly used to increase fish production or enhance angling opportunities, but their effects are often not evaluated. We used stable isotope analysis to estimate the contribution of different rations of pellet feed to bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) reproduction and ultimately to largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) growth in both the presence and absence of threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense). We used two approaches: a controlled small pond experiment and sampling of established ponds. We stocked 10 0.1-ha ponds with bluegill and largemouth bass in February of 2012, and fed them one of five feed rations (0, 1.3, 1.9, 3.2, and 4.4 kg – ha-1 d-1). Ponds were sampled through the summer and harvested in August. We also sampled 9 established ponds, 3 with neither threadfin shad or pellet feed, 3 that received only pellet feed, and 3 that received pellet feed and contained threadfin shad. As expected, bluegill growth increased with increasing feed rations, while ...
Many freshwater mussels require specific host fish species to complete the parasitic portion of t... more Many freshwater mussels require specific host fish species to complete the parasitic portion of their complex life cycle. Despite this we know little about the abiotic requirements of many host fishes, likely because many are non-game species that have received relatively little research attention. Here we used respirometry to quantify the influence of temperature and dissolved oxygen as potential stressors on host fishes. We quantified routine metabolic rates and critical oxygen tension for 4 fish species from the Mobile River Basin (Percina palmaris, Etheostoma jordani, Cyprinella venusta, Micropterus coosae) at three temperatures. Combining intermittent flow with static respirometry allowed us to measure oxygen consumption and estimate critical oxygen tensions. For all species, respiration increased with temperature as expected; the increase was largest for M. coosae and smallest for C. venusta. Oxygen consumption remained constant as dissolved oxygen decreased until a critical t...
page 61 Introduction 61 Conceptual arguments and exposition of premise 62 Evidence from selected ... more page 61 Introduction 61 Conceptual arguments and exposition of premise 62 Evidence from selected individual-based models 68 Summary and chronology of the literature 74 Empirical evidence from freshwater systems 74 Empirical evidence from marine systems 76 Discussion 77 Acknowledgements 80 Appendix 81 References 82
Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 1993
ABSTRACT.Factors that affect recruitment of threadfin shad Dorosoma petenense and gizzard shad D... more ABSTRACT.Factors that affect recruitment of threadfin shad Dorosoma petenense and gizzard shad D. cepedianum, two important prey species in southern reservoirs, are not well understood. Larval shad typically have not been identified to species, though interactions ...
Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 2000
Previous work has demonstrated that survival of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides through the... more Previous work has demonstrated that survival of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides through the first year of life can be size dependent, favoring larger individuals. Because size, diet biomass, lipid accumulation, and ultimately overwinter survival of juveniles are typically positively related to age, early spawning is clearly advantageous. However, a true understanding of which largemouth bass cohorts contribute to the new year-class remains somewhat unclear because these conclusions have largely been based upon fish collected during summer rather than fish collected during spring. Conceivably, even earlier hatched cohorts of largemouth bass could have existed in many of these studies, and these fish may simply not have survived to the summer collection period. In order to assess this possibility, we quantified first-summer survival of largemouth bass cohorts collected during 1992 and 1993 in Auburn, Alabama, ponds (which were 2-5 ha each). Our results indicate that it is early-hatched cohorts that likely contribute to the new year-class. Although we found that early-hatched cohorts were lost between May and July, these losses were not attributable to age-dependent mortality; instead, sampling biases associated with avoidance of seines by older, larger young-of-year largemouth bass appear to have driven these shifts. In addition, because we found that size-dependent cannibalism during summer acted to remove smaller, later-hatched largemouth bass, early hatching may enhance survival during larval and early juvenile stages in southern systems (and not just during the winter period). Given this information, fishery managers may potentially be able to implement harvest regulations that are designed to protect large, early-spawning adults, thereby increasing the probability of producing a strong year-class by enhancing first-summer growth and, ultimately, recruitment to adult stages.
Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 1999
Factors related to growth and survival of 10-d cohorts of larval bluegills Lepomis macrochirus we... more Factors related to growth and survival of 10-d cohorts of larval bluegills Lepomis macrochirus were examined in two small impoundments via daily growth increments on otoliths. Successful spawning occurred from April through September, producing peak larval densities greater than 360 fish/m. Larval bluegill density was negatively correlated with zooplankton density in both ponds, suggesting that larvae reduced zooplankton abundance via
North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 2000
Within 2 years of a December 1995 reduction in a population of gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum i... more Within 2 years of a December 1995 reduction in a population of gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum in a 66-ha public fishing reservoir, their abundance rapidly returned to high levels. During 1996, age-0 gizzard shad density was low, and they experienced rapid growth as larvae and juveniles, achieving average lengths (±SE) of 236 ± 7 mm total length (TL) by 13
The Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis) is an important component of coastal marsh ecosystems. Beca... more The Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis) is an important component of coastal marsh ecosystems. Because individuals move little remaining close to the marsh throughout their life, they are a potential indicator species for environmental impact studies. Additionally, fish otoliths grow continuously, providing a record of growth and incorporating microchemical markers from the surrounding environment. Here we sampled F. grandis from 10 sites across 4 states in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Louisiana and Alabama both had paired oiled/non-oiled sites (oiled sites were exposed to Deepwater Horizon oil from the 2010 spill). Sites in Mississippi included one adjacent to an oil refinery and a control site, while our Florida site was unexposed to oil. We found distinct otolith microchemical signatures across states, but paired estuaries within states could not be distinguished, suggesting minimal effects from the 2010 spill. We also found a seasonal component, with otolith microchemical differen...
The scientific literature has seen a proliferation of peer-reviewed journals