Movements and Habitat Use of River Redhorse (Moxostoma carinatum) in the Kankakee River, Illinois
The River Redhorse (
Moxostoma carinatum
) is a large riverine catostomid that has experienced substantial declines across much of its historic range. Conservation of this species is hindered by a lack of knowledge about many aspects of its life history. In order to better understand the seasonal movements and habitat associations of this species, adult River Redhorse were captured from the Kankakee River, Illinois, implanted with radiotransmitters, and tracked throughout an annual cycle. Habitat data were recorded at all locations where radio-tagged River Redhorse were located. Eight of ten individuals displayed fidelity to a relatively short length of river (total range ≤ 8.7 km), whereas two individuals exhibited substantially greater movements (total range ≥ 23.1 km). Movement patterns of River Redhorse varied across seasons, with the largest ranges and highest displacements occurring during spring, and the smallest ranges and lowest movement rates occurring during summer. River Redhorse predominately occupied deep runs (>1.5 m) with moderate to swift currents (>0.4 m/s) over gravel, cobble, or boulder substrates. Habitat use differed among seasons, with River Redhorse occupying faster current velocities during winter and spring than during summer and fall, and using deeper water over smaller substrates in winter than during summer. Conservation of River Redhorse populations may depend on watershed-scale conservation practices to safeguard the mosaic of habitats the species associates with and maintaining viable pathways for movement among these habitats across seasons.
Map of the Kankakee River, Illinois, showing the river segment where movements and habitat use of radio-tagged River Redhorse (Moxostoma carinatum) were observed. Locations of dams are represented by squares. The initial location where River Redhorse were captured is indicated by an “X.” Arrows indicate direction of flow.
(A) Water temperature (°C, solid line) and discharge (m3/s, dashed line) of the Kankakee River, and (B) positions (river km) of individual radio-tagged River Redhorse (Moxostoma carinatum) in the Kankakee River, Illinois, during October 2011 to August 2012. Temperature data were obtained from a Hobo pendant temperature logger submersed in the river, and discharge was obtained from USGS gage 5527500. Solid lines connecting River Redhorse positions indicate displacements of individual fish between observations. Horizontal dashed lines in panel B represent the locations of the Wilmington (river km 17.0) and Kankakee (river km 52.9) dams.
Mean (±SE) seasonal (A) range size (km), (B) displacement (m), and (C) absolute movement rate (m/d) of radio-tagged River Redhorse (Moxostoma carinatum) observed in the Kankakee River, Illinois, during each season from October 2011 to August 2012.
Canonical analysis of principal coordinates (CAP) ordination of habitat use of radio-tagged River Redhorse (Moxostoma carinatum) observed in the Kankakee River, Illinois, during each season from October 2011 to August 2012. The CAP analysis was based on the matrix of Gower's generalized distances calculated from the mean depth and current velocity, modal substrate category, and proportion of observations associated with cover for each fish in each season. The strength and sign of the correlation (|r| > 0.3) of each habitat variable with the first two CAP axes is represented by the superimposed vectors.
Contributor Notes
Associate Editor: C. Beachy.