The ‘Other Fish’ Category

TWG Annual 

Reporting Meeting 

1-22-2012
Outline

Long-term monitoring methods

Fish status and longitudinal distribution patterns 

between lakes from long-term monitoring

Database review of species presence

Explain a couple of factors contributing to fish patterns 
Where do they come from?

Why do they persist?

Date

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 

Lees Ferry flow (cfs, in thousands)

0

5

10

15

20

25

River flow
Temporal Trends

0

5

10

15

20

0

2

4

6

8

Year

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

0

1

2

3

4

5

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

0

20

40

60

Rainbow trout Brown trout Common carp

Flannelmouth sucker Bluehead sucker

0

20

40

60

80

CPUE (fish/hr)

Speckled dace
Spatial Trends

0

10

20

30

40

0

5

10

15

River Mile

0 50 100 150 200 250

0

5

10

0 50 100 150 200 250

0

20

40

60

0 50 100 150 200 250

0

50

100

150

Rainbow trout Brown trout Common carp

Flannelmouth sucker Bluehead sucker

0

50

100

150

200

250

CPUE (fish/hr)

Speckled dace
Catch composition

0.00

0.25

0.50

0.75

1.00

0

102030405060708090

100

110

120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260

Proportion

River Mile

Natives

Small-bodied NN

Large-bodied NN

Salmonids
Species Presence

River mile

-15

0

153045607590

105120135150165180195210225240255270285

Threadfin shad

Walleye

Smallmouth bass

Largemouth bass

Bluegill sunfish

Black crappie

Mosquitofish

Golden shiner

Gizzard shad

Black bullhead

Fathead minnow

Plains killifish

Red shiner

Striped bass

Channel catfish

Brook trout

GCMRC Fish Database, 1978-Present
Species Presence

River mile

-15

0

153045607590

105120135150165180195210225240255270285

Threadfin shad

Walleye

Smallmouth bass

Largemouth bass

Bluegill sunfish

Black crappie

Mosquitofish

Golden shiner

Gizzard shad

Black bullhead

Fathead minnow

Plains killifish

Red shiner

Striped bass

Channel catfish

Brook trout

GCMRC Fish Database, 1978-Present
Species Presence

River mile

-15

0

153045607590

105120135150165180195210225240255270285

Threadfin shad

Walleye

Smallmouth bass

Largemouth bass

Bluegill sunfish

Black crappie

Mosquitofish

Golden shiner

Gizzard shad

Black bullhead

Fathead minnow

Plains killifish

Red shiner

Striped bass

Channel catfish

Brook trout

GCMRC Fish Database, 1978-Present
Species Presence

River mile

-15

0

153045607590

105120135150165180195210225240255270285

Threadfin shad

Walleye

Smallmouth bass

Largemouth bass

Bluegill sunfish

Black crappie

Mosquitofish

Golden shiner

Gizzard shad

Black bullhead

Fathead minnow

Plains killifish

Red shiner

Striped bass

Channel catfish

Brook trout

GCMRC Fish Database, 1978-Present
Records of 

Razorback 

Suckers in 

Grand Canyon

Douglas and Douglas (2000): 

hybrid larvae at mouth of 

Havasu and LCR
Data courtesy of Ron Kegerries, Bio-West
Razorback sucker

- Caught at RM 246 near Spencer Canyon debris fan on 10-7-2012

- Ripe male expressing gametes; tuberculate on anal and caudal fins

- Measured 543 mm total length

- No PIT tags or scarring detected with old and new scanners
Records of 

Razorback 

Suckers in 

Grand Canyon

Douglas and Douglas (2000): 

hybrid larvae at mouth of 

Havasu and LCR

1 adult by AGFD

(October 2012)
What factors contribute to status and 

distribution?

• Water temperature

• Dissolved oxygen

• Food availability

• Turbidity

• Proximity to source population

• Migratory behavior

• Physical habitat requirements

• Many others
What factors contribute to status and 

distribution?

• Water temperature

• Dissolved oxygen

• Food availability

• Turbidity

• Proximity to source population

• Migratory behavior

• Physical habitat requirements

• Many others
10

11

12

13

14

15

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 20102011

0

50

100

150

200

Mean temperature 

o

C

Year

River Mile

0

61

87

166

226

Data courtesy of Nick Voichick, GCMRC 

How would you characterize these patterns 

in water temperature?
Spatial and Temporal Native Fish Trends

River Mile

0 50 100 150 200 250

0

5

10

0 50 100 150 200 250

0

20

40

60

0 50 100 150 200 250

0

50

100

150

 

Flannelmouth sucker Bluehead sucker Speckled dace

Year

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

0

1

2

3

4

5

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

0

20

40

60

Flannelmouth sucker Bluehead sucker Speckled dace

CPUE (fish/hr)
Temperature

10

11

12

13

14

15

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 20102011

0

50

100

150

200

Mean temperature 

o

C

Year

River Mile

0

61

87

166

226

Data courtesy of Nick Voichick, GCMRC 

Large juvenile FMS cohort 

shows up following year

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

0

5

10

15

20 2006 

N=804

Percent of catch

Length (mm)
Spatial and Temporal Native Fish Trends

River Mile

0 50 100 150 200 250

0

5

10

0 50 100 150 200 250

0

20

40

60

0 50 100 150 200 250

0

50

100

150

 

Flannelmouth sucker Bluehead sucker Speckled dace

Year

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

0

1

2

3

4

5

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

0

20

40

60

Flannelmouth sucker Bluehead sucker Speckled dace

CPUE (fish/hr)
Spatial and Temporal Native Fish Trends

River Mile

0 50 100 150 200 250

0

5

10

0 50 100 150 200 250

0

20

40

60

0 50 100 150 200 250

0

50

100

150

 

Flannelmouth sucker Bluehead sucker Speckled dace

Year

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

0

1

2

3

4

5

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

0

20

40

60

Flannelmouth sucker Bluehead sucker Speckled dace

CPUE (fish/hr)
Month

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Mean temperature o

C

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

RM-0

RM-61

RM-87

RM-166

RM-226

2000-2009

A different look at water temperature

Data courtesy of Nick Voichick, GCMRC 
Month

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Mean temperature o

C

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

RM-0

RM-61

RM-87

RM-166

RM-226

2000-2009

Flannelmouth sucker optima

Optimal range for larval and 

juvenile flannelmouth suckers

Data courtesy of Nick Voichick, GCMRC; Temperature optima data compiled by Lamarra (2007)
Month

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Mean temperature o

C

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

RM-0

RM-61

RM-87

RM-166

RM-226

2000-2009

Data courtesy of USGS Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center; Temperature optima data compiled by Lamarra (2007)

Optimal range for larval and 

juvenile flannelmouth suckers

Optimal for adult flannelmouth

sucker growth

Adult flannelmouth suckers 

known to inhabit 10-30°C

Flannelmouth sucker optima
0

10

20

30

40

0

5

10

15

River Mile

0 50 100 150 200 250

0

5

10

0 50 100 150 200 250

0

20

40

60

0 50 100 150 200 250

0

50

100

150

Rainbow trout Brown trout Common carp

Flannelmouth sucker Bluehead sucker

0

50

100

150

200

250

CPUE (fish/hr)

Speckled dace

Proximity to population sources
0

10

20

30

40

0

5

10

15

River Mile

0 50 100 150 200 250

0

5

10

0 50 100 150 200 250

0

20

40

60

0 50 100 150 200 250

0

50

100

150

Rainbow trout Brown trout Common carp

Flannelmouth sucker Bluehead sucker

0

50

100

150

200

250

CPUE (fish/hr)

Speckled dace

Proximity to population sources
River mile

-15

0

153045607590

105120135150165180195210225240255270285

Threadfin shad

Walleye

Smallmouth bass

Largemouth bass

Bluegill sunfish

Black crappie

Mosquitofish

Golden shiner

Gizzard shad

Black bullhead

Fathead minnow

Plains killifish

Red shiner

Striped bass

Channel catfish

Brook trout

GCMRC Fish Database, 1978-Present

Proximity to population sources
Proximity to population sources

• Salmonids

• Tailwater

• Coldwater tributaries (i.e., Bright Angel and Tapeats

Creek)

• Native fishes 

• Little Colorado River

• Other tributaries

• Other nonnatives

• Lake associated species – just below Lake Powell or 

above Lake Mead

• Little Colorado River

• Other tributaries

• Large backwaters (e.g., Lees Ferry slough)

•
What factors contribute to status and 

distribution?

• Water temperature

• Dissolved oxygen

• Food availability

• Turbidity

• Proximity to source population

• Migratory behavior

• Physical habitat requirements

• Many others
Where do they come from?

Why do they persist?
Questions?