DOI: 10.5061/dryad.vhhmgqp5c
title: Rocky mountain sculpin swimming activity in a three-chambered flume

description: Rocky Mountain Sculpins are an imperiled species endemic to a restricted
 geographic distribution between Montana and Alberta. They occupy rivers
 with distinct seasonal flow regimes: one is relatively fast (St. Mary),
 one is relatively slow (Lee Creek), and one is intermediate (N. Milk
 River). Sculpins from St. Mary and Lee Cr. were endemic; those from N.
 Milk were likely introduced. We caught fishes from each location,
 transported them back to the University of Alberta, and acclimated them to
 holding conditions. We then tested their swimming behaviour in a
 three-chambered flume (details of the flume can be found in
 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-011-9867-2). The flume consisted of
 upstream and downstream boxes connected by a 1 m swim tunnel. Upstream and
 downstream place preference was recorded over 24 hours, and flow speed
 within the flume was increased in 15 cm/s steps over the course of a day.
 The willingness of the sculpins to move, as well as to travel in the swim
 tunnel, were recorded. All time spent moving (active) and stationary were
 noted throughout. The three subpopulations differed in time spent in the
 upstream and downstream locales, indicating behavioral adaptation to the
 different flow regimes. There was also evidence of individual fish that
 were highly exploratory, suggesting the presence of unique phenotypes
 within the species. The data suggest that sculpins have behavioral
 differences that likely reflect life in their unique riverine habitats.
description: # Rocky mountain sculpin swimming activity in a three-chambered flume
 Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.vhhmgqp5c](10.5061/dryad.vhhmgqp5c) ##
 Description of the data and file structure These data will be part of a
 publication of the same topic. All detail will be provided within. ###
 Files and variables #### File: RMS-database\_2025\_-\_Dryad.xlsx
 **Description:** Data consists of time spent in the upstream and
 downstream flume locations, as well as in the 1 m swim tunnel that
 connects the upstream and downstream locations. Swimming effort in the
 upstream and downstream boxes would be low to absent, when sedentary. Fish
 were sampled from three sites in Alberta, Canada: Lee Creek, St. Mary
 River, and North Milk River. | **Site** | **Latitude** | **Longitude** | |
 :--------------- | :----------- | :------------ | | Lee Creek | 49.1699222
 | -113.3460486 | | St. Mary River | 49.1766219 | -113.1933305 | | North
 Milk River | 49.0935689 | -112.777953 | ##### Variables A) Locale LC =
 fish from Lee Creek NM = fish from North Milk River SM = fish from St.
 Mary River B) Fish# Fish ID from specific locale C) Location DS =
 downstream box in flume, IS = instream connector tube, US = upstream box.
 D) Active S = sedentary (stationary) A = active (movement observable). E)
 Start time Start time = time fish placed in the flume and time that any
 behavioural change was noted for activity (e.g. a switch from sedentary to
 active, or a switch in location). F) Stop time Stop time = end of the
 behaviour. G) Velocity Velocity = cm/s flow in the instream flume section
 H) Day/Night Day/Night = lights on/lights off I) Trip A value of
 '1' indicates that the fish completed a full trip either up or
 down the central connecting swim tunnel.  ## Code/software NA ## Access
 information Other publicly accessible locations of the data: * NA Data was
 derived from the following sources: * NA