Distribution and Abundance of Fishes Associated with Submersed Aquatic Plants in the Potomac River
- 1 February 1989
- journal article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in North American Journal of Fisheries Management
- Vol. 9 (1) , 101-111
- https://doi.org/10.1577/1548-8675(1989)009<0101:daaofa>2.3.co;2
Abstract
The distribution and abundance of fishes in submersed aquatic plants of three relative densities (no plants, intermediate plant density, high plant density) were estimated in the tidal Potomac River near Alexandria, Virginia. Fish were sampled with a boat-mounted electroshocker at night in May (when plants were emerging), August (peak plant densities), and November (plant senescence) of 1986. Mean densities of all plants ranged from 9 to 33 g/m2 (dry-weight basis) in May, and 400 to greater than 1,000 g/m2 in August and November. Hydrilla verticillata was usually the dominant aquatic plant. In May, overall mean fish abundance was highest in areas of high plant density (36 fish/5 min shocking), whereas in August and November fish abundance was highest in areas of intermediate plant densities (100 and 62 fish/5 min electroshocking, respectively). Areas without plants contained a relatively high number of filter-feeding fishes, including Atlantic menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus and blueback herring Alo...Keywords
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