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Methods: Collection of Blue Catfish Otoliths. Bob Greenlee Department of Game and Inland Fisheries bob.greenlee@dgif.virginia.gov. Stations in Four Tidal River Systems 2001 - 2014. Sampling Strategy. Summer Low Frequency (15 pps) Boat Electrofishing Fixed station design
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Methods: Collection of Blue Catfish Otoliths Bob Greenlee Department of Game and Inland Fisheries bob.greenlee@dgif.virginia.gov
Stations in Four Tidal River Systems 2001 - 2014
Sampling Strategy • Summer Low Frequency (15 pps) Boat Electrofishing • Fixed station design • EF boat and Pick-up boat • Standard run length • Two netters on each boat • Extra netters to assist in landing of unusually large fish (~> 20 Kg) • Otoliths Collected for Age & Growth beginning in 2002 • 2002 – 2004 otolith subsampling based on N per cm-group • High variability in individual growth => age-length key of limited value • After 2004, stratified random subsampling
Modeling Growth – Mattaponi River Mean Total Length-at-Age w/ 95% C.I. 2006 & 2008 L(Age) = 200.678 + (42.631 * Age) r2 = 0.98 von Bertalanffy (Linf = 1,438 mm; K = 0.048; t0 = -2.305 yrs, r2 = 0.99)
Growth Rates – Differences Among Rivers (mean total length-at-age w/ 95% Confidence Intervals)
Growth – Declines in Three of Four Rivers (mean total length-at-age and 95% Confidence Intervals) Mann-Whitney rank sum test for each age sampled
Declines in Growth Associated With Increases in Density (Mean Total Length Age-10 and CPUE)
Sample From Tributary of James Play “Shocking The James” video now
Unbelievably abundant– One of two tanks collected during 10 minutes of electrofishing on the Rappahannock River
2004 ~ 37.6 kg