Assessment of movements and habitat use of Salmo opimus in Frnz stream, river Ceyhan of Turkey using radio telemetry techniques


ALP A., AKYÜZ A., ÖZCAN M., YERLİ S. V.

ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY OF FISHES, vol.101, no.11, pp.1613-1624, 2018 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 101 Issue: 11
  • Publication Date: 2018
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s10641-018-0807-2
  • Journal Name: ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY OF FISHES
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.1613-1624
  • Hacettepe University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This study was carried out to provide information about movement and habitat use by an endemic Salmonid species (Salmo opimus Turan et al. Ichthyol Explor Freshw 23: 219-236, Turan et al. 2012) in Frnz Stream, a tributary of River Ceyhan in Turkey, using manual tracking as a radio telemetry technique. During the study, 19 of the 23 tagged trout were relocated by eight to 20 times (mean: 15 relocations per fish) in Frnz Stream. The time between the tracking surveys and relocations varied from 21 to 44days (mean: 30days) and the mean distance between relocations was 151m (26 to 881m). Tagged trout showed a distribution within a distance of 9350m in Frnz Stream. 95% of the relocations clustered at a distance of 4500m, while 75 and 50% of them were distributed at a distance of 1935m and 1488m, respectively. The linear home range of the individual ranged from 199 to 5087m (mean 792m), whereas mean 95% Kernel Density Home Range (KDHR), 75% KDHR, and mean core range (50% KDHR), were 632m, 477m and 290m, respectively. The depths and velocities of the locations where tagged trout occurred varied from 20 to 185cm (mean depth: 43cm) and 11 to 240cm/s (mean velocity: 45.9cm/s). There was no correlation between fish size and depth and fish size and velocity. Hydropower stations and trout farms negatively affected movement of the brown trout in the stream. The fish passage in Frnz Hydropower Station (HPP) is inefficient due to low water mark downstream. Thus, all the obstructions that prevent fish movements must be arranged to enable fish passage in Frnz Stream in order to preserve the brown trout population in the stream.