Studying Threatened Fish Species in Clear Lake, CA Active
The Clear Lake Hitch (Lavinia exilicauda chi) population, which once flourished in great abundance, has been decimated by loss of spawning habitat, nursery areas, and the encroachment of non-native species. In order to make an informed decision, the California Water Science Center has been asked by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct studies into the fish’s habitat, specifically changes to spawning areas, such as the lake’s tributaries, and shorelines where juvenile fish mature.
The Clear Lake Hitch was formerly highly abundant and a staple food for the Pomo tribes of the Clear Lake region. The abundance of this fish species is unknown but is believed to have declined 100-fold. USGS biologists have learned a great deal about this endangered fish, from identifying important spawning tributaries, to documenting how fish use different habitat throughout their life cycle.
Beginning in 2017, biologists from the U.S. Geological Survey began studying the lake habitat of the Clear Lake Hitch, a minnow that is listed as a threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act. The hitch is now being considered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for classification under the Endangered Species Act.
To better understand Clear Lake Hitch behavior and habitat use, USGS biologists have conducted extensive sampling of the lake itself, as well as detailed analysis of various parts of the fish, including otoliths (ear bones), eye lenses, and fish muscle. These findings are important for identifying critical habitat, an important element of endangered species conservation and management.
The Clear Lake Hitch has an interesting life history in that it lives within Clear Lake but migrates upstream into streams like salmon, to spawn during the spring. Catch of Clear Lake Hitch during summer sampling has decreased each year, with the fewest number of individuals encountered occurring in 2022.
The USGS is working closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to generate additional scientific information needed for effective management and conservation of this imperiled species.
Hydrologic and Aquatic Ecology Studies at Clear Lake, California
Detection range and efficiency of acoustic telemetry receivers in Clear Lake, Lake County, California
Abundance and Distribution of Clear Lake Hitch in Clear Lake, Lake County, California, 2017-2022 (ver. 4.0, December 2022)
Water Temperature of Selected Tributaries of Clear Lake, Lake County, California
Water Quality Vertical Profiles in Clear Lake, Lake County, California, 2017-2019 (ver. 3.0, January 2022)
Photographs and video clips of Clear Lake Hitch
Clear Lake Hitch Otolith Data
Eye lenses reveal ontogenetic trophic and habitat shifts in an imperiled fish, Clear Lake hitch (Lavinia exilicauda chi)
First record of pughead deformity in the threatened Clear Lake Hitch
Observations of the spawning ecology of the imperiled Clear Lake Hitch Lavinia exilicauda chi
Dissolved oxygen controls summer habitat of Clear Lake Hitch (Lavinia exilicauda chi), an imperilled potamodromous cyprinid
Strontium isotopes reveal ephemeral streams used for spawning and rearing by an imperiled potamodromous cyprinid--Clear Lake hitch Lavinia exilicauda chi
- Overview
The Clear Lake Hitch (Lavinia exilicauda chi) population, which once flourished in great abundance, has been decimated by loss of spawning habitat, nursery areas, and the encroachment of non-native species. In order to make an informed decision, the California Water Science Center has been asked by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct studies into the fish’s habitat, specifically changes to spawning areas, such as the lake’s tributaries, and shorelines where juvenile fish mature.
The Clear Lake Hitch was formerly highly abundant and a staple food for the Pomo tribes of the Clear Lake region. The abundance of this fish species is unknown but is believed to have declined 100-fold. USGS biologists have learned a great deal about this endangered fish, from identifying important spawning tributaries, to documenting how fish use different habitat throughout their life cycle.
Beginning in 2017, biologists from the U.S. Geological Survey began studying the lake habitat of the Clear Lake Hitch, a minnow that is listed as a threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act. The hitch is now being considered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for classification under the Endangered Species Act.
To better understand Clear Lake Hitch behavior and habitat use, USGS biologists have conducted extensive sampling of the lake itself, as well as detailed analysis of various parts of the fish, including otoliths (ear bones), eye lenses, and fish muscle. These findings are important for identifying critical habitat, an important element of endangered species conservation and management.
The Clear Lake Hitch has an interesting life history in that it lives within Clear Lake but migrates upstream into streams like salmon, to spawn during the spring. Catch of Clear Lake Hitch during summer sampling has decreased each year, with the fewest number of individuals encountered occurring in 2022.
The USGS is working closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to generate additional scientific information needed for effective management and conservation of this imperiled species.
- Science
Hydrologic and Aquatic Ecology Studies at Clear Lake, California
The USGS California Water Science Center conducts a variety of research activities at Clear Lake, California, including surface-water monitoring and water quality and aquatic habitat studies. - Data
Detection range and efficiency of acoustic telemetry receivers in Clear Lake, Lake County, California
Data on the detection range and efficiency of VR2W-69 kHz acoustic receivers (Innovasea Marine Systems Canada Inc., Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada; https://www.vemco.com/) were collected to guide the development of telemetry studies of the Clear Lake Hitch (Lavinia exilicauda chi), an imperiled fish species endemic to Clear Lake, Lake County, California. The study took place June 21, 2021 through JuAbundance and Distribution of Clear Lake Hitch in Clear Lake, Lake County, California, 2017-2022 (ver. 4.0, December 2022)
Field data for fishes sampled using bottom and surface gill nets during daylight hours in Clear Lake, California, USA. This data release includes all measured environmental parameters and fish taxa included in the analysis.Water Temperature of Selected Tributaries of Clear Lake, Lake County, California
The dataset includes water temperature and atmospheric pressure data collected from selected key tributaries Clear Lake, Lake County, California, used for spawning by the Clear Lake Hitch (Lavinia exilicauda chi): Kelsey Creek, Siegler Creek, Middle Creek, Adobe Creek, and Cole Creek. Data were collected with ONSET HOBO Model U20L-002 loggers.Water Quality Vertical Profiles in Clear Lake, Lake County, California, 2017-2019 (ver. 3.0, January 2022)
The datasets consist of principal fact information of gravity data and density and magnetic properties of hand samples in the Chico and Willows 1:100,000-scale quadrangles, California.Photographs and video clips of Clear Lake Hitch
This data release includes a collection of photographs and video clips. Above water observations were taken with with a Nikon D5300 digital camera and underwater observations were taken with a SOOCOO S100Pro digital camera. All observations were made on April 1, 2018 in Kelsey, Creek, Lake County, California. Further details can be found in: Feyrer, F. 2018. Rapid potamodromy into ephemeral streamClear Lake Hitch Otolith Data
The dataset includes four seperate files of data for a project that examined the strontium isotopic composition of otoliths of Clear Lake Hitch. Otoliths examined in this study were from randomly-sampled individual Clear Lake Hitch that recruited into the adult population in Clear Lake. The fish were collected in June and July 2017. Strontium isotopic composition (87Sr/86Sr ) in otoliths was deter - Publications
Eye lenses reveal ontogenetic trophic and habitat shifts in an imperiled fish, Clear Lake hitch (Lavinia exilicauda chi)
Stable isotopes recorded in fish eye lenses are an emerging tool to track dietary shifts coincident with use of diverse habitats over the lifetime of individuals. Eye lenses are metabolically inert, sequentially deposited, archival tissues that can open avenues to chronicle contaminant exposures, diet histories, trophic dynamics and migratory histories of individual fishes. In this study, we demonAuthorsMatthew J. Young, Veronica Larwood, Justin Kinsey Clause, Miranda Bell-Tilcock, George Whitman, Rachel C. Johnson, Frederick V. FeyrerFirst record of pughead deformity in the threatened Clear Lake Hitch
No abstract available.AuthorsJessica Catherine Kathan, Matthew J. Young, Frederick V. FeyrerObservations of the spawning ecology of the imperiled Clear Lake Hitch Lavinia exilicauda chi
Migrations for the purposes of reproduction are widely documented across the animal kingdom and are particularly common in fishes and other aquatic organisms (Dingle 2014). One important migration strategy in fishes is potamodromy, which is the movement from one location to another entirely within freshwater (Morais and Daverat 2016). Thurow (2016) estimated that worldwide there are approximatelAuthorsFrederick V. FeyrerDissolved oxygen controls summer habitat of Clear Lake Hitch (Lavinia exilicauda chi), an imperilled potamodromous cyprinid
The Clear Lake Hitch is an imperiled minnow endemic to Clear Lake, Lake County, California, USA that is listed as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act (ESA) and is a candidate for listing under the United States ESA. It exhibits a potamodromous life cycle whereby adults, which reach up to 6+ years in age and over 350 mm in length, migrate into Clear Lake’s ephemeral tributariesAuthorsFrederick V. Feyrer, Matthew Young, Oliver Patton, David E. AyersStrontium isotopes reveal ephemeral streams used for spawning and rearing by an imperiled potamodromous cyprinid--Clear Lake hitch Lavinia exilicauda chi
Identification of habitats responsible for the successful production and recruitment of rare migratory species is a challenge in conservation biology. Here, a tool was developed to assess life stage linkages for the threatened potamodromous cyprinid Clear Lake hitch Lavinia exilicauda chi. Clear Lake hitch undertake migrations from Clear Lake (Lake County, CA, USA) into ephemeral tributary streamsAuthorsFrederick V. Feyrer, George Whitman, Matthew J. Young, Rachel C. Johnson - Partners