Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 31
Use of strong habitat–abundance relationships in assessing population status of cryptic fishes: An example using the Harlequin Darter
Understanding trends in abundance is important to fisheries conservation, but techniques for estimating streamwide abundance of cryptic fishes with strong habitat–abundance relationships are not well established and need further development. We developed techniques for addressing this need using the Harlequin Darter Etheostoma histrio, a small, cryptic freshwater fish associated with submerged woo
Eradication of two non-native cichlid fishes in Miami, Florida (USA)
The proliferation of non-native fishes in Florida is a serious problem, and new species continue to be introduced to the state. Fishes in the Family Cichlidae have been especially successful colonizers of south Florida freshwater habitats. Herein we report a multi-agency effort to eradicate two non-native cichlid fishes in Miami, Florida (Bay Snook Petenia splendida and Blue Mbuna Labeotropheus fu
Resolving the status of the genera Gastrophysus and Geneion in the family Tetraodontidae (Teleostei: Tetraodontiformes)
Maintaining a current list of valid names and taxonomy for biodiversity is an ever-increasing challenge for the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS 2017). Advances in molecular techniques and the discovery of many cryptic taxa have dramatically increased the number of species and resulted in revised interpretation of phylogenetic relationships. Occasionally it is necessary to resolve dis
Stream fish colonization but not persistence varies regionally across a large North American river basin
Many species have distributions that span distinctly different physiographic regions, and effective conservation of such taxa will require a full accounting of all factors that potentially influence populations. Ecologists recognize effects of physiographic differences in topography, geology and climate on local habitat configurations, and thus the relevance of landscape heterogeneity to species d
Characterizing the early life history of an imperiled freshwater mussel (Ptychobranchus jonesi) with host-fish determination and fecundity estimation
Conservation of imperiled species is frequently challenged by insufficient knowledge of life history and environmental factors that affect various life stages. The larvae (glochidia) of most freshwater mussels in the family Unionidae are obligate ectoparasites of fishes. We described the early life history of the federally endangered Southern Kidneyshell Ptychobranchus jonesi and compared methods
Response of imperiled Okaloosa darters to stream restoration
The Okaloosa Darter Etheostoma okaloosae is a small percid endemic to six stream drainages in northwestern Florida. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed Okaloosa Darters as endangered in 1973 and downlisted them to threatened in 2011 because of habitat improvements and increasing abundance across much of their geographic range. Delisting is possible if remaining recovery criteria are met, inc
Book review: Black bass diversity: Multidisciplinary science for conservation
These proceedings are from the third symposium dedicated to management and conservation of black basses in the genus Micropterus. The first symposium was held in 1975 (R. H. Stroud and H. Clepper. Black Bass Biology and Management. Washington (DC): Sport Fishing Institute) followed 25 years later by Black Bass 2000 (D. P. Philipp and M. S. Ridgway. 2002. Black Bass: Ecology, Conservation, and Mana
Evaluating the piscicide rotenone as an option for eradication of invasive Mozambique tilapia in a Hawaiian brackish-water wetland complex
Mozambique tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus were recently discovered in ‘Aimakapā Fishpond, a 12-hectare brackish-water wetland complex in Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, on the Island of Hawai’i. As a possible eradication method, we evaluated rotenone, a natural piscicide used in fish management and the active ingredient in plants traditionally used by indigenous Hawaiians for capturing
Marine and inland fishes of St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands: an annotated checklist
An historical account is given for the ichthyological research at St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands, followed by an annotated list of 544 species of mostly marine shore fishes known or reported from the island to depths of 200 m. Color photographs are included for 103 of these species. Collections made at Buck Island Reef National Monument with the ichthyocide rotenone in 2001 and 2005 increased the
Movement and longevity of imperiled Okaloosa Darters (Etheostoma okaloosae)
Movement and longevity studies inform management and conservation plans for imperiled organisms. We used a mark–recapture study to reveal information about these key biological characteristics for imperiled Okaloosa Darters (Etheostoma okaloosae). Okaloosa Darters were captured from 20 m reaches at six separate streams, marked with VIE on the left or right dorsum according to the side of the strea
Abiotic and biotic controls of cryptobenthic fish assemblages across a Caribbean seascape
The majority of fish studies on coral reefs consider only non-cryptic species and, despite their functional importance, data on cryptic species are scarce. This study investigates inter-habitat variation in Caribbean cryptobenthic fishes by re-analysing a comprehensive data set from 58 rotenone stations around Buck Island, U.S. Virgin Islands. Boosted regression trees were used to associate the de
Discovery of South American suckermouth armored catfishes (Loricariidae, Pterygoplichthys spp.) in the Santa Fe River drainage, Suwannee River basin, USA
We report on the occurrence of South American suckermouth armored catfishes (Loricariidae) in the Suwannee River basin, southeastern USA. Over the past few years (2009-2012), loricariid catfishes have been observed at various sites in the Santa Fe River drainage, a major tributary of the Suwannee in the state of Florida. Similar to other introduced populations of Pterygoplichthys, there is high li
Non-USGS Publications**
Nico, L.G., H.L. Jelks, and T. Tuten. 2009. Non-Native suckermouth armored catfishes in Florida: Description of nest burrows and burrow colonies with assessment of shoreline conditions. Aquatic Nuisance Species Research Bulletin 9: 1-30.
Australian trevallies of the genus Pseudocaranx (Teleostei: Carangidae), with description of a new species from Western Australia
Nico, L.G. and H.L. Jelks. 2006. Non-Native Armored Catfishes in Florida: Description of Nest Burrows and Burrow Colonies with Preliminary Assessment of Shoreline Conditions. Report to U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS. 29 pp.
Baber, M. J., K.J. Babbitt, F. Jordan, H.L. Jelks, and W.M. Kitchens. 2005. Relationships among habitat type, hydrology, predator composition, and distribution of larval anurans in the Florida Everglades. pages 154-160 in W.E, Meshaka, Jr. and K.J. Babbitt (eds) Amphibians and Reptiles: status and conservation in Florida. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida.
Nico, L.G., J.D. Williams, and H.L. Jelks. 2005. Black carp: Biological synopsis and risk assessment of an introduced fish. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 32, Bethesda, Maryland. 337 pp.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1998. Okaloosa darter (Etheostoma okaloosae) Recovery Plan (Revised). Atlanta, Georgia. 42 p. Jelks, H.L., and S. Alam authors.
Jordan, F., H.L. Jelks, and W.M. Kitchens. 1997. Habitat structure and plant community composition in a northern Everglades wetland landscape. Wetlands 17:275-283
Burkhead, N.M., H.L. Jelks, F. Jordan, D.C. Weaver, and J.D. Williams. 1994. The comparative ecology of Okaloosa and brown darters in Boggy and Rocky Bayou stream systems, Choctawhatchee Bay, Florida. Final Report to Eglin Air Force Base. 90 p.
Jordan, F., H.L. Jelks, and W.M. Kitchens. 1994. Habitat use by the fishing spider, Dolomedes triton in a northern everglades wetland. Wetlands 14:239-242
Jelks, H.L., F. Jordan, and W.M. Kitchens. 1992. Response of wading birds and aquatic macrofauna to hydrological conditions and vegetative structure of Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Work Order 32 Final Report. 133 p.
Maffei, M.D., and H.L. Jelks. 1991. The first successful nesting of wood storks on Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. Florida Field Naturalist 19(1):12-14
Collopy, M.W., and H.L. Jelks. 1987. Distribution of foraging wading birds in relation to the physical and biological characteristics of freshwater wetlands in southwest Florida. Report to Nongame Wildlife Program of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission. 104 p.
Tuten, T, J.D. Austin, M.A. Barrett, J.S. Hargrove, H.L. Jelks, K.G. Johnson, and E.J. Nagid. 2013. Florida’s Southern Tessellated Darter: a rare case of a common fish. American Fisheries Society Genetics Section Newsletter 26(4): 2-5.
Walker, S., A. Dausman, and D. Lavoie, eds., 2012. Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Science Assessment and Needs—A Product of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force Science Coordination Team (H.L. Jelks, member). 72 p.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
American Fisheries Society Imperiled Freshwater and Diadromous Fishes of North America
This website provides access to the list of imperiled freshwater and diadromous fishes of North America as determined by the 2008 American Fisheries Society (AFS) Endangered Species Committee (ESC) on Fishes.
WaterSMART: Apalachicola/Chattahoochee/ Flint River (ACF) Basin
The Challenge: The DOI WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) initiative is developing data and tools to help water managers identify current and future water shortages, for humans and for freshwater ecosystems. Fishes, for example, can decline in diversity and abundance when streamflow becomes too low, for too long. However, ecologists find that effects of declining...
American Fisheries Society List of Freshwater Snails from Canada and the United States
This website provides access to the list of freshwater gastropods (snails) in Canada and the United States as determined by the 2013 American Fisheries Society (AFS) Endangered Species Committee (ESC) on freshwater gastropods.
American Fisheries Society Crayfish of the United States and Canada
This website provides access to the list of crayfish in Canada and the United States as determined by the 2007 American Fisheries Society (AFS) Endangered Species Committee (ESC) on Crayfishes.
Population Monitoring of the Federally Threatened Okaloosa Darter at Eglin Air Force Base
USGS' and Loyola University New Orleans' innovative research techniques played a role in the decision to downlist the Okaloosa Darter, a freshwater fish endemic to northwest Florida, from Endangered to Threatened.
Removing threats before they spread: Eradication of two non-native fishes in Miami, Florida (USA)
The proliferation of non-native fishes in Florida is a serious problem, and new species continue to be introduced to the State. Herein we report the eradication of two species of non-native fishes in Miami, Florida (Giant Cichlid Petenia splendida and Blue Mbuna Labeotropheus fuelleborni; both Family: Cichlidae). We removed these fishes before they were observed in the extensive, interconnected ca
Annotated checklist of marine and inland fishes of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Fish collections made at Buck Island Reef National Monument with the ichthyocide rotenone in 2001 at 58 stations followed by 10 days each in April 2011 and January 2012 surveying poorly sampled shoreline habitats with rotenone and clove oil and inland streams with seine.
Characterizing the early life history of an imperiled freshwater mussel (Ptychobranchus jonesi)
Conservation of imperiled species is frequently challenged by insufficient knowledge of life history and the environmental factors that affect various life stages. The larvae (glochidia) of most freshwater mussels in the family Unionidae are obligate ectoparasites of fishes. We describe the early life history of the federally endangered Southern Kidneyshell, Ptychobranchus jonesi, and compare meth
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 31
Use of strong habitat–abundance relationships in assessing population status of cryptic fishes: An example using the Harlequin Darter
Understanding trends in abundance is important to fisheries conservation, but techniques for estimating streamwide abundance of cryptic fishes with strong habitat–abundance relationships are not well established and need further development. We developed techniques for addressing this need using the Harlequin Darter Etheostoma histrio, a small, cryptic freshwater fish associated with submerged wooEradication of two non-native cichlid fishes in Miami, Florida (USA)
The proliferation of non-native fishes in Florida is a serious problem, and new species continue to be introduced to the state. Fishes in the Family Cichlidae have been especially successful colonizers of south Florida freshwater habitats. Herein we report a multi-agency effort to eradicate two non-native cichlid fishes in Miami, Florida (Bay Snook Petenia splendida and Blue Mbuna Labeotropheus fuResolving the status of the genera Gastrophysus and Geneion in the family Tetraodontidae (Teleostei: Tetraodontiformes)
Maintaining a current list of valid names and taxonomy for biodiversity is an ever-increasing challenge for the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS 2017). Advances in molecular techniques and the discovery of many cryptic taxa have dramatically increased the number of species and resulted in revised interpretation of phylogenetic relationships. Occasionally it is necessary to resolve disStream fish colonization but not persistence varies regionally across a large North American river basin
Many species have distributions that span distinctly different physiographic regions, and effective conservation of such taxa will require a full accounting of all factors that potentially influence populations. Ecologists recognize effects of physiographic differences in topography, geology and climate on local habitat configurations, and thus the relevance of landscape heterogeneity to species dCharacterizing the early life history of an imperiled freshwater mussel (Ptychobranchus jonesi) with host-fish determination and fecundity estimation
Conservation of imperiled species is frequently challenged by insufficient knowledge of life history and environmental factors that affect various life stages. The larvae (glochidia) of most freshwater mussels in the family Unionidae are obligate ectoparasites of fishes. We described the early life history of the federally endangered Southern Kidneyshell Ptychobranchus jonesi and compared methodsResponse of imperiled Okaloosa darters to stream restoration
The Okaloosa Darter Etheostoma okaloosae is a small percid endemic to six stream drainages in northwestern Florida. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed Okaloosa Darters as endangered in 1973 and downlisted them to threatened in 2011 because of habitat improvements and increasing abundance across much of their geographic range. Delisting is possible if remaining recovery criteria are met, incBook review: Black bass diversity: Multidisciplinary science for conservation
These proceedings are from the third symposium dedicated to management and conservation of black basses in the genus Micropterus. The first symposium was held in 1975 (R. H. Stroud and H. Clepper. Black Bass Biology and Management. Washington (DC): Sport Fishing Institute) followed 25 years later by Black Bass 2000 (D. P. Philipp and M. S. Ridgway. 2002. Black Bass: Ecology, Conservation, and ManaEvaluating the piscicide rotenone as an option for eradication of invasive Mozambique tilapia in a Hawaiian brackish-water wetland complex
Mozambique tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus were recently discovered in ‘Aimakapā Fishpond, a 12-hectare brackish-water wetland complex in Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, on the Island of Hawai’i. As a possible eradication method, we evaluated rotenone, a natural piscicide used in fish management and the active ingredient in plants traditionally used by indigenous Hawaiians for capturingMarine and inland fishes of St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands: an annotated checklist
An historical account is given for the ichthyological research at St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands, followed by an annotated list of 544 species of mostly marine shore fishes known or reported from the island to depths of 200 m. Color photographs are included for 103 of these species. Collections made at Buck Island Reef National Monument with the ichthyocide rotenone in 2001 and 2005 increased theMovement and longevity of imperiled Okaloosa Darters (Etheostoma okaloosae)
Movement and longevity studies inform management and conservation plans for imperiled organisms. We used a mark–recapture study to reveal information about these key biological characteristics for imperiled Okaloosa Darters (Etheostoma okaloosae). Okaloosa Darters were captured from 20 m reaches at six separate streams, marked with VIE on the left or right dorsum according to the side of the streaAbiotic and biotic controls of cryptobenthic fish assemblages across a Caribbean seascape
The majority of fish studies on coral reefs consider only non-cryptic species and, despite their functional importance, data on cryptic species are scarce. This study investigates inter-habitat variation in Caribbean cryptobenthic fishes by re-analysing a comprehensive data set from 58 rotenone stations around Buck Island, U.S. Virgin Islands. Boosted regression trees were used to associate the deDiscovery of South American suckermouth armored catfishes (Loricariidae, Pterygoplichthys spp.) in the Santa Fe River drainage, Suwannee River basin, USA
We report on the occurrence of South American suckermouth armored catfishes (Loricariidae) in the Suwannee River basin, southeastern USA. Over the past few years (2009-2012), loricariid catfishes have been observed at various sites in the Santa Fe River drainage, a major tributary of the Suwannee in the state of Florida. Similar to other introduced populations of Pterygoplichthys, there is high liNon-USGS Publications**
Nico, L.G., H.L. Jelks, and T. Tuten. 2009. Non-Native suckermouth armored catfishes in Florida: Description of nest burrows and burrow colonies with assessment of shoreline conditions. Aquatic Nuisance Species Research Bulletin 9: 1-30.Australian trevallies of the genus Pseudocaranx (Teleostei: Carangidae), with description of a new species from Western AustraliaNico, L.G. and H.L. Jelks. 2006. Non-Native Armored Catfishes in Florida: Description of Nest Burrows and Burrow Colonies with Preliminary Assessment of Shoreline Conditions. Report to U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS. 29 pp.Baber, M. J., K.J. Babbitt, F. Jordan, H.L. Jelks, and W.M. Kitchens. 2005. Relationships among habitat type, hydrology, predator composition, and distribution of larval anurans in the Florida Everglades. pages 154-160 in W.E, Meshaka, Jr. and K.J. Babbitt (eds) Amphibians and Reptiles: status and conservation in Florida. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida.Nico, L.G., J.D. Williams, and H.L. Jelks. 2005. Black carp: Biological synopsis and risk assessment of an introduced fish. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 32, Bethesda, Maryland. 337 pp.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1998. Okaloosa darter (Etheostoma okaloosae) Recovery Plan (Revised). Atlanta, Georgia. 42 p. Jelks, H.L., and S. Alam authors.Jordan, F., H.L. Jelks, and W.M. Kitchens. 1997. Habitat structure and plant community composition in a northern Everglades wetland landscape. Wetlands 17:275-283Burkhead, N.M., H.L. Jelks, F. Jordan, D.C. Weaver, and J.D. Williams. 1994. The comparative ecology of Okaloosa and brown darters in Boggy and Rocky Bayou stream systems, Choctawhatchee Bay, Florida. Final Report to Eglin Air Force Base. 90 p.Jordan, F., H.L. Jelks, and W.M. Kitchens. 1994. Habitat use by the fishing spider, Dolomedes triton in a northern everglades wetland. Wetlands 14:239-242Jelks, H.L., F. Jordan, and W.M. Kitchens. 1992. Response of wading birds and aquatic macrofauna to hydrological conditions and vegetative structure of Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Work Order 32 Final Report. 133 p.Maffei, M.D., and H.L. Jelks. 1991. The first successful nesting of wood storks on Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. Florida Field Naturalist 19(1):12-14Collopy, M.W., and H.L. Jelks. 1987. Distribution of foraging wading birds in relation to the physical and biological characteristics of freshwater wetlands in southwest Florida. Report to Nongame Wildlife Program of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission. 104 p.Tuten, T, J.D. Austin, M.A. Barrett, J.S. Hargrove, H.L. Jelks, K.G. Johnson, and E.J. Nagid. 2013. Florida’s Southern Tessellated Darter: a rare case of a common fish. American Fisheries Society Genetics Section Newsletter 26(4): 2-5.Walker, S., A. Dausman, and D. Lavoie, eds., 2012. Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Science Assessment and Needs—A Product of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force Science Coordination Team (H.L. Jelks, member). 72 p.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
- Science
American Fisheries Society Imperiled Freshwater and Diadromous Fishes of North America
This website provides access to the list of imperiled freshwater and diadromous fishes of North America as determined by the 2008 American Fisheries Society (AFS) Endangered Species Committee (ESC) on Fishes.WaterSMART: Apalachicola/Chattahoochee/ Flint River (ACF) Basin
The Challenge: The DOI WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) initiative is developing data and tools to help water managers identify current and future water shortages, for humans and for freshwater ecosystems. Fishes, for example, can decline in diversity and abundance when streamflow becomes too low, for too long. However, ecologists find that effects of declining...American Fisheries Society List of Freshwater Snails from Canada and the United States
This website provides access to the list of freshwater gastropods (snails) in Canada and the United States as determined by the 2013 American Fisheries Society (AFS) Endangered Species Committee (ESC) on freshwater gastropods.American Fisheries Society Crayfish of the United States and Canada
This website provides access to the list of crayfish in Canada and the United States as determined by the 2007 American Fisheries Society (AFS) Endangered Species Committee (ESC) on Crayfishes.Population Monitoring of the Federally Threatened Okaloosa Darter at Eglin Air Force Base
USGS' and Loyola University New Orleans' innovative research techniques played a role in the decision to downlist the Okaloosa Darter, a freshwater fish endemic to northwest Florida, from Endangered to Threatened. - Data
Removing threats before they spread: Eradication of two non-native fishes in Miami, Florida (USA)
The proliferation of non-native fishes in Florida is a serious problem, and new species continue to be introduced to the State. Herein we report the eradication of two species of non-native fishes in Miami, Florida (Giant Cichlid Petenia splendida and Blue Mbuna Labeotropheus fuelleborni; both Family: Cichlidae). We removed these fishes before they were observed in the extensive, interconnected caAnnotated checklist of marine and inland fishes of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Fish collections made at Buck Island Reef National Monument with the ichthyocide rotenone in 2001 at 58 stations followed by 10 days each in April 2011 and January 2012 surveying poorly sampled shoreline habitats with rotenone and clove oil and inland streams with seine.Characterizing the early life history of an imperiled freshwater mussel (Ptychobranchus jonesi)
Conservation of imperiled species is frequently challenged by insufficient knowledge of life history and the environmental factors that affect various life stages. The larvae (glochidia) of most freshwater mussels in the family Unionidae are obligate ectoparasites of fishes. We describe the early life history of the federally endangered Southern Kidneyshell, Ptychobranchus jonesi, and compare meth