Table Of ContentGreat Basin Natiindist53(2).pp. 190-193
ESTABLISHMENT OF SHOSHONE SCULPIN (COTTUS GREENEI)
IN A SPRING INHABITED BY MOTTLED SCULPIN (C. BAIRDI)
Dc-rc'k B. Kiula' and S. Grift'ith'
J.
.AHSTIUtT The Slioslionesciil])in (Cottits orcnwi) is fomicl oiiI\ in springs oftheThonsand Springs formation ;ilong
the Snake Riverin Idaho, in 19S3asmall popnlationofShoshone senlpinwas introdnced intoanunnamed springin the
Thonsand Springsformation inan attempt toinere;Lsetherangeoftliespeeies. Previously, theonlyseulpininthatspring
v\asthemottledseulpin(Cottiisbairdi).TheShoshoneseulpinwasabletoestablishitselfandbeeomethepredominantfish
withinSyears.
Kii/ worils: Siioshoiic sciilj)!!!. (,'ottus greenel. iiwlllctl siidpin. Cottus bairdi. st/iniititric sjiccics. species ofspecial
concern. SnakeHiien Idaho.
Methods
As of 1982. the Sho.shoiie seulpin (Cottiis
grecnci) was (bund in onK' 25 of 40 .spring sys-
tems in the Thousand Springs formation near Shoshone sculpins were introduced into a
Hagermiuiinsoutheentral Idalio(W^laeeetal. small unnamed springpond as part of an Idaho
19'S4). The speeies piineipallv inhabits springs Department of Fish and CTanie nongame pro-
enteringtlie nortli sideofthe Snake Rixerfrom gram to reestabhsh them in portions of their
ri\er kilometer 910.4 (relatixe to the mouth of original range (Griffith and Dale\' 1984). The
tlie Snake Hi\er) uprix'er to kilometer 950.4. spring pond, refened to here as Transplant
Beeause of its limited range and the extent of Spiing, is 15.3 km upriver from Briggs Springs,
habitat modifieation, the Shoshone seulpin was the nearest spring inhabited In' Shoshone
proposedasathreatenedorentlaugeredspeeies seulpin at the time (Wallace et al. 1984).
(Williams 1980). It is eurrenth a eaudidate Transplant Spring is approximately 1000 m"
threatened orendaug(M-ed speeies (\V. E. Mar- in surface area and enters the Snake Ri\'er at
tin, U.S. Fisli and Wildlife Seniee, Portland, fixerkilometer965.7inGoodingCountv,IcUilio.
Oregon; personaleonnnunieation). The Ameri- Waterflows from the springheadnearthebase
can Fi.sheries Soei(4\- considers it "threatened" of a basalt cliff ox'er a 20-m-long cascade into a
(Williamsetal. 1989),andIdaho Depaitmentof pondthatisimpoundedbvasetofculverts.The
,Fish and Ciameconsiders tlie Shoshone seulpin streamdropsxeitically2 m intothe SnakeRixer
a"prioritvspeciesofspecial concern" (Moselev after passing through the culveits. The dis-
and(;rov{\s 1992). charge of Transplant Spring is influenced bv a
Shoshone .sculpiiis occur .s\nipatricallv with fisli hatcheiA' water diversion near the spiing
mottled sculpins (Cofliis bairdi) in 16 spring head.
s\stems in the Thousand Springs formation Boulder and cobble substrate near the cas-
(Wallaceetal. 1984). Largermottled.seulpinare cade shift to graxel, sand, and silt at the tail of
known t(j preyon smaller.seulpin (Bailev 1952, the pool. There are dense patches of water
Wyd(>.skiand\\'liitney 1979)andarc>considered speedwell{Veronica sp.) andcattail {Tijplm sp.).
a potentid predator of Shoshone .seulpin. The Amphipods, a group showni to be heaxilv con-
puqiosc- ofthisstudyw;ls toa.sscss tlie extent to sumed In- Shoshone seulpin (Connolly 1983),
which Sho.shone seulpin could be successlully were abundant (1000-5000 per nr) during the
introduced into an (^nxironment that seemed study Taxasuchasdipterans,tiiehopterans,and
physicall\ade(|uatebutwasalready occupiedb\- oligochaetes that also are utilized b\ Shoshone
mottled.seulpin. sctilpinwerepresentindensitiessimilartothose
l)r|Kirtin.-iilofKidloirual.Scifiic.-,,Idal,,.St.il,-UniMisi^. hl.ilic)KMm.
190
19931 SiiosiioNK S(;i!i,i'i\ 191
Tablk 1. Nuiiiberofsciilpins collected per l-iir liaiiie net and relative alnindance (RA) electrofisliingsamples, and
percentCottitsii^rccnci oftotal Cottussp.atTransplant Spring. Idaho, 1983-91. OnK fi.sli >2()nnnTLwereinclndecj.On
15August 1983.419C.<^rceneiwereintroducedintoTransphuit Spring.
192 (;hi;.\t Basin Natuhalist [\'()luine53
sciilpin densities were among Veronica, where peratures (Brown 1989). Rough and Shoshone
one frame net eaptnred 29 fish. Two mottled scnlpins both utilize the unicjue habitat pro-
seulpins were fonnd in eobbles and l)oulders \ided by springs, and botli ha\e a limited geo-
wliere thespringcascades intothepond. graphicdistribution.
DensitydatafromTransplantSpringsuggest
that Shoshone sculpins may have been able to
DiSClfSSION
occupyorutiUzehabitatwithlowerwaterveloci-
ties and densevegetation more effecti\el\'than
Slioshone senlpin has become the predomi- mottled sculpins. Daley et al. (1982) obsened
nant fi.sh in Transjihint Spring in less than an that Shoshone sculpins rarelv occupied areas
<S-\ear period. Tiiat period represents two or with surface velocities greaterthan 60-80 cm/s.
tiireegenerations, basedon typical longexityof The highest densitiesofShoshone sculpin t\pi-
3-4 \eiu-s (Connolly 1983). Heprodnction was calK occur in a(|uatic \'egetation (Dale\' et al.
sncce.ssfnl in 1984, bnt a snbstantial increase in 1982,andthisreport).When Shoshonesculpins
popnlation si/e was not recognized until 1990. were absent or less abundant in Transplant
L'nfortunateK-. we ha\e no data from 1985 to Spring, mottled sculpins utilized atjuatic xege-
1989 to a.ssess the rate of change. Frame net tation andlowwatervelocityareas (Griffithand
samplingwas probablv more thorough in 1991 Daley 1984); apparenth; however, thev were
than methods used in 1983, which may have displaced from this habitat, but not from the
underestimatcnl densities, although we believe cascadeatthepondhead,byShoshonesculpins.
the biiUiwas minor. Mottledsculpinsprimarilvutilizerock^v'sub-
A sniiiller. unnamed spring entering the strates and moderate water velocities (Btiilev
Snake Ri\er 0.1 km downstream from Trans- 1952, Wydoski and Wliitney 1979, Page and
plant Spring also was colonized recenth' bv Burr 1991). Mottledsculpins in North Carolina
Shoshone scnlpins. Nine fi.sh were captured streams selectedhabitatswith mean focalpoint
there with an electrofisherin September 1991. velocitiesof48-88cm/s,and71%ofthe.sculpins
When the springwas .sampled in 1981-83, only occupied sites wath overhead rock'v shelters
tmhoetrtele(dGr.isfefniltphinuanpnudblriasilnibeodwdtatrao)u.t Wweeresufsopuencdt (SFhaocsehyonaendanGdrmooststmlaend s1c9u9l2p)i.nsItniaa\ppeseagrrsegtahtaet
that Shoshone scnlpins ma\- ha\e migrated the basedpartialK upon watervelocitv.
short distanc-e downstreaiu from Transplant
Spring.
Acknowledc;mknts
Shoshone scnlpins introtluced toTransplant
Spring were able to reproduce, compete, and
snnixe in the spring enxironment in the pres- We thank Dan Dalev, Krishna Merklev, Jim
enceofthe largermottledscnlpins. Other.svm- Smothers, Todd Anderson, Mike Black, and
.patric scnlpins show habitat segregation bv Rick Phillipp for their field assistance. Gary
selecting different substrates, water velocities, Scoppettone, Paul Marsh, and an anonviiions
(k'pths,ortemperatures. InOregonstrc^amsthe reviewerprovidedhelpfulcommentsonanear-
reticulate senlpin {Cotttis petylexus) occupied lierversion ofthis manuscript. Thisprojectwas
rilflesandpools in the al)senceofothersenlpin supported bv the Idalio Field Office of The
.species (Fing(M- 1982). In the presence of the Nature C'onservancv, Idaho Powt^- C^ompanv,
Piiiute senlpin {Coftiis hehliu0), the larger re- and the Idaho Department of Fish and Ciame
ticulate senlpin used pools more frecjuently. nougameprogram.
Mathesou and Brooks (1983) found that mot-
tledsculj)iu in\'irginiastreamspreferredcolder LiTKRATURK CiTKD
water than did the Potomac .senlpin (Cottiis
f,'//Y//Y//),whichoccupiedslowwatervelocitx and liAii,i;v J. Iv 1952. Life hi.ston'amii'C'olow\-oftile sculpin
silt)- substrates. In Californiathe rough sculpin ('iillus Iwirdi piinctuldttis in southwestern Montana.
Copeia243-245.
((C>o2tt0uc.sm)(tilsipacnrrdiimdu.tsh)ePsietlseecntlepdind(eCeofpteirispwiattceiii-- I5li()c\\o\n.sul>u.iHp.ti1o9n89o.ftThcrneiepesrpaetcuireesoprfefseciuil'pUiC'ni'(SCoatfnidi.so)wfgreonm
sis) and marbled sculpin {Coltiis kJamathcnsis tlie Pit Hixcr drainai^e. (^aliiornia. Knxironniental Bi-
nuicrops) (Browii 1991). Hough scnlpins t^pi- olo^'ofFishes26:22.3-236.
cally occupy spring-fed streaius, and thev are . 1991. Difierences in habitat choice and behavior
amonii; threi' species of sculpin {Cottiis) in aitilicial
physiologicallylimitedtoanarrowrantieoftem- stn-am channels. Copeia 1991:SlO-819.
1993] SlIOSIIONK SCX'LFIN 193
('owoi.iA P. J. 19S3. Life histon- of Shoslionc sculpin, .MosiLKY, R..ANDG.Ghovk.s 1992. Rare,threatenedand
C.ottus ^reenei. in southc'cntnil hhJio. Uiipiihlislied endangered plants andanimalsofIdaho. 2nd ed. Re-
master'sthesis, UnixersitAof idalio. Moscow. 79pp. port ofConsenation i])ataGenter. IdahoDepartment
DalkvC.onDn.oMl.l,yJ. S1.98(2J.iUFKierliat1i1xeIValL.)uWnacllaln.caeci:a.nd.\nhia)biP.ta|t. PackofLF.isMh.,anadnGdamBe..MB.oisBeu.k3k8.pp1.991. A field guide to
preference ofthe Shoslione sculpin (Cottusi^rccmi). fresliwater fishes: North America north of .VIexic-o.
ePanscseesof60t1h-e6W1e0stinerPnroAcseseodciinaitiisonolotthFeisahnnaunadlWciolndfleirf-e WMi.HAoCuKg.htR.onL,MiJf.flSi.n(C;'hoi.i,rBioTsitLonD..4M32.pDpa.lkv P |. Con-
Agencies. nolly,andG. B.Bkckiiam. 1984. Distributionofthe
I'^ACEsVl.iiDp.beE.t,we.e\NnDw(a;.teDr.\eClhocoits\'s,nelnwerg1e9t9i2c.cToshtes,raenladtinoini-- SHhaogsehromnaens\c'aulllpe\i'nof(Csootuttluiscuerneternacli:IdGaohot.tiGckree)atinBastliine
crohabitat use in four North American stream fishes. WilliNaatmusr.alistD.441:98302.4-F3h2i6d.angeredandthreatenedwildlife
Ilvch-obiologia239: 1-6. J.
FiNcKH. T. R. 19(S2. Interacti\e segregation among three aFnedderplaalntRse:girset\eirew45(of60t)h:e1s9t8a5ti3L.s f)f Shoshone sculpin.
CiuiFis-pieTcHi.es).oSf.,sc.u\lNpDinDs.(MC.otDtuasl).kvCop19e8i4a.1R9eS-2e:st6aSb0l-i6s9h4m.ent WilleinadmasngeJ.reEd.,, tkhtreaalt.en1e9d8,9.orFoifshsepsecioiiflNCo'rontcherAn:me1r9i8c9a.
of Shoshonesculpin(Cottusfs^rcenci)inthe Hagernnui Fisheries 14: 2-20.
\'alle\'.Idaho.ReporttoIdahoDepartmentofFishand Wydoskl H.S..ANn R. R.Wimtnkv 1979.Inhuulfishesof
Game. 12pp. Washington. llni\ersit\ of Washington Press. Seattle
M.-\TliKSON. R. E.,AND G. R. Bhcjoks 1983. Habitat seg- and London. 220pp.
regationbetweenCottusI)air(liluidCottus>iirardi:an
e.xample ofcomplex inter- and intraspecific resource
p;utitioning. .'American Midland Naturalist 110: 165- Received5Febntanj 1992
176. Accepted1 Febnian/ 1993
