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Efficacy of a vacuum benthos sampler for collecting demersal fish eggs from gravel substratum

January 1, 1997

We used two densities of eggs (low=900 eggs/m2; high=5100 eggs/m2) in laboratory experiments to estimate the recovery efficiency of the Brown benthos sampler for collecting fish eggs from gravel substrate and to determine if differences (e. g., 5-fold) in egg density in the substratum could be detected with the sampler. The mean egg recovery efficiency of the sampler in the low and high density treatments was 30% (SE=8.7) and 35% (SE=3.8), respectively. The difference between the treatment means was not significant. Therefore, data from the two treatments were pooled and used to estimate the recovery efficiency of the sampler (32.7%, SE=4.4). However, we were able to detect a 5× difference in the number of eggs collected with the sampler between the two treatments. Our estimate of the recovery efficiency of the sampler for collecting fish eggs was less than those reported for the sampler's efficiency for collecting benthic macroinvertebrates. The low recovery efficiency of the sampler for collecting fish eggs does not lessen the utility of the device. Rather, ecologists planning to use the sampler must estimate the recovery efficiency of target fauna, especially if density estimates are to be calculated, because recovery efficiency probably is less than 100%.

Publication Year 1997
Title Efficacy of a vacuum benthos sampler for collecting demersal fish eggs from gravel substratum
DOI 10.1111/j.1600-0633.1997.tb00166.x
Authors Carl R. Ruetz, Cecil A. Jennings
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Ecology of Freshwater Fish
Index ID 70019308
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse