Behavior Variations Associated with Ultrasonic Tagging and Underwater Observation of Guadalupe Bass in Lake Travis, Texas
Date
1981-11
Authors
Manns, Ralph Ernest
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Seven adult Guadalupe bass from Lake Travis, Texas, were tagged with ultrasonic transmitters and tracked intermittently over a one-year period. Seven additional Guadalupe bass provided data on post-release and pre-mortality behaviors. Many activity patterns of the tagged bass changed significantly as the fish progressed through a post-operative recovery period, into a "healthy" period, and then into a pre-mortality period. Differences were found in l:xxiy temperatures, amounts of apparent feeding, home-range and nomadic activity, pelagic activity, relationships to habitat and cover types, and nervous responses. Each of the variables analyzed was associated with a unique recovery and pre-mortality profile. The data suggested that the assumption of behavioral normality for electronically-tagged lack basses should not be made without a statistical analysis of changes in behavior as specimens progress through a recovery-mortality ty sequence. The data also indicated that many behaviors of the healthiest tagged Guadalupe bass were significantly different £ran those of wild Guadalupe and largermouth basses. Detailed remarks concerning both electronic tracking and scuba diving as data-collection techniques are included, as well as descriptions of the behaviors of individual Guadalupe bass. A review of the extant literature on the Guadalupe bass is appended.
Description
Keywords
fish tagging, ultrasonics in biology, basses, Lake Travis
Citation
Manns, R. E. (1981). Behavior variations associated with ultrasonic tagging and underwater observation of Guadalupe bass in Lake Travis, Texas (Unpublished thesis). Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.