Movement of Stream Fishes in Missouri

Eight hundred forty-six reports of tagged fish caught by anglers were analyzed to determine the movement patterns of 14 species of native warm-water stream fishes. Each species included a sedentary group which remained near the release point and a mobile group which ranged more or less freely. The species could be classified according to the relative abundance of the two groups. Rock bass, smallmouth bass, longear sunfish, spotted bass, and yellow bullhead were classified as sedentary species; carp, flathead catfish, largemouth bass, golden redhorse, and black redhorse are semi-mobile; and channel catfish, freshwater drum, and white crappie as mobile. The species varied greatly in the average number of days between tagging and recapture and in the direction of movement and distances traveled by the mobile fish. The mobile group usually was free longer than the sedentary fish but frequently the difference in time was not great. Mobile freshwater drum, golden redhorse, black redhorse, spotted bass, largemouth bass, and longear sunfish tended to travel relatively long distances downstream and much shorter distances upstream. The distances traveled by the remaining species were more nearly equal but the average distance traveled upstream was always the longer. Mobile yellow bullhead, green sunfish, spotted bass, longear sunfish, and largemouth bass seldom traveled more than 25 miles but some mobile carp moved over 200 miles. Other species traveled intermediate distances. When released in headwaters, sedentary species tended to be more sedentary, and semi-mobile species in their preferred habitat also tended to be more sedentary than the average. Mobile spcies and semi-mobile species not in their preferred habitat became more mobile. Most of the mobile fish released in headwaters moved downstream. For the four most numerous species (rock bass, channel catfish, carp, smallmouth bass) data are presented to show the effect of release location, season, and age upon movement. Rock bass were more sedentary in headwaters than farther downstream but channel catfish were more mobile in headwaters. Mobile fish of both species tended to move downstream when released in headwaters but to make more upstream movements when released in down stream areas. Carp seemed to adapt their movements to the physical conditions in the habitat. They were mostly sedentary in stable habitats but predominantly mobile in habitats subject to flooding. The subspecies of the fish, the type of stream, and the geographical location of the release site may have effected the amount and direction of movements of smallmouth bass. All four species showed a relatively high proportion of mobile fish in the spring and low proportions in the summer. Data on fall movements were not conclusive. Rock bass, channel catfish, and smallmouth bass of intermediate age were more mobile than either the younger or the older fish. The concept that the native population of warm-water stream fish species consists of a sedentary and a mobile group provides a logical explanation of many observed phenomena and of contradictory results which have confused some investigators. It supplements recent findings concerning the home ranges of species if it is assumed that only the sedentary group was investigated.