Program Type
Honors
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Kyler Hecke
Document Type
Poster
Location
Face-to-face
Start Date
18-4-2024 4:00 PM
Abstract
The Slender Madtom (Noturus exilis) is a common species with a widespread distribution across the Mississippi River basin. In Arkansas, they can be found in upland rivers/streams in the Arkansas River and White River watershed. Very little data has been collected on the diet of this species and how it varies. We wanted to spatially assess the diet of Slender Madtoms. Slender Madtoms were sampled from 8 sites in the Illinois Bayou watershed using seines and kick nets. Small-scale gastric lavage was used to extract diet data from all individuals. All prey items were preserved and identified to the genus level (if possible). Bray-Curtis dissimilarity was used to assess the composition of prey items between sites. A total of 157 different prey items from 41 fish (43-88 mm), covering 6 orders were extracted from Slender Madtoms during September-October (2023). Prey items consisted mostly of Chironomids (True Flies, n= 74), Heptageniid (Mayflies, n= 27), and Philopotamid (Caddisflies, n=18). There were varying levels of diversity among Slender Madtom diets from site to site; Shannon-Weiner Species Diversity Index (H=0.10-1.97), Evenness (E=0.65-1.00), and Simpson’s Dominance Index (1-D= 0.00-0.80). Slender Madtom diets from the lowest sampling site were more similar to diets from other sites (mean [±SE] Bray-Curtis Distance=0.51 [±0.13]), than the upper most site (mean Bray-Curtis Distance= 0.93 [±0.17]). The most diverse diets observed in this species were from the lowest site on Illinois Bayou (n= 38 prey items, 5 orders), suggesting a spatial relationship in diet diversity. Further sampling will incorporate diets from Slender Madtoms at more sites, and also assess temporal changes in diets from fish at these sites. This research will aid in the understanding of Slender Madtom diets and how they vary spatially.
Recommended Citation
Mitchell, Brendon K., "Spatial Assessment of Slender Madtom (Noturus exilis) Diets within the Illinois Bayou" (2024). ATU Research Symposium. 56.
https://orc.library.atu.edu/atu_rs/2024/2024/56
Included in
Spatial Assessment of Slender Madtom (Noturus exilis) Diets within the Illinois Bayou
Face-to-face
The Slender Madtom (Noturus exilis) is a common species with a widespread distribution across the Mississippi River basin. In Arkansas, they can be found in upland rivers/streams in the Arkansas River and White River watershed. Very little data has been collected on the diet of this species and how it varies. We wanted to spatially assess the diet of Slender Madtoms. Slender Madtoms were sampled from 8 sites in the Illinois Bayou watershed using seines and kick nets. Small-scale gastric lavage was used to extract diet data from all individuals. All prey items were preserved and identified to the genus level (if possible). Bray-Curtis dissimilarity was used to assess the composition of prey items between sites. A total of 157 different prey items from 41 fish (43-88 mm), covering 6 orders were extracted from Slender Madtoms during September-October (2023). Prey items consisted mostly of Chironomids (True Flies, n= 74), Heptageniid (Mayflies, n= 27), and Philopotamid (Caddisflies, n=18). There were varying levels of diversity among Slender Madtom diets from site to site; Shannon-Weiner Species Diversity Index (H=0.10-1.97), Evenness (E=0.65-1.00), and Simpson’s Dominance Index (1-D= 0.00-0.80). Slender Madtom diets from the lowest sampling site were more similar to diets from other sites (mean [±SE] Bray-Curtis Distance=0.51 [±0.13]), than the upper most site (mean Bray-Curtis Distance= 0.93 [±0.17]). The most diverse diets observed in this species were from the lowest site on Illinois Bayou (n= 38 prey items, 5 orders), suggesting a spatial relationship in diet diversity. Further sampling will incorporate diets from Slender Madtoms at more sites, and also assess temporal changes in diets from fish at these sites. This research will aid in the understanding of Slender Madtom diets and how they vary spatially.