Richard L. Noble

We evaluated the accomplishments of the past 50 years of the Southern Division American Fisheries Society (SDAFS). We used minutes from the Southern Division annual meetings and various records to view past issues addressed by the division and activities of the SDAFS technical committees and chapters, and the evolution of the SDAFS annual meeting. Since its formation in 1952, the SDAFS has grown to about 2,000 members with 8 active technical committees, 20 chapters, and 8 student units. Issues addressed by the SDAFS have included a diversity of conservation and management issues including...

In temperate reservoirs, habitat quality and availability can be vital to year-class formation of young largemouth bass. We assessed littoral habitat availability for largemouth bass in a tropical reservoir. Habitat characteristics (slope, substratum, and cover) were measured at 5 water levels (169, 170, 171, 172, and 173 m above mean sea level) at 15 30-m sites in Lucchetti Reservoir. Total structural habitat availability declined sharply at lower water levels, and both inundated terrestrial vegetation and woody debris were absent at the lowest water level examined. Coarse substrates (...

Minimum size limits of 279, 305, and 330 mm total lengths (TL) were evaluated using Beverton-Holt yield modeling for the largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) population in Lucchetti Reservoir, Puerto Rico. Growth, estimated from micro-tagged fish, was faster until maturity compared to the populations in the contiguous United States. The von Bertalanffy growth coefficient (k) was 1.44 with L∞ estimated at 404.4 mm TL. Survival rates for adult largemouth bass (>250 mmTL), calculated from mark-recapture studies, were estimated to be 40% for 1998 and 30% for 1999. Simulations revealed...

The availability of quality nursery habitats can be an important factor in the recuitment dynamics of littoral fish species. Eight artificial habitats composed of crushed rock substrate were established in littoral areas of an embayment of B. E. Jordan Lake, North Carolina, that historically exhibited low abundances of juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Response of juvenile largemouth bass to habitats was assessed by night shoreline electrofishing at treatment sites and associated controls on 4 occasions during the growing season in each of 3 years. Significantly more age-0...

We validated otolith daily rings of Cichlasoma managuense using immersion in alizarin complexone to provide a known-age reference mark. Cichlids were stocked at 38 fish/cage into 3 121-liter cages with 5-mm mesh size within an experimental pond in Puerto Rico. The smallest 78% immediately escaped the cages and were at large in the ponds. Initial total length of cage cichlids averaged 26.5 mm compared to 20.4 mm for cichlids at large in the pond, although pond cichlids quickly overcame this deficit and realized growth rates 2 times faster than confined cichlids (1.42 mm/day vs. 0.69 mm/day...

From 1987 to 1998, gill netting was conducted annually in Jordan Lake, North Carolina, usually 3 times per year with 9 nets distributed over 3 reservoir sub-basins. White perch (Morone americana) began appearing in gill-net samples in 1988. By 1993 they were the second-most abundant species (11.2/net night), following black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) (21.2/net night). White perch catch rates in 1994 (16. I/net night) exceeded rates for other fish captured in gill nets. White perch continued to constitute a large percentage (21.1%) of the gill-net catch from 1995-1998. Analysis of...

We analyzed the efficacy of alizarin complexone (AC) immersion for creating visible fluorescent marks on otoliths of Mozambique tilapia (Tilapia mossambica) and compared the success of processing the otoliths as whole mounts and sections. We immersed 51 tilapia in a buffered 21 C aerated bath of 100 mg/liter AC for 15 hours, and no mortality resulted from marking procedures. Otoliths were removed on days 1, 10, 20, 30, and 60 following marking. Whole ground mounts showed visible rings only 84% of the time, many of which were faint or incomplete. Sectioning revealed visible rings 98% of the...

Electrofishing the littoral zone of Lucchetti Reservoir, Puerto Rico, from 1992 through 1997 indicated dynamic changes in fish community structure, despite consistent annual water level regimes. Nine species of fish, including 2 cichlids, 2 centrarchids, and 2 ictalurids, were collected. Relative abundance varied significantly over seasons and years for most species. One species, the bigmouth sleeper (Gobiomorus dormitor), may have become extirpated during the period and 1 new species, armored catfish (Liposarcus multiradiatus), became established. Adult largemouth bass (Micropterus...

The feeding dynamics of juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were studied from March 1992 to December 1994 in Lucchetti Reservoir, Puerto Rico. Early piscivory by juvenile bass was aided by constant, but qualitatively variable, availability of fish prey items including threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense), mozambique tilapia (Tilapia mossambica), redbreast tilapia (T. rendalli), and bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus). Threadfin shad was the primary food item for juvenile bass, supplemented by bluegills and tilapias when abundant. Insectivory was high in situations of low fish prey...

Although threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense) have been widely introduced as forage fish, little is known about their natural history in tropical reservoirs. Gonadosomatic index (GSI) analysis of threadfin shad from Lucchetti Reservoir, Puerto Rico, indicated that most spawning occurred from January to June and again in October, but some spawning occurred year-round, except from mid-August to mid-September. Aging of sagittal otoliths indicated that total length (TL) increased with age (r2 = 0.36). Maximum length was 86 mm TL (N = 2,002) and maximum age was 141 days (N = 124). Hatch date...