Hatchery-reared Roundtail Chub Data, Arizona USA

These data were compiled as part of a larger study to evaluate post-stocking survival of hatchery-reared Roundtail Chub. We conducted a two year study (Dec. 2015 – Mar. 2017) in the upper Verde River at the Burnt Ranch stocking location near Paulden, Arizona. Young of year Roundtail Chub were acquired from the Arizona Research and Conservation Center in Cornville, Arizona. Passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags (BioMark, 12.5 mm 134.2 kHz FDX) were implanted into Roundtail Chub each year (n = 333, Year 1; n = 2177, Year 2) prior to stocking. Each year, fish were measured (total length, TL, mm) before release (reflected in Pre-Stocking data table). We used two methods to recapture stocked fish, one passive and one active. Both portable, submersible PIT antennas and tow barge electrofishing were used to detect fish after being stocked. In both years of our study, antenna arrays were placed downstream and upstream of the stocking site before fish were released and then maintained for approximately two and a half months, while electrofishing methods were implemented at arbitrary intervals within three months of the stocking event (reflected in Recaps By Gear and Recaps By Both Gears Sheets). In Year 2 of sampling, we assessed how effective submersible antennas were at detecting recently released fish from the field site by closing off the study area with fyke nets prior to Roundtail Chub release (reflected in Fyke Net Captures vs Antennas data table). Both submersible antennas and electrofishing methods were used to evaluate which method performed better at detecting fish after stocking. Antenna performance was also evaluated by size and the width of channel each antenna covered (reflected in Antenna Det Channel Length sheet). Electrofishing methods were largely conducted to assess survival and condition of recaptured fish. Roundtail Chub were passively monitored by portable, rectangular submersible PIT antennas (Marsh and Associates, LLC) from time of stocking to March. Antennas are battery-powered and were programmed to continuously record the date and time of contact as well as PIT tag numbers. Multiple electrofishing efforts were also randomly conducted between December and mid-March of each year to actively monitor fish after release. The site was continuously sampled from the most downstream to upstream antennas with pulsed DC using a generator-powered pulsator (Smith Root 5.0 GPP with two anodes) electrofisher mounted in a towable barge (Smith Root model SR-7). All Roundtail Chub were captured, measured (total length, TL, mm), and weighed (g).