LE3 .A278 2013

2013

Avery, Trevor

Acadia University

Bachelor of Science

Honours

Biology

Biology

Little is known about the habitat use of the American Eel, Anguilla rostrata, which poses a serious problem when looking at ways to protect these fish because habitat loss is linked to most identified threats to this species. The aim of this study is to identify and characterize the types of habitat used most frequently by American Eels in a freshwater environment, and whether habitat use changes throughout a season as vegetation grows and becomes more prevalent. Habitats within Oakland Lake were characterized according to vegetation type and presence, substrate composition, dissolved oxygen levels, pH, temperature, and depth. These characteristics were then compared to eel captures obtained by a capture-mark-recapture survey conducted each summer over a four-year period. Visualizations and analyses determine the frequency of use of habitats defined by habitat zones. It was determined that eel catches changed throughout the course of the summer, and this change was dependent on habitat elements. Eel catches were highest in zones with a substrate composition containing sand, boulders, and lily pads in moderate percentages. Habitats containing little sand and algae yielded very low numbers of eel catches. Homogenous habitats, regardless of substrate or vegetation type, yielded low numbers of eel catches.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:1054