09-23-2008, 01:45 PM
[font "Times New Roman"]Will the quagga or zebra mussels thrive better in most waters here?[/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"]No reason to believe they wouldn't thrive. They are everywhere else. They've already increased to alarming levels in Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, and Lake Havasu. They were only discovered there a year and a half ago.[/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"]So this means that if they get started here, they will filter out all the food for kokanee and rainbow. I guess they will wipe out the crayfish and the structure that is good for small fish. [/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"]They'll reduce zooplankton abundance, because they to feed on phytoplankton (microscopic algae). As zooplankton numbers are reduced, young of the fish will have a more difficult time finding food essential to their development. As you stated, it could spell disaster for kokanee and rainbows in Flaming Gorge. Rainbows forage on zooplankton a good portion of the time, but kokes rely almost solely on zooplankton.[/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"]What kind of effect does winter have on these mussels?[/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"]I'm not sure what their cold water tolerance is, but I suspect it's simply freezing. They're thriving throughout the Mid-west and into Canada, so Utah's water temps wouldn't be an exception. Quagga spawning ceases in the mid-50s so they would get about 6-9 months of suitable water temps to do their thing, depending on what Utah fishery you're looking at.[/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"]Ryno[/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]No reason to believe they wouldn't thrive. They are everywhere else. They've already increased to alarming levels in Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, and Lake Havasu. They were only discovered there a year and a half ago.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]So this means that if they get started here, they will filter out all the food for kokanee and rainbow. I guess they will wipe out the crayfish and the structure that is good for small fish. [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]They'll reduce zooplankton abundance, because they to feed on phytoplankton (microscopic algae). As zooplankton numbers are reduced, young of the fish will have a more difficult time finding food essential to their development. As you stated, it could spell disaster for kokanee and rainbows in Flaming Gorge. Rainbows forage on zooplankton a good portion of the time, but kokes rely almost solely on zooplankton.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]What kind of effect does winter have on these mussels?[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]I'm not sure what their cold water tolerance is, but I suspect it's simply freezing. They're thriving throughout the Mid-west and into Canada, so Utah's water temps wouldn't be an exception. Quagga spawning ceases in the mid-50s so they would get about 6-9 months of suitable water temps to do their thing, depending on what Utah fishery you're looking at.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Ryno[/font]
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