DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/0JC7-8Q03
Defense Date
2014
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Biology
First Advisor
Michael Fine
Abstract
Blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, are an invasive species in the James River, VA. They produce stridulation sounds and passive acoustic monitoring may prove useful in locating and monitoring their populations. Little is known about their behavior, therefore my goal was to examine agonistic behavior and the use of sound in defending a territory. This thesis consists of two manuscripts: 1) A passive acoustic study of the tidal freshwater James River, 2) An experimental study of agonistic behavior in juvenile Blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus. The first study showed that three sounds (click, run croak) occurred more often in warmer months than cooler months. The second study showed that Blue catfish utilized a variety of agonistic behaviors in territory defense, with residency status and size having an effect on the type and number of displays used. Stridulation sounds were not present in territorial contests although Blue catfish produce stridulatory pulses when held.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
May 2014