Movements and habitat use of bowfin in Oneida Lake, New York

The bowfin is widely distributed through the eastern United States and into southeastern Canada, but because they are not typically valued as a food or sport fish, few intensive studies of their ecology have been undertaken.  In Oneida Lake, New York, catches of bowfin in standardized sampling gears have increased in recent years, presumably reflecting the combined effects of macrophyte expansion following establishment of zebra mussels and warmer summer water temperatures.  We surgically implanted radio transmitters into18 bowfin (10 females, 8 males) during the spring of 2009.  Searches for tagged bowfin were conducted weekly from June-October and 16 fish were located multiple times over the course of the season.  Fish dispersed up to 19 km from the release site, and wide variations in individual behavior were observed.  Observed mean daily change in location was significantly higher for females (233 m/day) than males (56 m/day), and females occupied habitats significantly further offshore (female mean 279 m; male mean 107 m).  Wider ranging movements by females resulted in larger estimated home ranges (80% minimum convex polygon 2,990,000 m²) than males (413,000 m²), but due to high individual variability this difference was only marginally significant.