Spawning Behavior and Habitat Use of Shoal Bass in Two Non-Navigable Chattahoochee River Tributaries

Officially described as a species in 1999, Shoal Bass biology has been little studied until recently. Previous research has found that Shoal Bass undergo spawning migration in larger rivers, but little is known about their movement in smaller streams.  Furthermore little work has been conducted on spawning habitat and nest-site selection of the species.  Therefore, 40 Shoal Bass were implanted with radio tags in Flat Shoals Creek and Mulberry Creek (20 in each creek), two tributaries of the Chattahoochee River in Georgia, to determine movement patterns and document spawning and nesting behavior for two consecutive years.  Fifteen additional males were tagged in Flat Shoals Creek and tracked every 3-5 days to document nest selection and associated habitat variables.  Results of this study will be used to inform conservation and management practices as part of the Native Black Bass Initiative.