Comparison of Three Methods for Sampling Fishes and Macroinvertebrates in a Vegetated Freshwater Wetland

Abstract

Three methods of sampling fishes, 2 seining methods and a drop trap method, were evaluated in heavily vegetated freshwater habitats. The portable drop trap method, which utilized a 1 m .times. 1 m trap, collected significantly more macroinvertebrates and fish per unit area than did the seining methods. The meter square drop trap offered the additional advantages of a greater number of animals per unit effort and an integrated sample of vegetation, macroinvertebrates and fish in a given area. A 90% (SD = 7.4%) recovery of tagged fish release into the traps in different habitats showed the m2 drop trap to be a highly reliable and effective sampling method for fish in vegetated wetlands.