What environmental conditions reduce predation vulnerability for juvenile Colorado River native fishes

The incompatibility of native Colorado River fishes and nonnative warm-water sport fishes is well documented with predation by nonnative species causing rapid declines and even extirpation of native species in most locations. In a few rare instances native fishes can survive and recruit despite the presence of nonnative warm-water predators, indicating that specific environmental conditions may help reduce predation vulnerability. We experimented with turbidity, artificial blue water colorant (pond treatment), woody debris, rocks, and aquatic vegetation in a laboratory setting to determine if any of these types of cover could reduce predation vulnerability and confer survival advantages for juvenile bonytail Gila elegans, (mean = 70 mm total length, TL), roundtail chub Gila robusta, (mean = 35 mm TL), humpback chub Gila cypha, (mean = 67 mm TL), and razorback sucker Xyrauchen texanus (mean = 74 mm TL). Selected species of Juvenile native fishes were exposed to predation by adult largemouth bass Micropteru...