Is adult translocation a credible way to accelerate the recolonization process of Chondrostoma nasus in a rehabilitated river?

The decline of the patrimonial rheophilic nase, Chondrostoma nasus (Linnaeus, 1758) populations was mainly caused by construction of dams and hydroelectric power-plants, together with the straightening and artificialization of the river banks and water pollution. In this study, we tested the hypothesis whether the translocation of few adult nase individuals from a river stretch to another upstream may be a credible way to accelerate the recolonization process of the species in the Amblève River (Southern Belgium). In February and March 2011,
just before their spawning period, eight adult nases (462-509 mm; 1546-2002 g; presumed males and females) were captured in the lower part of the River Amblève. Fin clip samples were stored in alcohol for further genetic analysis. They were equipped with a 14 g radio transmitter and translocated upstream in a 18 km river stretch, where the species had disappeared since decades due to river anthropization. They were manually located two to five times/week using mobile receivers until maximum June 2012 (n = 977 locations). River temperature and flow were hourly recorded during the entire tracking period. The tagged nase individuals displayed various mobility patterns, exploited different areas of the river stretch, occupied longitudinal home ranges from 3.4 to 36.1 km (one individual finally left the new river stretch) and travelled total distances from 12.2 to 186.6 km. The tagged individuals were most of the times apart from one to another, but most individuals grouped together in potential spawning areas in late March-early April 2011, suggesting an attempt to reproduce. In September 2011, electric fishing in two potential detected spawning sites allowed to capture 16 juvenile (0+) nases, demonstrating
the existence of spawning activity in the newly occupied river stretch. Individual genetic characterization was performed in 2014 in order to reveal a possible direct lineage between juveniles and adults. Allelic distribution of 22 microsatellite markers unambiguously identified the 16 juveniles as full-sib progeny descending from two of the translocated adults. This demonstrated that the adult nases succeeded to find spawning areas and that progeny found raised-up from the translocated individuals.