Laboratory of North American Fish Ecology





David Heins David C. Heins
Ph.D, Biology, Tulane University, 1979

Professor
Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Boggs 400 • Tulane University • New Orleans, LA 70118-5698
Phone: (504) 865-5191 • Fax: (504) 862-8706
Ecology and Life-History Evolution of Fishes, Host-Parasite Relationships

E-mail Dr. Heins     








Description of Research

Research in my laboratory focuses on the life histories and evolutionary ecologies of fishes in North America. The investigations involve the testing of hypotheses using quantitative data derived from both field and laboratory research and a combination of modeling and statistical methods.

There are three major geographical regions where the field work for most of my projects is being conducted. One is along the northern Gulf Coastal Plain from Texas to Florida. The second geographical area is the southwestern United States, and the third one in which I am conducting research is the south-central region of Alaska including the Matanuska-Susitna Valley and the Kenai Peninsula. Studies along the Gulf Coastal Plain focus on the populations of minnows and darters inhabiting the steams that drain the landscapes there. In addition, I am conducting research on the host-parasite relationships of killifishes from estuaries of the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Research in the southwestern United States focuses on pupfishes. Work in Alaska emphasizes populations of the threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, that live in lakes of the Matanuska-Susitna Valley and the Kenai Peninsula.


Darters and Minnows of the Northern Gulf Coastal Plain

There are two major types of studies involved in the research on darters and minnows. One group of studies includes investigations of their life histories. Biological traits of interest include clutch size, egg size, reproductive effort, size and/or age of maturity, and longevity. We are interested in the patterns of variation in these traits and their causal mechanisms. Emphases of these studies include historical constraints on evolution from ancestry, adaptive responses due to natural selection, and immediate influences of environmental factors on phenotypic plasticity.

The second group of studies involves a series of collaborative projects on the ecomorphology of the blacktail shiner, Cyprinella venusta. The research involves the study of variation in body shape and size within and among populations and seeks to understand how and why differences in these traits occur among the different biological forms. These studies employ the methods of the emerging field of geometric morphometrics which is a sophisticated set of procedures allowing the description of shape and size variation. At present, we are studying shape and size differences in the blacktail shiner that are associated with ontogeny, sexual dimorphism, and stream flow.

Haas, T. C., M. J. Blum, and D. C. Heins. 2010. Morphological responses of a stream fish to water impoundment.  Biology Letters 6: 803-806.


Threespine Stickleback of South-Central Alaska

Research on the threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus,s involves collaborative research with John Baker and Susan Foster of Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. We are pursuing two main avenues of study. One is the life-history evolution of the threespine stickleback and the other is the host-parasite relationship between the threespine stickleback and the cestode parasite Schistocephalus solidus. Our studies of life-history evolution in stickleback focus on variations in clutch size, egg size, and reproductive effort and seek to elucidate the evolutionary factors that have resulted in the patterns we have observed. Our studies on the host-parasite relationship seek an understanding of how the parasite affects the reproductive traits of stickleback in different populations, and they extend to understanding how differences among host populations affect outcomes for the parasite.

Baker, J. A., D. C. HeinsR. W. King, and S. A. Foster.  2011.  Rapid shifts in multiple life-history traits in a population of threespine stickleback.  Journal of Evolutionary Biology 24: 863-870.

Heins, D. C., J. A. Baker, M. A. Toups, and E. L. Birden. 2010. Evolutionary significance of fecundity reduction in threespine stickleback infected by the diphyllobothriidean cestode Schistocephalus solidus Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 100: 835-846.


Pupfishes of the Southwestern United States

A new area of research in the lab is the study of life history diversity of pupfishes (Cyprinodon) of the southwestern United States. This research is being conducted in collaboration with Alice and Anthony Echelle of Oklahoma State University.

Lee, J.S., D.C. Heins, A.F. Echelle, and A.A. Echelle. 2014. Annual ovarian cycle and other reproductive traits of female red river pupfish (Cyprinodon rubrofluviatilis) in the Red River drainage of Texas. Southwestern Natrualist 59: 9-14.

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Publications

Articles and Chapters

Aguirre, W.E, K. Reid, J. Rivera, D. C. Heins, K. R. Veeramah, and M. A. Bell.  2022.  Freshwater colonization, adaptation, and genomic divergence in threespine stickleback.  Integrative and Comparative Biology   icac071.  https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icac071

Heins D.C.
& Brown-Peterson N.J.  2022.  The reproductive biology of small fishes and the clutch concept: Combining macroscopic and histological approaches.  Aquaculture Fish and Fisheries  1–12.  https://doi.org/10.1002/aff2.49

Piecyk A, Hahn MA, Roth O, Dheilly NM, Heins DC, Bell MA, Kalbe M. 2021. Cross-continental experimental infections reveal distinct defence mechanisms in populations of the three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 288: 20211758.

Haas, T. C., G. Derryberry, D. C. Heins, and M. J. Blum.  2021.  Chronosequence of morphological change in a stream fish following impoundment.  Freshwater Biology  66: 1721-1735


Kingman, G. A. R., D. N. Vyas, F. C. Jones, S. D. Brady, H. I. Chen, K. Reid, M. Milhaven, T. S. Bertino, W. E. Aguirre, D. C. Heins, F. A. von Hippel, P. J. Park, M. Kirch, D. M. Absher, R. M. Myers, F. D. Palma, M. A. Bell, D. M. Kingsley, K. R. Veeramah.  2021.  Predicting future from past: The genomic basis of recurrent and rapid stickleback evolution.  Science Advances  7: eabg5285

Heins, D. C.  2020.  Inter-annual variation of exogenous cues influences reproductive phenology of the Longnose Shiner Notropis longirostrisSoutheastern Naturalist. 19: 553-566

Heins, D. C.  2020.  Reproductive seasonality and life history traits of the Coastal Darter Etheostoma colorosum (Pisces: Percidae) from the Escambia River drainage of Florida.  Southeastern Naturalist. 19: 339-346. 

Heins, D.C.
2019. Life history variation within and among populations of the ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) in Alaska: lake-stream contrasts.  American Midland Naturalist.  182: 228-238.

Heins, D. C.
, R. Pashkin, and J. Malcolm Pierson.  2019.  Reproductive season, fecundity, and ovum size of the skygazer shiner, Notropis uranoscopus, in Alabama.  American Midland Naturalist. 182: 260-264.

Baker, J.A., D.C. Heins and J.E. Baum (née Arkin). 2019. Trajectory and rate of change in female life-history traits following colonization of a freshwater, lacustrine environment by oceanic threespine stickleback. Evolutionary Ecology Research
. 20: 247-263.

Strobel, H.M., S.J. Hays, K.N. Moody, M.J. Blum, and
D.C. Heins.  2019.  Estimating effective population size for a cestode parasite infecting three-spined sticklebacks.  Parasitology.  
146: 883-896.

Heins
, D.C.
, K.N. Moody and S. Miller. 2019. Are solo infections of the diphylloborthriidean cestode Schistocephalus solidus more virulent than multiple infections? Parasitology  146: 97-104.


Heins, D.C., J.A. Baker. 2018. Streamflow environment predicts divergent life history phenotypes among populations of the Blacktail Shiner Cyprinella venusta: Temporal stability of a large-scale pattern. Ecology of Freshwater Fish  27: 453-459.

Heins
, D.C. 2017. The cestode parasite Schistocephalus pungitii: castrator or nutrient thief of ninespine stickleback fish? Parasitology  144: 834-840.

Gagne, R.B., D.C. Heins, P.B. McIntyre, J.F. Gilliam and M.J. Blum. 2016. Mutual dilution of infection by an introduced parasite in native and invasive stream fishes across Hawaii. Parasitology  143: 1605-1614.

Strobel, H., F. Alda, C.G. Sprehn, M.J. Blum and D.C. Heins. 2016. Geographic and host-mediated population genetic structure in a cestode parasite of three-spined stickleback. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society  119: 381-396.

Bell, M.A., D.C. Heins, M.A. Wund, F.A. von Hippel, R. Massengill, K. Dunker, G.A. Bristow and W.E. Aguirre. 2016. Reintroduction of threespine stickleback into Cheney and Scout Lakes, Alaska. Evolutionary Ecology Research  17: 157-178.

Kurz, M.L., D.C. Heins, M.A. Bell and F.A. von Hippel. 2016. Shifts in life-history traits of two introduced populations of threespine stickleback. Evolutionary Ecology Research  17: 225-242.

Heins
, D.C., H. Knoper and J.A. Baker. 2016. Consumptive and non-consumptive effects of predation by introduced northern pike on life history traits in threespine stickleback. Evolutionary Ecology Research  17: 355-372.

Heins, D.C., D. M. Eidam, J. A. Baker. 2016. Timing of infections in the threespine stickleback by Schistocephalus solidus in Alaska. Journal of Parasitology  102: 286-289.

Baker, J.A., M.A. Wund, D.C. Heins, R.W. King, M. Reyes, and S.A. Foster. 2015. Life-history plasticity in female threespine stickleback. Heredity  115
: 322-334.

Sprehn, C.G., M.J. Blum, T.P. Quinn and D.C. Heins. 2015. Landscape genetics of Schistocephalus solidus parasites in threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) from Alaska. PLoS ONE  10: e0122307. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0122307.

Haas, T., D. C. Heins, and M. J. Blum. 2015. Predictors of body shape among populations of stream fish (Cyprinella venusta, Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society  115: 842-858.

Heins, D.C.
, K. A. Barry and L. A. Petrauskas. 2014. Consistency of host responses to parasitic infection in the three-spined stickleback fish infected by the diphyllobothriidean cestode Schistocephalus solidus. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society  113: 958-968.


Heins, D.C. and J. A. Baker. 2014. Fecundity compensation and fecundity reduction among populations of the three-spined stickleback infected by Schistocephalus solidus in Alaska. Parasitology  141: 1088-1096.

Lee, J.S., D. C. Heins, A.F. Echelle, and A.A. Echelle. 2014. Annual ovarian cycle and other reproductive traits of female red river pupfish (Cyprinodon rubrofluviatilis) in the Red River drainage of Texas. Southwestern Natrualist  59: 9-14.

Baker, J.A., L.A. Aucken, D.C. Heins, R.W. King, and S.A. Foster. 2013. The implications of pelvic reduction in threespine stickleback for long-term persistence of populations within the Cook Inlet region of Alaska. Evolutionary Ecology Research  15: 313-330.

Hughley, M. C.,
D. C. Heins, H. L. Jelks, B. A. Ory and F. Jordan. 2012. Variation in reproductive life history traits between two populations of blackbanded darters (Percina nigrofasciata). Copeia  2012: 714-721.

Heins, D. C.  2012. Fecundity compensation in the three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus infected by the diphyllobothriidean cestode Schistocephalus solidus. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society  106: 807-819.

Heins, D.C. 2012. A research programme in fish ecology leads to a supermodel: a tribute to Professor Robert J. Wootton. Ecology of Freshwater Fish  21: 323-324.

Heins, D. C. and J. K. Ecke.  2012. The rise and fall of an epizootic of the diphyllobothriidean cestode Schistocephalus pungitii infecting the ninespine stickleback. Journal of Parasitology  98: 1-5.

Heins, D. C. and J. A. Baker. 2011. Do heavy burdens of Schistocephalus solidus in juvenile threespine stickleback result in a disaster for the parasite? Journal of Parasitology  97: 775-778.

Nishimura, N., D. C. Heins, R. O. Andersen, I. Barber, and W. A. Cresko. 2011. Distinct lineages of Schistocephalus parasites in threespine and ninespine stickleback hosts revealed by DNA sequence analysis. PLoS ONE  6(7): e22505. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0022505.

Heins, D. C., J. A. Baker, D, M. Green. 2011. Processes influencing the duration and decline of epizootics in Schistocephalus solidus. Journal of Parasitology  97: 371-376.

Baker, J. A., D. C. Heins, R. W. King, S. A. Foster. 2011.  Rapid shifts in multiple life history traits in a population of threespine stickleback. Journal of Evolutionary Biology  24: 863-870.

Haas, T. C., M. J. Blum, and D. C. Heins. 2010. Morphological responses of a stream fish to water impoundment.  Biology Letters  6: 803-806.

Heins, D. C., E. L. Birden, and J. A. Baker. 2010. Host mortality and variability in epizootics of Schistocephalus solidus infecting the threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus. Parasitology  137: 1681–1686.

Heins, D. C., J. A. Baker, M. A. Toups, and E. L. Birden. 2010. Evolutionary significance of fecundity reduction in threespine stickleback infected by the diphyllobothriidean cestode Schistocephalus solidus.  Biological Journal of the Linnean Society  100: 835-846.

Heins, D. C. and N. J. Brown-Peterson. 2010. Influence of the pseudophyllidean cestode Schistocephalus solidus on oocyte development in the threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus. Parasitology  137: 1151-1158.

Heins, D. C. and J. A. Baker. 2010. Castration of female ninespine stickleback by the pseudophyllidean cestode Schistocephalus pungitii: evolutionary significance and underlying mechanism. Journal of Parasitology  96: 206–208.

Brown-Peterson, N. and D. C. Heins. 2009. Interspawning interval of wild female threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus in Alaska. Journal of Fish Biology   74: 2299-2312.

Heins, D.C. and J. A. Baker. 2008. The stickleback-Schistocephalus host-parasite system as a model for understanding the effect of a macroparasite on host reproduction. Behaviour  145: 625-645 .

Baker, J. A., D. C. Heins, S. A. Foster and R.W. King. 2008. An overview of life-history variation in female threespine stickleback. Behaviour  145: 579-602.

Schultz, E., M. Topper, and D. C. Heins. 2006. Decreased reproductive investment of female threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus infected with the cestode Schistocephalus solidus: parasite adaptation, host adaptation, or side effect? Oikos  114: 303-310.

Heins, D. C., J. A. Baker, G. De Silva, and E. L. Birden. 2005. Clutch characteristics of two populations of ninespine stickleback from south-central Alaska. Journal of Fish Biology  67: 873-878.

Baker, J. A., W. A. Cresko, S. A. Foster, and D. C. Heins. 2005. Life history differentiation of benthic and limnetic ecotypes in a polytypic population of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Evolutionary Ecology Research  7: 121-131.

Heins, D. C., B. Ulinski, J. Johnson, and J. A. Baker. 2004. Effect of the cestode macroparasite Schistocephalus pungitii on the reproductive success of ninespine stickleback Pungitius pungitius. Canadian Journal of Zoology  82: 1731-1737.

Heins, D. C., J. A. Baker, and J. M. Guill. 2004. Seasonal and interannual components of intrapopulational variation in clutch size and egg size of a darter. Ecology of Freshwater Fish  13: 258-265.

Bagamian, K. H., D. C. Heins. and J. A. Baker. 2004. Body condition and reproduction capacity of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) infected with the cestode macroparastie Schistocephalus solidus. Journal of Fish Biology  64: 1568-1576.

Heins, D. C., J. M. Johnson and J. A. Baker. 2003. Reproductive ecology of the ninespine stickleback Pungitius pungitius (Linnaeus) from South-Central Alaska. Journal of Fish Biology  63: 1131-1143.

Joachim, R. D., J. M. Guill, and D. C. Heins. 2003. Female reproductive life-history traits of the rock darter, Etheostoma rupestre, from Flat Creek Alabama. American Midland Naturalist  150: 268-274.

Guill, J. M., D. C. Heins. and C. S. Hood. 2003. Phylogeny and body shape variation in darters. Systematic Biology  52: 488-500.

Guill, J. M., C. S. Hood and D. C. Heins. 2003 Body shape variation within and among three species of darters (Perciformes: Percidae). Ecology of Freshwater Fish  12: 134-140.

Heins, D. C. and J. A. Baker. 2003. Reduction of egg size in natural populations of threespine stickleback infected with a cestode macroparasite. Journal of Parasitology  89: 1-6.

Heins, D. C., J. A. Baker, and H. C. Martin. 2002. The "crowding effect" in the cestode Schistocephalus solidus: density-dependent effects on plerocercoid size and infectivity. Journal of Parasitology  88: 302-307.

Machado, M. D., D. C. Heins., and H. L. Bart, Jr. 2002. Microgeographical variation in ovum size of the blacktail shiner, Cyprinella venusta Girard, in relation to streamflow. Ecology of Freshwater Fish  11: 11-19.

Heins, D. C. 2001. Variation in clutch size and ovum size of the snubnose darter, Etheostoma simoterum (Cope), from two populations in Tennessee. American Midland Naturalist  145: 74-79.

Hood, C. S. and D. C. Heins. 2000. Ontogeny and allometry of body shape in the blacktail shiner, Cyprinella venusta. Copeia  2000: 270-275.

Guill, J. M. and D. C. Heins. 2000. Interannual variation in clutch and egg size of the banded darter, Etheostoma zonale. Copeia  2000: 230-233.

Heins, D. C. , S. S. Singer and J. A. Baker. 1999. Virulence of the cestode Schistocephalus solidus and reproduction in infected threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus. Canadian Journal of Zoology  77: 1967-1974.

Heins, D. C. and J. A. Baker. 1999. Evaluation of ovum storage techniques for reproductive studies of fishes. Ecology of Freshwater Fish  8: 65-69.

Baker, J. A., S. A. Foster, D. C. Heins., M. A. Bell and R. W. King. 1998. Variation in female life-history traits among Alaskan populations of the threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, L. (Pisces: Gasterosteidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society  63:141-159.

Heins, D. C., J. A. Baker and D. J. Tylicki. 1996. Reproductive season, clutch size and egg size of the rainbow darter, Etheostoma caeruleum, from the Homochitto River, Mississippi, with an evaluation of data from the literature. Copeia  1996: 1005-1010.

Guill, J. M. and D. C. Heins. 1996. Clutch size and egg size variation in the banded darter, Etheostoma zonale, from three sites in Arkansas. Environmental Biology of Fishes  46: 409-413.

Heins, D. C., J. A. Baker, R. W. King, and K. Lahti. 1995. Evaluation of ovum fixation and storage in three-spined stickleback. Journal of Fish Biology  47: 923-925.

Baker, J. A., and D. C. Heins. 1994. Reproductive life history of the North American madtom catfish, Noturus hildebrandi (Bailey & Taylor 1950), with a review of data for the genus. Ecology of Freshwater Fish  3: 167-175.

Baker, J. A., and D. C. Heins. 1994. Effect of drying temperature on weight estimates for oocytes and eggs of the brighteye darter, Etheostoma lynceum. Copeia  1994: 821-823.

Heins, D. C., and J. A. Baker. 1993. Clutch production in the darter Etheostoma lynceum Hay and its implications for life-history study. Journal of Fish Biology  42: 819-829.

Heins, D. C., and J. A. Baker. 1993. Reproductive biology of the brighteye darter, Etheostoma lynceum, from the Homochitto River, Mississippi. Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters  4: 11-20.

Heins, D. C., and M. D. Machado. 1993. Spawning season, clutch characteristics, sexual dimorphism and sex ratio in the redfin darter Etheostoma whipplei. American Midland Naturalist  129: 161-171.

Ross, S. T., D. C. Heins., and J. W. Burris. 1992. Fishes of Okatoma Creek, a free-flowing stream in south-central Mississippi. Proceedings of the Southeastern Fishes Council  26: 2-10.

Heins, D. C., and J. A. Baker. 1992. Historical and recent influences on reproduction in North American stream fishes, p. 573-599. In: R. L. Mayden (ed.). Systematics, Historical Ecology, and North American Freshwater Fishes. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California.

Heins, D. C., J. A. Baker, and W. P. Dunlap. 1992. Yolk loading in oocytes of darters and its consequences for life-history study. Copeia  1992: 404-412.

Heins, D. C. 1991. Variation in reproductive investment among populations of the longnose shiner, Notropis longirostris, from contrasting environments. Copeia  1991: 736-744.

Parrish, J. D., D. C. Heins., and J. A. Baker. 1991 Reproductive season, clutch parameters and oocyte size of the Johnny darter Etheostoma nigrum from southwestern Mississippi. American Midland Naturalist  125: 180-186.

Heins, D. C. 1990. Field evidence for multiple clutches in the longnose shiner. Copeia  1990: 579-582.

Heins, D. C. 1990. Mating behaviors of the blacktail shiner, Cyprinella venusta, from southeastern Mississippi. Proceedings of the Southeastern Fishes Council  21: 5-7.

Heins, D. C., and J. A. Baker. 1989. Growth, population structure, and reproduction of the percid fish Percina vigil. Copeia  1989: 727-736.

Heins, D. C., and F. G. Rabito, Jr. 1988. Reproductive traits in populations of the weed shiner, Notropis texanus, from the Gulf Coastal Plain. Southwestern Naturalist  33: 147-156.

Heins, D. C., and J. A. Baker. 1988. Egg sizes in fishes: Do mature oocytes accurately demonstrate size statistics of ripe ova? Copeia  1988: 238-240.

Heins, D. C., and J. A. Baker. 1987. Analysis of factors associated with intraspecific variation in propagule size of a stream-dwelling fish, p. 223-231. In: W. J. Matthews and D. C. Heins (eds.). Community and Evolutionary Ecology of North American Stream Fishes. Univ. Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma.

Heins, D. C., and W. J. Matthews. 1987. Historical perspectives on the study of the community and evolutionary ecology of North American stream fishes, p. 3-7. In: W. J. Matthews and D. C. Heins (eds.). Community and Evolutionary Ecology of North American Stream Fishes. Univ. Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma.

Heins, D. C., and D. R. Dorsett. 1986. Reproductive traits of the blacktail shiner, Notropis venustus (Girard), in southeastern Mississippi. Southwestern Naturalist  31: 185-189.

Heins, D. C., and F. G. Rabito, Jr. 1986. Spawning performance in North American minnows: direct evidence of the occurrence of multiple clutches in the genus Notropis. Journal of Fish Biology  28: 343-357.

Rabito, F. G., Jr., and D. C. Heins. 1985. Spawning behaviour and sexual dimorphism in the North American cyprinid fish Notropis leedsi, the bannerfin shiner. Journal of Natural History  19: 1155-1163.

Heins, D. C. 1985. Life history traits of the Florida sand darter Ammocrypta bifascia, and comparisons with the naked sand darter Ammocrypta beani. American Midland Naturalist  113: 209-216.

Heins, D. C., and J. R. Rooks. 1984. Life history of the naked sand darter, Ammocrypta beani, in southeastern Mississippi, p. 61-69. In: D. G. Lindquist and L. M. Page (eds.). Environmental Biology of Darters. Dev. Env. Biol. Fish. 4, Dr. W. Junk Publishers, The Hague, The Netherlands.

Matthews, M. M., and D. C. Heins. 1984. Life history of the redfin shiner, Notropis umbratilis (Pisces: Cyprinidae), in Mississippi. Copeia  1984: 385-390.

Heins, D. C. and D. Davis. 1984. The reproductive season of the weed shiner, Notropis texanus (Pisces: Cyprinidae), in southeastern Mississippi. Southwestern Naturalist  29: 133-135.

Heins, D. C. 1981. Life history pattern of Notropis sabinae (Pisces: Cyprinidae) in the lower Sabine River drainage of Louisiana and Texas. Tulane Studies in Zoology Botany  22: 67-84.

Heins, D. C., G. E. Gunning, and J. D. Williams. 1980. Reproduction and population structure of an undescribed species of Notropis (Pisces: Cyprinidae) from the Mobile Bay drainage, Alabama. Copeia  1980: 822-830.

Bresnick, G. I., and D. C. Heins. 1977. The age and growth of the weed shiner, Notropis texanus (Girard). American Midland Naturalist  98: 491-495.

Heins, D. C., and G. H. Clemmer. 1976. The reproductive biology, age and growth of the North American cyprinid, Notropis longirostris (Hay). Journal of Fish Biology  8: 365-379.

Heins, D. C., and G. H. Clemmer. 1975. Ecology, foods and feeding of the longnose shiner, Notropis longirostris (Hay), in Mississippi. American Midland Naturalist  94: 284-295.

Heins, D. C., and G. I. Bresnick. 1975. The ecological life history of the cherryfin shiner, Notropis roseipinnis. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society  104: 516-523.


Book

Matthews, W. J., and D. C. Heins (eds.). 1987. Community and Evolutionary Ecology of North American Stream Fishes. Univ. Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma. 310 p.


Laboratory of North American Fish Ecology Publications

Student Publications - Undergraduate


Heins, D. C., R. Pashkin, and J. Malcolm Pierson.  2019.  Reproductive season, fecundity, and ovum size of the skygazer shiner, Notropis uranoscopus, in Alabama.  American Midland Naturalist. 182: 260-264.

Baker, J.A., D.C. Heins and J.E. Baum (née Arkin). 2019. Trajectory and rate of change in female life-history traits following colonization of a freshwater, lacustrine environment by oceanic threespine stickleback. Evolutionary Ecology Research
. 20: 247-263.

Strobel, H.M., S.J. Hays, K.N. Moody, M.J. Blum, and D.C. HeinsEstimating effective population size for a cestode parasite infecting three-spined sticklebacks.  Parasitology. 146: 883-896.

Heins
, D.C.
, K.N. Moody and S. Miller. 2019. Are solo infections of the diphylloborthriidean cestode Schistocephalus solidus more virulent than multiple infections? Parasitology  146: 97-104.

Strobel, H., F. Alda, C.G. Sprehn, M.J. Blum and D.C. Heins. 2016. Geographic and host-mediated population genetic structure in a cestode parasite of three-spined stickleback. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society  119: 381-396.

Kurz, M.L., D.C. Heins, M. A. Bell and F.A. von Hippel. 2016. Shifts in life-history traits of two introduced populations of threespine stickleback. Evolutionary Ecology Research  17: 225-242.

Heins, D.C., H. Knoper and J.A. Baker. 2016. Consumptive and non-consumptive effects of predation by introduced northern pike on life history traits in threespine stickleback. Evolutionary Ecology Research  17: 355-372.

Heins, D. C., K. A. Barry and L. A. Petrauskas. 2014. Consistency of host responses to parasitic infection in the three-spined stickleback fish infected by the diphyllobothriidean cestode Schistocephalus solidus. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 113: 958-968.

Lee, J.S., D.C. Heins, A.F. Echelle, and A.A. Echelle. 2014. Annual ovarian cycle and other reproductive traits of female red river pupfish (Cyprinodon rubrofluviatilis) in the Red River drainage of Texas. Southwestern Natrualist  59: 9-14.

Hughley, M. C., Heins, D. C., Jelks, H. L., Ory, B. A., Jordan, F. 2012. Variation in reproductive life history traits between two populations of blackbanded darters (Percina nigrofasciata). Copeia  2012: 714-721.

Heins, D. C. and J. K. Ecke.  2012. The rise and fall of an epizootic of the diphyllobothriidean cestode Schistocephalus pungitii infecting the ninespine stickleback. Journal of Parasitology  98: 1-5.

Heins, D. C.J. A. Baker, and D. M. Green.  2011.  Processes influencing the duration and decline of epizootics in Schistocephalus solidus Journal of Parasitology  97:371-376.

Heins, D. C., J. A. Baker, M. A. Toups, and E. L. Birden. 2010. Evolutionary significance of fecundity reduction in threespine stickleback infected by the diphyllobothriidean cestode Schistocephalus solidus Biological Journal of the Linnean Society  100: 835-846.

Heins, D. C., J. A. Baker, G. De Silva, and E. L. Birden. 2005. Clutch characteristics of two populations of ninespine stickleback from south-central Alaska. Journal of Fish Biology  67: 873-878.

Heins, D. C., B. Ulinski, J. Johnson, and J. A. Baker. 2004. Effect of the cestode macroparasite Schistocephalus pungitii on the reproductive success of ninespine stickleback Pungitius pungitius. Canadian Journal of Zoology  82: 1731-1737.

Bagamian, K. H., D. C. Heins and J. A. Baker. 2004. Body condition and reproductive capacity of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) infected with the cestode macroparasite Schistocephalus solidus. Journal of Fish Biology  64: 1568-1576.

Heins, D. C., J. M. Johnson and J. A Baker. 2003. Reproductive ecology of the ninespine stickleback Pungitius pungitus (Linnaeus) from South-Central Alaska. Journal of Fish Biology  63: 1131-1143.

Joachim, R. D., J. M. Guill, and D. C. Heins, 2003. Female reproductive life-history traits of the rock darter, Etheostoma rupestre, from Flat Creek Alabama. American Midland Naturalist  150: 268-274.

Heins, D. C., J. A. Baker, and H. C. Martin. 2002. The "crowding effect" in the cestode Schistocephalus solidus: density-dependent effects on plerocercoid size and infectivity. Journal of Parasitology  88: 302-307.

Heins, D. C., S. S. Singer and J. A. Baker. 2000. Virulence of the cestode Schistocephalus solidus and reproduction in infected threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus. Canadian Journal of Zoology  77: 1967-1974.

Heins, D. C., J. A. Baker and D. J. Tylicki. 1996. Reproductive season, clutch size and egg size of the rainbow darter, Etheostoma caeruleum, from the Homochitto River, Mississippi, with an evaluation of data from the literature. Copeia  1996: 1005-1010.

Heins, D. C., J. A. Baker, R. W. King, and K. Lahti. 1995. Evaluation of ovum fixation and storage in three-spined stickleback. Journal of Fish Biology  47: 923-925.

Heins, D. C., and M. D. Machado. 1993. Spawning season, clutch characteristics, sexual dimorphism and sex ratio in the redfin darter Etheostoma whipplei. American Midland Naturalist  129: 161-171.

Parrish, J. D., D. C. Heins, and J. A. Baker. 1991 Reproductive season, clutch parameters and oocyte size of the Johnny darter Etheostoma nigrum from southwestern Mississippi. American Midland Naturalist  125: 180-186.

Heins, D. C., and F. G. Rabito, Jr. 1988. Reproductive traits in populations of the weed shiner, Notropis texanus, from the Gulf Coastal Plain. Southwestern Naturalist  33: 147-156.

Heins, D. C., and F. G. Rabito, Jr. 1986. Spawning performance in North American minnows: direct evidence of the occurrence of multiple clutches in the genus Notropis. Journal of Fish Biology  28: 343-357.

Rabito, F. G., Jr., and D. C. Heins. 1985. Spawning behaviour and sexual dimorphism in the North American cyprinid fish Notropis leedsi, the bannerfin shiner. Journal of Natural History  19: 1155-1163.


Student Publications - Graduate

Haas, T. C., G. Derryberry, D. C. Heins, and M. J. Blum.  2021.  Chronosequence of morphological change in a stream fish following impoundment.  Freshwater Biology  66: 1721-1735

Gagne, R.B., D.C. Heins, P.B. McIntyre, J.F. Gilliam and M.J. Blum. 2016. Mutual dilution of infection by an introduced parasite in native and invasive stream fishes across Hawaii. Parasitology  143: 1605-1614.

Strobel, H., F. Alda, C.G. Sprehn, M.J. Blum and D.C. Heins. 2016. Geographic and host-mediated population genetic structure in a cestode parasite of three-spined stickleback. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society  119: 381-396.

Heins, D.C., D. M. Eidam, J. A. Baker. 2016. Timing of infections in the threespine stickleback by Schistocephalus solidus in Alaska. Journal of Parasitology  102: 286-289.

Sprehn, C.G., M.J. Blum, T.P. Quinn and D.C. Heins. 2015. Landscape genetics of Schistocephalus solidus parasites in threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) from Alaska. PLoS ONE  10: e0122307. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0122307.

Haas, T., D. C. Heins, and M. J. Blum. 2015. Predictors of body shape among populations of stream fish (Cyprinella venusta, Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society  115: 842-858.

Heins, D. C., E. L. Birden, and J. A. Baker. 2010. Host mortality and variability in epizootics of Schistocephalus solidus infecting the threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus.  Parasitology  137: 1681–1686.

Haas, T. C., M. J. Blum, and D. C. Heins. 2010. Morphological responses of a stream fish to water impoundment.  Biology Letters  6: 803-806.

Heins, D. C., J. A. Baker, and J. M. Guill. 2004. Seasonal and interannual components of intrapopulational variation in clutch size and egg size of a darter. Ecology of Freshwater Fish  13: 258-265.

Joachim, R. D., J. M. Guill, and D. C. Heins, 2003. Female reproductive life-history traits of the rock darter, Etheostoma rupestre, from Flat Creek Alabama. American Midland Naturalist  150: 268-274.

Guill, J. M., D. C. Heins and C. S. Hood. 2003. Phylogeny and body shape variation in darters. Systematic Biology  52: 488-500.

Guill, J. M., C. S. Hood and D. C. Heins. 2003 Body shape variation within and among three species of darters (Perciformes: Percidae). Ecology of Freshwater Fish  12: 134-140.

Machado, M. D., D. C. Heins, and H. L. Bart, Jr. 2002. Microgeographic variation in ovum size of the blacktail shiner, Cyprinella venusta Girard, in relation to streamflow. Ecology of Freshwater Fish  11: 11-19.

Guill, J. M. and D. C. Heins. 2000. Interannual variation in clutch and egg size of the banded darter, Etheostoma zonale. Copeia  2000: 270-275.

Guill, J. M. and D. C. Heins. 1996. Clutch size and egg size variation in the banded darter, Etheostoma zonale, from three sites in Arkansas. Environmental Biology of Fishes  46: 409-413.



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