Population Dynamics of Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) and Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) in Lake St. Clair, Especially During 1970–76

1977 ◽  
Vol 34 (10) ◽  
pp. 1869-1877 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Drainage Basin ◽  
Age Distribution ◽  
Perca Flavescens ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Commercial Fishing ◽  
Stizostedion Vitreum ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
The 1960S

The fish community in Lake St. Clair has remained fairly stable over the past century despite extensive shoreline modifications, a tenfold increase in population in the drainage area, and exploitation from commercial and recreational fisheries. The lake is productive because of its shallowness and fertile drainage basin. The flushing action of clean water from Lake Huron has restrained deterioration of habitat from euthrophication in most areas.Annual commercial fishery landings of walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) in the 1960s were five times greater than in the previous 50 yr. The larger catches were due, in part, to increased effort, but also reflect a real increase in the walleye population. In contrast, the sauger (S. canadense) declined in abundance through the 1950s and disappeared from commercial landings in the early 1960s. As commercial fishing in Ontario waters of Lake St. Clair was banned in 1970 due to the discovery of high concentrations of mercury in fishes, information on the percid populations was restricted to that obtained from index fishing. Between 1970 and 1976, in association with weak year-classes, the mean age of walleye increased from 2.9 to 5.8 yr. Direct correlations between year-class strength and environmental factors were not evident from the available data. Fishing pressure was reduced considerably after 1970 and is not considered to be an important factor in the low recruitment. The yellow perch (Perca flavescens) population showed no evidence of a change in age distribution during the 1970–76 period. The reasons for the reduction in walleye recruitment after 1970 are not clear, but it is possible that the succession of strong year-classes in the 1960s was exceptional and that the recruitment in the 1970s is closer to the normal condition for walleyes in Lake St. Clair. Key words: Percidae, Lake St. Clair percids, Stizostedion, Perca, population dynamics, exploitation, community ecology

Percids in the Canadian Waters of Lake Huron

1977 ◽  
Vol 34 (10) ◽  
pp. 1839-1848 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. R. Spangler ◽  
N. R. Payne ◽  
G. K. Winterton
Keyword(s):  
Population Biology ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Perca Flavescens ◽  
Lake Huron ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Commercial Fishing ◽  
Commercial Catch ◽  
The Past ◽  
The North ◽  
Class Strength

Percids have never dominated the commercial catch from Canadian waters of Lake Huron but coincident with declining salmonid production, they contributed about 17% of the commercial landings from 1940 to 1975. Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) production declined gradually over the past century whereas yellow perch (Perca flavescens) production increased irregularly since 1910.Walleye occur in relatively discrete stocks associated with rivers, inlets, and estuaries in the North Channel and Georgian Bay whereas southern Lake Huron stocks are seasonal residents of the southeastern rim of the main basin. Yellow perch are ubiquitous throughout the littoral waters of the lake. Growth rates of walleye are similar to those for more southerly populations in the Great Lakes and year-class strength is highly variable. Angling and commercial fishing contribute significantly to mortality rates in exploited stocks but deteriorating environmental conditions are probably more important to the persistence of walleye stocks in Lake Huron. At least one stock is presently threatened by industrial acidification of the watershed. Key words: Percidae, Lake Huron, production, population biology, Stizostedion, Perca

Responses of Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) and Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) Populations to Removal of White Sucker (Catostomus commersoni) from a Minnesota Lake, 1966

1977 ◽  
Vol 34 (10) ◽  
pp. 1633-1642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fritz H. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Species Interactions ◽  
Standing Crop ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Perca Flavescens ◽  
Food Competition ◽  
Community Response ◽  
Stizostedion Vitreum ◽  
Catostomus Commersoni ◽  
Young Of The Year ◽  
Fish Species Diversity

In a northeastern Minnesota lake subject only to sportfishing, removal of 85% of the estimated standing crop (34 kg/ha) of adult white suckers, Catostomus commersoni in 1966 was followed by marked changes in community structure and interrelations. During 7 yr alter the removal: catch indices for adult suckers remained far below those before the sucker removal but juvenile suckers increased about 17-fold; yellow perch, Perca flavescens, increased about 15-fold; walleye Stizostedion vitreum vitreum, standing crop increased about one-third; mayflies increased in diet of adult perch and smaller invertebrates decreased; micro-crustaceans increased in diet of young-of-the-year and juvenile perch; young-of-the-year perch increased in diet of adult walleye; walleye angling yield increased from an average of 3.0 kg/ha before the removal to an average of 4.9 kg/ha in 1970–73; the rate of exploitation of adult walleye did not change with increase in angling effort; and the increased walleye harvest consisted mostly of fish recruited to the catch during the fishing season. The average annual harvest of walleye in 1970–73 exceeded estimated potential production for all fish by 81.5% and probably cannot be sustained. Removal of white suckers from lakes with limited fish species diversity appears to benefit percid populations. Key words: Percidae, species interactions, (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum), Perca flavescens, Catostomus commersoni, harvests, community response, community ecology, food, competition

Dynamics of the Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) Population in Escanaba Lake, Wisconsin, 1955–72

1977 ◽  
Vol 34 (10) ◽  
pp. 1800-1811 ◽  
Author(s):  
James J. Kempinger ◽  
Robert F. Carline
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Total Mortality ◽  
Stizostedion Vitreum ◽  
Yield Model ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Size Limit ◽  
Equilibrium Yield ◽  
Class Strength ◽  
Warmwater Fish

Harvest and population dynamics of warmwater fish populations in Escanaba Lake have been under study since 1946, when complete creel census was initiated. Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) were among the most important species in the sport catch. The purpose of this report is to describe dynamics of the walleye population from 1955 to 1972.Annual densities of age 3 and older walleye in spring ranged from 13 to 52/ha (mean = 34) and standing crops averaged 12.3 kg/ha. Annual densities of fall fingerlings appeared to be the most important factor influencing size of adult populations. We were unable to isolate factors that governed densities of fall fingerlings. Year-class strength was not affected by water temperatures during incubation nor by size of fall fingerlings. Growth rates of fingerling walleye were density-independent. Survival of fingerlings to age 3 averaged 12% annually; survival was not influenced by size of fingerlings nor by density of potential predators. We found no evidence to suggest that cannibalism had any effect on density of fingerlings or their survival to age 3. Total mortality of adult walleye averaged 47% annually and exploitation rate was 28%. Ricker's (1975) equilibrium yield model was used to assess possible effects of a size limit on walleye yields. We concluded that a size limit would lead to an increase in population biomass, a decrease in growth, and that yields would not change greatly. Key words: Percidae, population dynamics, Stizostedion, harvest, abundance, density, regulations, survival, production, equilibrium yield, biomass

Bioenergetic Simulations of Mercury Uptake and Retention in Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) and Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens)

1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 217-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.C. Harris ◽  
W.J. Snodgrass
Keyword(s):  
Mercury Concentration ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Perca Flavescens ◽  
Mercury Accumulation ◽  
Stizostedion Vitreum ◽  
Food Uptake ◽  
Uptake Pathway ◽  
Mercury Uptake ◽  
Lake Waters

Abstract Bioenergetic models for mercury accumulation in walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) were calibrated on the basis of data which indicate that methylmercury concentrations in oxic, unpolluted lake waters are on the order of 0.04 to 0.40 ug m−3. This range reflects improved analytical capabilities in recent years and is significantly lower than earlier estimates on the order of 4 μg m−3. For both yellow perch and walleye, the calibrations of bioenergetics equations in this study strongly suggest that the food uptake pathway is dominant for methylmercury in oxic unpolluted freshwaters, in comparison to uptake across the gills. The food pathway is predicted to be responsible for 90% or more of methylmercury uptake in yellow perch and walleye in oxic freshwaters with methylmercury concentrations less than 0.3 to 0.4 μg m−3. As a result of the dominance of the food uptake pathway, mercury concentrations in fish were strongly influenced by the mercury concentration in the diet. A change in the source of the walleye diet from benthos to fish resulted in a significant increase in the rate of mercury accumulation. The calibrations resulted in a 5-year old yellow perch achieving a mercury concentration of 0.15–0.20 μg g−1, and a 4-year old, 1 kg walleye achieving a mercury concentration of about 0.45 μg g−1.

Predator-recognition training of hatchery-reared walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) and a field test of a training method using yellow perch (Perca flavescens)

2004 ◽  
Vol 61 (11) ◽  
pp. 2144-2150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian D Wisenden ◽  
Josh Klitzke ◽  
Ryan Nelson ◽  
David Friedl ◽  
Peter C Jacobson
Keyword(s):  
Predation Risk ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Perca Flavescens ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Stizostedion Vitreum ◽  
Alarm Cues ◽  
Predation Mortality ◽  
Chemical Alarm Cues ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Full Complement

Fishes reared in captivity are predator-naïve and suffer large predation mortality when stocked into lakes with a full complement of predators. We tested the potential of predator training to enhance post-stocking survival of hatchery-reared walleye (Stizostedion vitreum). In the first part of the study, we found that walleye (i) use chemical cues for assessing predation risk, (ii) do not have innate recognition of the odor of northern pike (Esox lucius) as an indicator of predation, and (iii) associate predation risk with pike odor after a single simultaneous encounter with pike odor and chemical alarm cues from walleye skin. In the second part of the study, we attempted to mass-train yellow perch, Perca flavescens (as a surrogate for walleye), to fear pike odor. Perch response to pike odor was not changed by placing sponge blocks containing pike odor and perch alarm cues around the perimeter of a pond. On pre- and post-training assays, perch avoided traps scented with perch alarm cues, but did not avoid traps labeled with pike odor or water. We conclude that recognition training offers potential as a management tool for walleye, but significant logistic challenges must be solved before it can be implemented.

Photoreceptors and Visual Pigments as Related to Behavioral Responses and Preferred Habitats of Perches (Perca spp.) and Pikeperches (Stizostedion spp.)

1977 ◽  
Vol 34 (10) ◽  
pp. 1475-1480 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Ali ◽  
R. A. Ryder ◽  
M. Anctil
Keyword(s):  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Perca Flavescens ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Stizostedion Vitreum ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Tapetum Lucidum ◽  
Retinal Structure ◽  
And Function

A review of the literature indicated contrasts in retinal structure and function between perches (Perca spp.) and pikeperches (Stizostedion spp.). Foremost among these were differences in size and distribution of rods, size and shape of cones, extent of retinomotor responses, possession or lack of reflecting material, and relative concentrations of melanin. The perches are primarily active by daylight, whereas the pikeperches are most active during twilight or at night. The coincidental occupancy of shoal areas by yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) at twilight is related to decreasing visual acuity of the former and the approach of optimum visual performance in the latter species. On this basis the two species have a classic predator–prey relationship. Key words: histology, light, Perca sp., photopic vision, predation, retina, Stizostedion vitreum vitreum, symbiosis, tapetum lucidum

The in vitro effects of mammalian and piscine gonadotropin and pituitary preparations on final maturation in yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and walleye (Stizostedion vitreum)

1978 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 348-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederick W. Goetz ◽  
Harold L. Bergman
Keyword(s):  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Perca Flavescens ◽  
Germinal Vesicle ◽  
Stizostedion Vitreum ◽  
Germinal Vesicle Breakdown ◽  
Final Maturation ◽  
In Vitro Effects

The in vitro effects of various gonadotropin and pituitary preparations on germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) were investigated in yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and walleye (Stizostedion vitreum). All preparations tested were effective in walleye; however, none of the preparations induced significant GVBD in yellow perch.

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