Factors affecting food consumption and growth of walleye, Stizostedion vitreum, larvae in culture ponds

Abstract

I examined food consumption and growth of walleye larvae in extensive culture ponds using direct methods and a bioenergetics model, and compared my results with laboratory feeding and growth studies. Walleye showed a diel pattern of increasing gut fullness during daylight hours. Larvae exhibited lower maximum food consumption rates in the ponds than predicted from previous short-term laboratory feeding studies. Direct estimates and bioenergetics model estimates of daily food consumption in the culture ponds were in poor agreement and the discrepancy varied with respect to walleye size. Food consumption rates in the ponds were related to walleye size (direct estimates) or water temperature (bioenergetics model estimates) but not zooplankton abundance. Growth exceeded 0.10 g g−1 d−1 for all but one sampling interval and the maximum growth rate in the culture pond fish was double the maximum growth rate determined in the laboratory. Growth was positively related to pond temperature and negatively related to walleye mass, but was not significantly related to zooplankton abundance. Gross conversion efficiency was negatively related to walleye mass, positively related to zooplankton abundance and not related to temperature. Food consumption and growth of walleye larvae in the field may be food-limited at much lower prey abundances than previous laboratory research has suggested.