Age-0 Yellow Perch Perca Flavescens Research Articles

Parasites of Age-0 Walleye,Sander vitreusand Yellow Perch,Perca flavescens(Percidae) from Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron, Michigan, U.S.A.

One-hundred age-0 walleye Sander vitreus and 100 age-0 yellow perch Perca flavescens collected in September 2015 from Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron, Michigan, U.S.A., were examined for parasites. Five parasite species (Allacanthochasmus sp., Ichthyocotylurus sp., Bothriocephalus cuspidatus, Camallanus oxycephalus, Ergasilus luciopercarum) infected walleye. Ergasilus luciopercarum had the highest prevalence (97%), mean intensity (9.0), and mean abundance (8.7). Ichthyocotylurus sp. and B. cuspidatus each had a prevalence of 73%. Twelve parasite species (Myxobolus neurophilus, Allacanthochasmus sp., Diplostomum sp., Ichthyocotylurus sp., Neascus sp., Crepidostomum sp., B. cuspidatus, Proteocephalus sp., Dichelyne cotylophora, Eustrongylides tubifex, Philometra cylindracea, Ergasilus luciopercarum) occurred in yellow perch. Ichthyocotylurus sp. had the highest prevalence (72%), mean intensity (7.9), and mean abundance (5.7). Proteocephalus sp. had the next highest prevalence (40%). Walleye and yellow perch are new host records for metacercariae of Allacanthochasmus. Saginaw Bay is a new locality record for M. neurophilus in yellow perch and for C. oxycephalus in walleye. This study is the first survey of the parasites of age-0 walleye and age-0 yellow perch in the Great Lakes.

Evaluating potential competitive bottlenecks between invasive common carp and native bluegill and yellow perch

AbstractProcesses influencing fish recruitment are often highly complex and inherently difficult to understand. Invasive species may complicate recruitment through habitat and food web modifications resulting in competitive bottlenecks. Common carp Cyprinus carpio have been distributed worldwide, and their introductions have resulted in destructive effects on aquatic ecosystems and food web dynamics. Common carp are highly fecund, and high densities of age‐0 carp may occur in some years that may reduce invertebrate prey resources and adversely affect native age‐0 fishes. We used enclosures and field observations to examine potential effects of age‐0 common carp on growth and survival of age‐0 yellow perch Perca flavescens and bluegill Lepomis macrochirus. Yellow perch and bluegill were stocked into enclosures with and without common carp (31 fish/m3) using a substitution experimental design, and fish growth and survival and invertebrate prey resources were assessed. Common carp reduced growth of yellow perch but not bluegill and did not affect survival of either species in mesocosms. Next, we used patterns of common carp, bluegill, and yellow perch abundance and total length across 38 lake‐years to evaluate potential interspecific interactions in natural systems. Age‐0 common carp abundance was not negatively related to size or abundance of bluegill or yellow perch. However, adult common carp and age‐0 yellow perch abundance were inversely related, suggesting a potential competitive bottleneck. Thus, age‐0 common carp may suppress growth of yellow perch when prey is limited, but adult common carp may have larger effects than early life stages on native juvenile fishes.

Energy content of young yellow perch and walleye in Saginaw Bay

We evaluated seasonal energy content of age-0 yellow perch Perca flavescens and walleye Sander vitreus in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron in 2009 and 2010. We also determined the energy content of age-1 fish from the 2009 and 2010 cohorts the following spring (i.e., for fish that had survived one winter) to evaluate overwinter energy losses. As expected, larger fish within each species had disproportionately higher energy content (i.e., slope relating length and energy >3.0) than smaller conspecifics. By contrast to expectations, allometric slopes were >3.0 in nearly all months, not just the fall, and were higher for age-0 yellow perch than for walleye, even though increased allocation to growth would have seemingly been beneficial to even the largest yellow perch during summer. Seasonal energy allocation patterns differed between years. In 2009, length specific energy content increased from late summer to fall for both species. However, for the 2010 cohorts of fish, length specific energy content decreased between late summer and fall for yellow perch and did not change for walleye. There were 13–17% overwinter declines in length specific energy content between the fall (October or November) and the spring (May) with no major differences between cohorts within a species or between species for a given year. Because young yellow perch and walleye are similar physiologically but differ in size (i.e., yellow perch are smaller), it is possible that overwinter energy losses are more important for yellow perch than for walleye.

Changes in zooplankton community structure associated with the disappearance of invasive alewife in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron

We evaluated the response of the zooplankton community Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron to the disappearance of the planktivore alewife Alosa pseudoharengus using data collected in 1991–1996 (pre alewife decline) and 2009–2010 (post alewife decline). Bosmina longirostris, Diaptomidae, Cyclops, and Daphnia galeata contributed greatly to the separation of the two time periods with Diaptomidae and D. galeata increasing and Cyclops and B. longirostris decreasing, although B. longirostris remained the dominant species. Peak densities of zooplankton occurred in early summer (June) in the 1990s and in early fall (October) in 2009–2010. For the analysis of environmental variables on a bay-wide, annual basis, abundance of alewife, age-0 yellow perch Perca flavescens and Bythotrephes captured much of the variation in annual zooplankton community structure. Abundances of Bythotrephes and age-0 yellow perch were both higher in 2009–2010 than in 1991–1996. Some changes such as increasing proportions of calanoid copepods reflect a more oligotrophic community and are potentially indicative of resource-driven changes rather than direct or indirect impacts of the alewife disappearance.

Comparisons of Catch and Precision of Pop Nets, Push Nets, and Seines for Sampling Larval and Juvenile Yellow Perch

Abstract Abundance estimates of larval and juvenile fish require unbiased and precise sampling techniques. Even if an appropriate sampling technique is chosen, fish abundance estimates can be inaccurate if there is no assessment of the gear precision. Our first objective was to compare catch characteristics of pop nets, push nets, and seines for sampling occurrence, abundance, and size of age-0 yellow perch Perca flavescens in shallow habitats with different vegetation densities. The second objective was to estimate the precision (coefficient of variation (CV)) with which each sampling gear measured larval and juvenile yellow perch abundance. Larval fish were collected in May 2003 via pop nets and push nets, and juveniles were collected in July 2003 via pop nets and seines. Significant differences in yellow perch occurrence and abundance were observed between sampling gears and sampling periods. May occurrence and abundance of larval yellow perch were higher for push nets than for pop nets in open-water h...

Oxytetracycline Marking Efficacy for Yellow Perch Fingerlings and Temporal Assays of Tissue Residues

Differentiating between hatchery and naturally reproduced fishes is difficult because of the lack of appropriate marking techniques. Chemical immersion techniques can be a practical method for mass marking juvenile fishes. The objectives of this study were to determine the concentration of oxytetracycli ne (OTC) hydrochloride needed to effectively mark age-0 yellow perch Perca flavescens. to observe the retention lime of the mark, and to measure the persistence of OTC in body tissues. Fish were immersed in 309, 534, and 748 mg OTC/L for 12 h. Initial fish collections were made weekly, and monthly collections began 1 month postmarking for tissue and mark analyses. High-pressure liquid chromatography was used to quantitate OTC residues in tissues; OTC concentrations were undetectable (<0.05 jxg/g) in the edible tissue (muscle) at 110 d postimmersion. Aided by a Nikon Labophot fluorescence microscope, we discerned otolith marks 56 d postimmersion on 100% of the fish treated at 534 and 748 mg/L. Marks were still visible on 100% of the fish treated with 534 and 748 mg/L at 8 months postimmersion.

Temporal and Spatial Distribution of Pelagic Age-0 Fish in Lake Mendota, Wisconsin

Age-0 yellow perch Perca flavescens, sunfish Lepomis spp., black crappies Pomoxis nigromaculatus, and freshwater drums Aplodinotus grunniens had pelagic life history phases in Lake Mendota in 1988, 1989, and 1990, as determined by purse-seine sampling. The duration of the pelagic phase varied from 3 to 7 weeks and differed between species and in some cases between years within species. Age-0 yellow perch were numerically dominant through most of June and as summer progressed were replaced sequentially by black crappies, freshwater drums, and Lepomis spp. By August, the pelagic community of age-0 fish was numerically dominated by Lepomis spp. This temporal succession of taxa was consistent among years, although the absolute and relative abundance of taxa differed between years. Most species were distributed across the surface of the lake early in their pelagic phase, became relatively more abundant near shore later in their pelagic phase, and then disappeared from the pelagic zone. Other published studies have demonstrated that age-0 fish migrated into the littoral zone of Lake Mendota after their pelagic residence. Variability in density of age-0 yellow perch among replicate sites within depth strata was high, with coefficients of variation ranging from 48 to 154%. The mean-to-variance relationship indicated that the age-0 yellow perch were aggregated. There were significant differences in the density of age-0 yellow perch among years but not among depth strata within years. The purse seine was our preferred gear because it has been shown to catch a wider range of sizes of age-0 fish than most other sampling gear. Therefore, we believe that the temporal and spatial patterns we describe during the pelagic life history phase of age-0 fish in Lake Mendota is more accurate than those described in other studies because our data include a better representation of the larger size-classes of age-0 fish.

Diet, Growth, and Potential Competitive Interactions between Age-0 White Perch and Yellow Perch in Oneida Lake, New York

Abstract Diet and growth of age-0 white perch Morone americana and age-0 yellow perch Perca flavescens were compared during July–October 1980 and 1987. Both fish species fed on Daphnia pulex in 1980 and growth was rapid; prey biomass per gram of fish was 2–12 times higher for white perch than for yellow perch. In 1987, white perch consumed up to three times more prey biomass than yellow perch, but the subsequent disappearance of D. pulex caused both fish species to switch to macroinvertebrates and growth of both species declined. Between 1977 and 1987, mean weights and specific growth rates of white perch exceeded yellow perch by October in all years, and weights of white perch were closely tied to the density of D. pulex in late summer–early fall (Spearman's rank correlation = 0.58, P = 0.07). Diet overlap for age-0 white and yellow perch was high when D. pulex was present, and the potential for interspecific competition was greatest when these fish were similar in length. Because of a prolonged spawning...

Interrelationships Between Prey Body Size and Growth of Age-0 Yellow Perch

Abstract We conducted laboratory experiments in the summers of 1986 and 1987 to examine the effects of Daphnia pulex body size and ration level on growth of age-0 yellow perch Perca flavescens. Daphnia pulex rations were set at 25 and 40% of yellow perch dry weight. Specific growth rate tended to be higher for smaller fish and decreased with fish size at both ration levels. For the 25% ration, the highest growth rates, 0.023 to 0.024 g/d, were observed when yellow perch were fed meals of D. pulex between 1.4 and 1.8 mm long; growth declined for prey sizes outside this size range. For the 40% ration, no relationship was found between body length of D. pulex and specific growth rate; the mean specific growth rate for the 40% ration was the same as the peak rate for the 25% ration. Multiple-regression analysis was used to examine the dependence of specific growth rate of yellow perch on initial fish length, prey size, and temperature. For the 25% ration, prey size and the square of prey size were the only va...

Zooplankton Selection by Young Yellow Perch: The Influence of Light, Prey Density, and Predator Size

Abstract A study to examine the influence of light, prey density, and fish size on prey selection by age-0 yellow perch Perca flavescens was conducted at Oneida Lake, 1982–1983. Our approach was to design laboratory experiments resembling events in the lake and to compare experimental results with field observations. Both laboratory and field results demonstrated that young yellow perch ate smaller prey when light intensity increased. Under low light, young yellow perch detected and ate only the larger-bodied daphnids and fed on a broader array of prey species as light intensity increased. Above 230 1x, size selection for zooplankton was independent of prey abundance and depended mostly on fish size. A prey-selection model was developed to predict the median size of prey selected based on light intensity, fish size, percent Daphnia sp. in the environment, and prey density. At light intensities less than 230 1x, the variables of light, fish size, and percent daphnia contributed significantly (R2 = 0.34; P ...

Prey Selection by Young Yellow Perch: The Influence of Capture Success, Visual Acuity, and Prey Choice

Abstract Field and laboratory studies of prey selection by age-0 yellow perch Perca flavescens from Oneida Lake, New York, were conducted during 1980 and 1981. In paired analyses, laboratory fish proved to be good models of those in the lake; fish in both groups ate zooplankton of the same mean sizes and shifted their preference from Diaptomus minutus to Daphnia pulex when they reached 30–35 mm total length. Increased preference for daphnids over diaptomids coincided with the ability of young yellow perch to catch the daphnids with nearly 100% success. Neither laboratory nor field fish selected the largest daphnids available, though tests showed they were physically capable of ingesting them, and experimental data on capture success, handling time, and reaction distance all suggest young yellow perch should elect the largest daphnids. We hypothesize that young yellow perch may digest large daphnids less efficiently than midsized ones. If this hypothesis is verified, optimum-foraging models should be exten...