Yellow Perch (yellow + perch)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Diet dynamics of the juvenile piscivorous fish community in Spirit Lake, Iowa, USA, 1997,1998

ECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH, Issue 4 2001
M. E. Pelham
Abstract , We assessed temporal dynamics and variation among species and age-classes in the diets of age 0 and age 1 piscivorous fish species in Spirit Lake, Iowa, USA during 1997 and 1998. Species included walleye Stizostedion vitreum, yellow perch Perca flavescens, smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieui, largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus and white bass Morone chrysops. Thirty taxa were identified in diets, including 12 species of fish. We found dramatic differences in diets among species, among age-classes within species and over time. Walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and white bass were piscivorous at age 0. Black crappie began piscivory at age 1. Yellow perch also began piscivory at age 1, but fish were a very small fraction of age-1 diets. The primary temporal pattern, seen in several species and age-classes, was an increase in piscivory from spring to fall. This pattern was due to the lack of small, age-0 prey fish in spring. Although some patterns were evident, the taxonomic composition of the diets of all species was highly variable over time, making generalizations difficult. A surprising result was the absence of yellow perch in the diet of age-0 walleye, despite their abundance in Spirit Lake and prominence in diets of age-1 walleye and other age 1-piscivores. Age-0 yellow perch were consistently too large to be eaten by age-0 piscivores, which preyed primarily on invertebrates and smaller fish such as johnny darters Etheostoma nigrum and age 0 bluegill Lepomis macrochirus. This finding suggests that predator-prey interactions and resulting population dynamics may be quite different in Spirit Lake than in other systems dominated by walleye and yellow perch., [source]


Recruitment of burbot (Lota lota L.) in Lake Erie: an empirical modelling approach

ECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH, Issue 3 2010
M. A. Stapanian
Stapanian MA, Witzel LD, Cook A. Recruitment of burbot (Lota lota L.) in Lake Erie: an empirical modelling approach. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2010: 19: 326,337. Published 2010. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA Abstract,,, World-wide, many burbot Lota lota (L.) populations have been extirpated or are otherwise in need of conservation measures. By contrast, burbot made a dramatic recovery in Lake Erie during 1993,2001 but declined during 2002,2007, due in part to a sharp decrease in recruitment. We used Akaike's Information Criterion to evaluate 129 linear regression models that included all combinations of one to seven ecological indices as predictors of burbot recruitment. Two models were substantially supported by the data: (i) the number of days in which water temperatures were within optimal ranges for burbot spawning and development combined with biomass of yearling and older (YAO) yellow perch Perca flavescens (Mitchill); and (ii) biomass of YAO yellow perch. Warmer winter water temperatures and increases in yellow perch biomass were associated with decreases in burbot recruitment. Continued warm winter water temperatures could result in declines in burbot recruitment, particularly in the southern part of the species' range. [source]


A comparison of habitat use and habitat-specific feeding efficiency by Eurasian ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus) and yellow perch (Perca flavescens)

ECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH, Issue 1 2006
A. H. Fullerton
Abstract ,, Eurasian ruffe are invading habitats in the North American Great Lakes watershed occupied by commercially important native yellow perch. We conducted laboratory experiments to evaluate potential overlap in habitat (macrophytes, mud, cobble) and food (benthic invertebrates) use. Ruffe and yellow perch both preferred macrophytes > cobble > mud in the light, but only ruffe increased their use of mud in the dark. Neither fish density nor food availability affected habitat preferences, and competition for habitat was not evident. For both species, feeding rates were marginally lower in macrophytes but did not differ between species. Our experiments suggest that if ruffe and yellow perch share a habitat (e.g., during invasion or because of predation risk), competition for space will be weak or absent. However, within a shared habitat, competition for food may occur when food is limiting because neither species has a clear advantage in its ability to consume invertebrates in any habitat. Resumen 1La especie exótica Gymnocephalus cernuus está invadiendo áreas de los Grandes Lagos de USA, ocupadas por la especie nativa Perca flavescens de manera que podrían competir por recursos de hábitat y alimenticios. La probabilidad de competición por alimento depende, en parte, de si estos peces se sobrelapan espacial y temporalmente y también de su habilidad para consumir tipos de alimento asociados a hábitats dados. Desarrollamos dos grupos de experimentos de laboratorio para cuantificar niveles de similitud en el uso de hábitat (barro, cubierta, macrófitas) y de alimento (invertebrados bénticos). El primer conjunto de experimentos examinó las preferencias de hábitat en ambas especies, la influencia de la densidad de individuos y de la presencia de alimento sobre esas preferencias y si los peces competían por el espacio del hábitat. En el segundo conjunto de experimentos cuantificamos la habilidad relativa de cada especie para consumir invertebrados bénticos (quironómidos, oligoquetos y anfípodos) en tres hábitats distintos. 2Tanto G. cernuus and P. flavescens prefirieron de macrófitas a piedras y de piedras a barro en períodos de luz. Solamente G. curnuus aumentó el uso de barro en la oscuridad. Ni la densidad de individuos ni la presencia de alimento afectó la selección de hábitat y no obtuvimos evidencia de competición por el hábitat. Para ambas especies las tasas alimenticias fueron marginalmente menores en macrófitas que en piedras o en barro y no difirieron significativamente entre especies. 3Aunque G. cernuus y P. flavescens pueden ocupar diferentes hábitats en la naturaleza, nuestros experimentos sugieren que si se vieran forzadas a ocupar el mismo hábitat (i.e., durante un proceso de invasión o debido a riesgo de predación), la competición por el espacio seria pequeña o nula. Sin embargo, en un hábitat compartido, la competición por el alimento podría ocurrir cuando el alimento esté limitado porque ninguna de las dos especies tiene una ventaja clara en su habilidad para consumir invertebrados en cualquier que sea el hábitat. [source]


Diet dynamics of the juvenile piscivorous fish community in Spirit Lake, Iowa, USA, 1997,1998

ECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH, Issue 4 2001
M. E. Pelham
Abstract , We assessed temporal dynamics and variation among species and age-classes in the diets of age 0 and age 1 piscivorous fish species in Spirit Lake, Iowa, USA during 1997 and 1998. Species included walleye Stizostedion vitreum, yellow perch Perca flavescens, smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieui, largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus and white bass Morone chrysops. Thirty taxa were identified in diets, including 12 species of fish. We found dramatic differences in diets among species, among age-classes within species and over time. Walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and white bass were piscivorous at age 0. Black crappie began piscivory at age 1. Yellow perch also began piscivory at age 1, but fish were a very small fraction of age-1 diets. The primary temporal pattern, seen in several species and age-classes, was an increase in piscivory from spring to fall. This pattern was due to the lack of small, age-0 prey fish in spring. Although some patterns were evident, the taxonomic composition of the diets of all species was highly variable over time, making generalizations difficult. A surprising result was the absence of yellow perch in the diet of age-0 walleye, despite their abundance in Spirit Lake and prominence in diets of age-1 walleye and other age 1-piscivores. Age-0 yellow perch were consistently too large to be eaten by age-0 piscivores, which preyed primarily on invertebrates and smaller fish such as johnny darters Etheostoma nigrum and age 0 bluegill Lepomis macrochirus. This finding suggests that predator-prey interactions and resulting population dynamics may be quite different in Spirit Lake than in other systems dominated by walleye and yellow perch., [source]


Changes in yellow perch (Perca flavescens) growth associated with the establishment of a walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) population in Canadarago Lake, New York (USA)

ECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH, Issue 1 2001
M. H. Olson
Abstract , Piscivorous fish can affect prey growth in two ways: directly by reducing prey density and indirectly by inducing predator-avoidance behaviors. We investigated these two pathways in yellow perch (Perca flavescens) growth responses to walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) stocking in Canadarago Lake, New York (USA) using a 25-year time series. Before walleye stocking, yellow perch growth rate was low and independent of body size. As walleye abundance increased, yellow perch growth increased and became size-dependent. The switch to size-dependent growth occurred in 1 year, indicating a rapid behavioral response to predators. Mean growth rate increased more gradually and was linearly related to walleye density, indicating a slower numerical effect of walleye on yellow perch densities. Although the net effect was an increase in perch growth, small perch growth initially decreased as walleye became established. Therefore, the combination of numerical and behavioral effects produced a complex pattern of size-dependent changes in growth of yellow perch. [source]


Night sampling improves indices used for management of yellow perch in Lake Erie

FISHERIES MANAGEMENT & ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2010
P. M. KOCOVSKY
Abstract, Catch rate (catch per hour) was examined for age-0 and age-1 yellow perch, Perca flavescens (Mitchill), captured in bottom trawls from 1991 to 2005 in western Lake Erie: (1) to examine variation of catch rate among years, seasons, diel periods and their interactions; and (2) to determine whether sampling during particular diel periods improved the management value of CPH data used in models to project abundance of age-2 yellow perch. Catch rate varied with year, season and the diel period during which sampling was conducted as well as by the interaction between year and season. Indices of abundance of age-0 and age-1 yellow perch estimated from night samples typically produced better fitting models and lower estimates of age-2 abundance than those using morning or afternoon samples, whereas indices using afternoon samples typically produced less precise and higher estimates of abundance. The diel period during which sampling is conducted will not affect observed population trends but may affect estimates of abundance of age-0 and age-1 yellow perch, which in turn affect recommended allowable harvest. A field experiment throughout western Lake Erie is recommended to examine potential benefits of night sampling to management of yellow perch. [source]


Emergence of larval yellow perch, Perca flavescens, in South Dakota lakes: potential implications for recruitment

FISHERIES MANAGEMENT & ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2008
D. A. ISERMANN
Abstract, Temporal patterns in length frequency distributions and hatch dates were described for larval yellow perch, Perca flavescens (Mitchill), captured in surface ichthyoplankton trawls from late April to mid-June 2000 to 2002 in six South Dakota, USA lakes. Fewer than 15 larval yellow perch were collected in four of six lakes during 2002, suggesting that in some cases factors prior to, during or immediately after hatching likely play a critical role in the perch recruitment process. When larval yellow perch were encountered in larger numbers, temporal trends in total length (TL) frequencies indicated that only a single cohort was produced annually in each lake. Most yellow perch in these lakes hatched between 29 April and 17 May, and most hatching occurred during 5,11 days each year. Larval TL was not related to hatch date. The apparent prevalence of relatively short hatch periods in these yellow perch populations probably increases the risk of catastrophic losses resulting from periods of poor environmental conditions. [source]


Stocking piscivores to improve fishing and water clarity: a synthesis of the Lake Mendota biomanipulation project

FRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 12 2002
R. C. Lathrop
SUMMARYY 1.,A total of 2.7 × 106 walleye fingerlings and 1.7 × 105 northern pike fingerlings were stocked during 1987,99 in eutrophic Lake Mendota. The objectives of the biomanipulation were to improve sport fishing and to increase piscivory to levels that would reduce planktivore biomass, increase Daphnia grazing and ultimately reduce algal densities in the lake. The combined biomass of the two piscivore species in the lake increased rapidly from < 1 kg ha,1 and stabilised at 4,6 kg ha,1 throughout the evaluation period. 2.,Restrictive harvest regulations (i.e. increase in minimum size limit and reduction in bag limit) were implemented in 1988 to protect the stocked piscivores. Further restrictions were added in 1991 and 1996 for walleye and northern pike, respectively. These restrictions were essential because fishing pressure on both species (especially walleye) increased dramatically during biomanipulation. 3.,Commencing in 1987 with a massive natural die-off of cisco and declining yellow perch populations, total planktivore biomass dropped from about 300,600 kg ha,1 prior to the die-off and the fish stocking, to about 20,40 kg ha,1 in subsequent years. These low planktivore biomasses lasted until a resurgence in the perch population in 1999. 4.,During the period prior to biomanipulation when cisco were very abundant, the dominant Daphnia species was the smaller-bodied D. galeata mendotae, which usually reached a biomass maximum in June and then crashed shortly thereafter. Beginning in 1988, the larger-bodied D. pulicaria dominated, with relatively high biomasses occurring earlier in the spring and lasting well past mid-summer of many years. 5.,In many years dominated by D. pulicaria, Secchi disc readings were greater during the spring and summer months when compared with years dominated by D. galeata mendotae. During the biomanipulation evaluation period, phosphorus (P) levels also changed dramatically thus complicating our analysis. Earlier research on Lake Mendota had shown that Daphnia grazing increased summer Secchi disc readings, but P concentrations linked to agricultural and urban runoff and to climate-controlled internal mixing processes were also important factors affecting summer readings. 6.,The Lake Mendota biomanipulation project has been a success given that high densities of the large-bodied D. pulicaria have continued to dominate for over a decade, and the diversity of fishing opportunities have improved for walleye, northern pike and, more recently, yellow perch. 7.,Massive stocking coupled with very restrictive fishing regulations produced moderate increases in piscivore densities. Larger increases could be realised by more drastic restrictions on sport fishing, but these regulations would be very controversial to anglers. 8.,If the lake's food web remains in a favourable biomanipulation state (i.e. high herbivory), further improvements in water clarity are possible with future reductions in P loadings from a recently initiated non-point pollution abatement programme in the lake's drainage basin. [source]


Light intensity, prey detection and foraging mechanisms of age 0 year yellow perch

JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2004
H. E. Richmond
The ability of age-0 year yellow perch Perca flavescans to detect prey using visual and mechano-sensory input was examined during laboratory feeding trials at varying light intensities. Perch were highly effective predators and captured Daphnia pulicaria with 94% overall foraging success at light levels ranging from 0 to 3400 lx. Maximum average reaction distances (5·0 ± 0·8 cm, mean ± s.e.) occurred in front of the fish at 3000 lx and significantly decreased as light intensities fell to <2 lx, with minimum reaction distances (2·8 ± 0·1 cm) observed in the dark. Following chemical ablation of the lateral line, yellow perch showed a significant reduction in reaction distance when compared to the untreated fish at 3000 lx, suggesting that the lateral line may augment visual prey detection at high light levels. A model was created to predict reaction distances for fish feeding with multiple sensory systems that can be applied to a variety of photic environments. This study provides a better understanding of the contribution of vision and the lateral line to prey detection, and relates the reaction distance of age-0 year yellow perch to light intensities similar to those experienced in nature. [source]


Laboratory evaluation of two bioenergetics models applied to yellow perch: identification of a major source of systematic error

JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2003
P. G. Bajer
Laboratory growth and food consumption data for two size classes of age 2 year yellow perch Perca flavescens, each fed on two distinct feeding schedules at 21° C, were used to evaluate the abilities of the Wisconsin (WI) and Karas,Thoresson (KT) bioenergetics models to predict fish growth and cumulative consumption. Neither model exhibited consistently better performance for predicting fish body masses across all four fish size and feeding regime combinations. Results indicated deficiencies in estimates of resting routine metabolism by both models. Both the WI and KT models exhibited errors for predicting growth rates, which were strongly correlated with food consumption rate. Consumption-dependent prediction errors may be common in bioenergetics models and are probably the result of deficiencies in parameter values or assumptions within the models for calculating energy costs of specific dynamic action, feeding activity metabolism or egestion and excretion. Inter-model differences in growth and consumption predictions were primarily the result of differences in egestion and excretion costs calculated by the two models. The results highlighted the potential importance of parameters describing egestion and excretion costs to the accuracy of bioenergetics model predictions, even though bioenergetics models are generally regarded as being insensitive to these parameters. The findings strongly emphasize the utility and necessity of performing laboratory evaluations of all bioenergetics models for assurance of model accuracy and for facilitation of model refinement. [source]


Proteomic analysis of proteins associated with body mass and length in yellow perch, Perca flavescens

PROTEINS: STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND BIOINFORMATICS, Issue 11 2008
John Mark Reddish
Abstract The goal of commercial yellow perch aquaculture is to increase muscle mass which leads to increased profitability. The accumulation and degradation of muscle-specific gene products underlies the variability in body mass (BM) and length observed in pond-cultured yellow perch. Our objective was to apply a combination of statistical and proteomic technologies to identify intact and/or proteolytic fragments of muscle specific gene products involved in muscle growth in yellow perch. Seventy yellow perch randomly selected at 10, 12, 16, 20, and 26,wk of age were euthanized; BM and length were measured and a muscle sample taken. Muscle proteins were resolved using 5,20% gradient SDS-PAGE, stained with SYPRO® Ruby and analyzed using TotalLabÔ software. Data were analyzed using stepwise multiple regression with the dependent variables, BM and length and proportional OD of each band in a sample as a potential regressor. Eight bands associated with BM (R2,=,0.84) and nine bands with length (R2,=,0.85) were detected. Protein sequencing by nano-LC/MS/MS identified 20 proteins/peptides associated with BM and length. These results contribute the identification of gene products and/or proteolytic fragments associated with muscle growth in yellow perch. [source]


Predicting the optimal dietary essential amino acid profile for growth of juvenile yellow perch with whole body amino acid concentrations

AQUACULTURE NUTRITION, Issue 3 2010
S.D. HART
Abstract Rapid methods of estimating dietary essential amino acid (EAA) requirements might facilitate increases in aquaculture production, particularly for new or emerging industries. We conducted a 12-week feeding study to test the hypothesis that whole body EAA concentrations and the quantified methionine requirement could be used to predict the remaining dietary EAA requirements for juvenile all-female yellow perch. Six purified diets were developed and fed to triplicate groups of fish for 12 weeks. The diets contained the EAA profile of fishmeal (FM), the profile as predicted by whole body analysis, the quantified methionine requirement and resulting A/E ratios (PRED), PRED + 20% of all EAA (PRED20), PRED + 40% of all EAA (PRED40), PRED + 20% threonine, isoleucine and tryptophan (PRED320), and PRED + 40% threonine, isoleucine and typtophan (PRED340). Mean weight gain and feed consumption were significantly higher in fish fed PRED20 (35.7 ± 3.2 and 55.0 ± 5.3 g, respectively) than in fish fed FSM (25.1 ± 0.4 g wt gain, 41.0 ± 1.9 g cons), PRED (23.4 ± 2.3 g wt gain, 40.1 ± 4.2 g cons) and PRED340 (22.9 ± 3.3 g wt gain, 35.0 ± 3.8 g cons). There was no significant difference in feed efficiency among treatments. We recommend an EAA profile similar to PRED20 for feeding all-female juvenile yellow perch. [source]


Evaluation of relative growth performance and genotype by environment effects for cross-bred yellow perch families reared in communal ponds using DNA parentage analyses

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 12 2009
Han-Ping Wang
Abstract From 24 mating sets, 6300 fingerling of yellow perch (Perca flavescens) were stocked into one pond and equal numbers of progeny from six representative sets out of the 24 were stocked into each of two other ponds. After communal rearing for 21 months, total length and body weight were assessed for n=300 fish in each of the three ponds and molecular pedigrees were performed for each sampled individual to assign the progeny back to the original parents. The overall average number of alleles per locus was A=16.4 and observed and expected heterozygosities were Ho=0.88 and He=0.77 respectively. The mean weight of random samples and the top 10% fast-growing fish from the pond with all the sets was significantly greater than those from either of the two replicate ponds with six crosses. For the two replicate ponds, no significant differences were found in family rankings and assignment of the top 10% fast-growing fish, indicating that families with superior growth performance in one pond also exhibited the same superior growth performance in the replicate pond. However, there were no significant correlations detected in family mean weights of the top 10% fish between any two of the three ponds. [source]