Comparison of four types of sampling gears for estimating age-0 yellow perch density

Abstract

To aid biologists in obtaining reliable and efficient estimates of age-0 yellow perch (Perca flavescens) abundance, we compared operational effort and catch characteristics (i.e., density, length frequencies, and precision) of four gear types (beach seines, benthic sleds, drop nets, and push trawls) in littoral habitats in two South Dakota glacial lakes. Gear types were selected on the basis that the volume of water sampled could be determined and, thus, density (number/m 3 ) of age-0 yellow perch could be computed for each. Age-0 yellow perch were collected on three occasions with each gear in both lakes in August 2011. Differences in gear operational effort (i.e., the time required for set-up, deployment, and fish sorting) and age-0 yellow perch density and length frequencies were compared among sampling gears. Mean operational effort ranged from 9 to 65 min, mean density from 0.07 to 4.1 age-0 yellow perch/m 3 , coefficients of variation of mean age-0 perch density from 33 to 134, and number of samples required to estimate a 25% change in mean age-0 perch abundance from 22 to 305. Beach seines and drop nets may selectively sample larger age-0 yellow perch than benthic sleds and push trawls. We recommend use of beach seines or benthic sleds for sampling age-0 yellow perch in littoral habitats of glacial lakes. However, all sampling gears tested in this study have associated costs and benefits and one may be more suitable than another under different circumstances.

Influence of Smallmouth Bass Predation on Recruitment of Age‐0 Yellow Perch in South Dakota Glacial Lakes

“…Additionally, violations of these assumptions typically result in inflated population and 738 age-group size estimates (Ricker 1975), which would assist in providing insight into the greatest potential impact of Smallmouth Bass predation on recruitment of age-0 Yellow Perch when used as inputs in bioenergetics models. Yellow Perch sampling and production estimation.-Age-0 Yellow Perch were sampled at each lake at 6-10-d intervals during August and September using a 27.4 £ 1.8-m beach seine (Dembkowski et al 2012). Dembkowski et al (2011) found that age-0 Yellow Perch in Pickerel and Clear lakes were distributed around patches of submerged vegetation in nearshore areas and maintain a mostly demersal existence; thus, vegetated shoreline areas were selected as seine sample sites.…”

Use of underwater video to assess freshwater fish populations in dense submersed aquatic vegetation

“…These difficulties often limit the understanding of fish abundance and utilisation of habitats (Bayley and Austen 2002). Many studies have used traditional or modified gears to sample fish communities in submersed aquatic vegetation habitats including pop nets, seines, electrofishing, rotenone and trawls (Dewey et al 1989;Tate et al 2003;Dembkowski et al 2012). However, the capture probabilities of these sampling gears are often unknown and are influenced by habitat cover and, thus, it is important to understand how capture probability varies with gear tactics, gear type and habitat structure.…”

Hydroacoustic Surveys Underestimate Yellow Perch Population Abundance: The Importance of Considering Habitat Use

“…2010; Dembkowski et al. 2012). However, these studies focused on one habitat type within a system (i.e., littoral or pelagic).…”

“…Within-system, cross-habitat (i.e., littoral versus pelagic) PE studies are infrequent for Yellow Perch. Research on Yellow Perch sampling gears have addressed size selectivity (Rudstam et al 1984;Paradis et al 2008;Doll et al 2014), catch rates (Mangan et al 2005;Rydell et al 2010), and density or abundance differences of various gear types (Isermann et al 2002;Paradis et al 2008;Kocovsky et al 2010;Dembkowski et al 2012). However, these studies focused on one habitat type within a system (i.e., littoral or pelagic).…”