Temperature, Hatch Date, and Prey Availability Influence Age‐0 Yellow Perch Growth and Survival

Abstract

Throughout their range, Yellow Perch Perca flavescens are an important ecological and economic component of many fisheries, but they often exhibit highly variable recruitment. Much research effort has been devoted to better understanding the mechanisms responsible for these erratic recruitment patterns, yet few studies have examined this process at the detail necessary to reveal complex interactions that may exist across multiple early life stages. Our current understanding of the early life recruitment patterns of Yellow Perch suggests a strong abiotic component. Using existing information, we developed three working hypotheses to examine Yellow Perch recruitment at two larval stages (5–14 and 15–24 d old) and to further identify the overarching mechanisms (abiotic versus biotic) related to Yellow Perch recruitment in 332‐ha Pelican Lake, Nebraska, during 2004–2012. Larval Yellow Perch growth and mortality were largely regulated by hatching date, temperature, and zooplankton availability. The growth of young larval Yellow Perch (5–14 d old) was positively related to temperature and hatch date; that of old larval perch (15–24 d old) was positively related to water temperature and postlarval age‐0 (≤25 mm TL) Yellow Perch density but negatively related to the available preferred zooplankton biomass. Mortality was inversely related to total zooplankton biomass and water temperature. Our results describe a model with two potential Yellow Perch recruitment bottlenecks, one immediately posthatch that is regulated by hatch date and temperature and another during the older larval stage that is regulated by temperature and zooplankton. Received October 25, 2013; accepted January 14, 2014

Spawning success and early life history of longnose suckers in Great Lakes tributaries

“…For example, walleye exhibit highly variable larval survivorship driven by river discharge, which determines juvenile and adult year-class strength (Mion et al 1998). predation and food availability) conditions during the larval and juvenile stages (Weber et al 2011;Kaemingk et al 2014). temperature and wind) and biotic (i.e.…”

Factors influencing recruitment of walleye and white bass to three distinct early ontogenetic stages

“…; Kaemingk et al. ); these factors are more identifiable if fish abundances are monitored during each of the early ontogenetic stages from hatch to recruitment (Forney ; Hoxmeier et al. ), as survival gradually increases through early ontogenetic stages (Houde ).…”

“…; Kaemingk et al. ), yet we were able to determine several factors affecting walleye and white bass year‐class strength at multiple ontogenetic stages. This knowledge will improve our understanding of recruitment dynamics and overall ecology for these fishes, not only in Great Plains irrigation reservoirs, but also in other regions, habitat types and for other species as well.…”

“…; Kaemingk et al. ). These factors are more identifiable if fish abundances are monitored during each of the early ontogenetic stages from hatch to recruitment (Forney ), as survival gradually increases with progression through early ontogenetic stages; mortality rates for freshwater fish larvae average 15% per day, although mortality rates for juveniles are often an order of magnitude less (Houde ).…”

“…Determining the factors that influence recruitment to sequential ontogenetic stages or benchmarks (i.e. age 0 during spring: 'age-0 larval'; age 0 during autumn: 'age-0 juvenile'; and age 1 during autumn: 'age-1 juvenile') is critical for understanding recruitment dynamics of fish and for effective management of sportfish (Ludsin & DeVries 1997;Hoxmeier et al 2006;Kaemingk et al 2014a). These factors are more identifiable if fish abundances are monitored during each of the early ontogenetic stages from hatch to recruitment (Forney 1976), as survival gradually increases with progression through early ontogenetic stages; mortality rates for freshwater fish larvae average 15% per day, although mortality rates for juveniles are often an order of magnitude less (Houde 2002).…”