Evidence across multiple scales for offshore transport of yellow perch (Perca flavescens) larvae in Lake Michigan

Abstract

Most freshwater fishes have short pelagic early life stages. Lake Michigan presents an interesting scenario for yellow perch (Perca flavescens), a species with a long pelagic larval stage that may not be well adapted to lakes with an expansive pelagic environment and extensive offshore transport. We investigated the possibility that early life stages of yellow perch were transported well offshore from their nearshore spawning grounds and explored whether food resources were more or less favorable offshore. To determine the extent to which pelagic age-0 yellow perch moved offshore, we sampled at multiple scales ranging from local (< 2 km) to across the lake (>120 km). Evidence of offshore movement by larvae occurred at each scale.Yellow perch larvae were quickly transported offshore from nearshore spawning sites and remained in the offshore pelagia to sizes of at least 30 mm. Zooplankton density was greater offshore than nearshore, suggesting that pelagic age-0 yellow perch find improved food resources offshore than at their nearshore spawning sites. Currents operating at oceanographic scales likely influenced the offshore movement of pelagic age-0 yellow perch in Lake Michigan.These currents, coupled with prey availability for pelagic age-0 individuals, may influence the recruitment success of this species.

Population synchrony of a native fish across three Laurentian Great Lakes: evaluating the effects of dispersal and climate

“…At this size, bloater larvae are predicted to maintain an average swimming speed of 2-3 cm/s and attain burst speeds of 13-15 cm/s (Miller et al 1988). Although these larvae are not passive plankton, they likely are still inXuenced by prevailing currents within each lake and may be redistributed far from their spawning sites, as has been recently documented for larval yellow perch (Perca Xavescens; Dettmers et al 2005) and cisco (Coregonus artedi; Oyadomari and Auer 2008) in lakes Michigan and Superior, respectively. In fact, predicted burst speed of bloater larvae is similar to the mean current velocity (15-23 cm/s) and far less than the maximum velocity (45-82 cm/s) measured by drifters in Lake Michigan in July 2001 (Höök et al 2006).…”

Impact des coupes forestières sur l'écologie des jeunes stades de vie chez la perchaude (Perca flavescens) :

“…Cette espèce démontre une exceptionnelle plasticité dans la croissance, ces variations s'expliquant par des facteurs abiotiques et biotiques tels la température et l'abondance des proies (Carlander 1997, Craig 2000. Dans sa distribution la plus septentrionale, la mortalité hivernale peut influencer les populations de perchaude, les jeunes de l'année avec la meilleure croissance étant plus aptes à survivre à cette période de faible alimentation (Post & Evans 1989 , le succès d'alimentation, la croissance et la survie (Graeb et al 2004, Fulford et al 2006 ainsi que sur le transport des larves (Dettmers et al 2005).…”

“…La perchaude est un poisson qui effectue des migrations ontogéniques du milieu pélagique vers le milieu littoral (Whiteside et al 1985, Post & McQueen 1988 (Whiteside et al 1985, Post and McQueen 1988, Dettmers et al 2005, comme cela a été décrit pour certaines espèces de poissons des récifs coralliens (Vigliola & Meekan 2002, Gagliano & MeCormick 2007). …”

Effects of source–sink dynamics on harvest policy performance for yellow perch in southern Lake Michigan

“…Some authors have suggested that areas on the western shore of southern Lake Michigan may contribute disproportionately to basin-wide recruitment, thus resulting in recruitment sources and sinks (Dettmers et al, 2005;Beletsky et al, 2007). Yellow perch have an unusual early life history for a freshwater fish in that they spawn demersally in near-shore habitats, and larvae have an extended offshore pelagic period (typically lasting 30-40 days) after hatching in small and medium sized lakes (Forney, 1971;Whiteside et al, 1985).…”

“…Yellow perch have an unusual early life history for a freshwater fish in that they spawn demersally in near-shore habitats, and larvae have an extended offshore pelagic period (typically lasting 30-40 days) after hatching in small and medium sized lakes (Forney, 1971;Whiteside et al, 1985). In Lake Michigan, the larval period may extend even longer than in smaller systems, and larvae have been captured in the pelagia after about 75 days post hatch (Dettmers et al, 2005). This pelagic period may be extended in Lake Michigan because larval swimming speed shortly after hatching (1 cm s −1 ; Houde, 1969) is substantially slower than average current velocities (10 cm s −1 ; Beletsky et al, 2007).…”