The White Perch in Nebraska

Abstract

Sexually mature white perch (Morone americana), brought into Nebraska in the spring of 1964, spawned successfully in hatchery ponds. Some of the progeny were stocked in several of the highly alkaline lakes in the Nebraska Sandhills while others were inadvertently introduced into a turbid flood control reservoir in southeastern Nebraska. The species became established in the reservoir where it made very rapid growth and achieved sexual maturity one to two years sooner than in its natural range. Over a three year period the white perch completely displaced the native black bullhead as the dominant species in the reservoir. This dominance is being maintained and the white perch population is becoming stunted. During periods of reservoir discharge in the spring large numbers of white perch escape through the spillway. The stream on which the reservoir is located is tributary to the Platte River which subsequently joins the Missouri River. There appears to be no barrier to the movement of white perch through this stream system to the Missouri as they have been captured throughout the system up to a point only 18 stream miles from the juncture of the Platte and Missouri rivers. It appears likely that many white perch have successfully made the journey. The future prospects of the species in the Missouri River should be interesting.

Using consumption rate to assess potential predators for biological control of white perch

“…White perch was discovered in Branched Oak Lake, Nebraska during the 1987 Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) annual gillnet survey (Porath, M.T., NGPC, personal communication). Similar to other Nebraska reservoirs (Hergenrader and Bliss, 1971;Hergenrader, 1980), white perch dominated the biomass of the Branched Oak fish community within a few years of discovery. Similar to white perch, gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum also established a high-density population because of abundant production of age-0 fish (Gosch et al, 2010).…”

“…White perch are highly fecund (Mansueti, 1961), have an ability to reproduce during their first year of life and can withstand a wide range of environmental conditions allowing quick establishment of this species in new water bodies (Ballinger and Peters, 1978;Hodkin, 2001). White perch often dominate fish communities within three years of discovery in Midwest reservoirs (Hergenrader and Bliss, 1971;Hergenrader, 1980;Jackson, 1999Jackson, , 2008Hodkin, 2001). Chemical removal of white perch in some of these Midwestern reservoirs has been successful (Hergenrader and Bliss, 1971;Hergenrader, 1980); however, white perch was not extirpated from the drainage basins of these reservoirs and this species was able to disperse to new waters (Bliss and Schainost, 1974;Ballinger and Peters, 1978;Jackson, 1999Jackson, , 2008.…”

“…White perch often dominate fish communities within three years of discovery in Midwest reservoirs (Hergenrader and Bliss, 1971;Hergenrader, 1980;Jackson, 1999Jackson, , 2008Hodkin, 2001). Chemical removal of white perch in some of these Midwestern reservoirs has been successful (Hergenrader and Bliss, 1971;Hergenrader, 1980); however, white perch was not extirpated from the drainage basins of these reservoirs and this species was able to disperse to new waters (Bliss and Schainost, 1974;Ballinger and Peters, 1978;Jackson, 1999Jackson, , 2008. Chemical control of white perch in Midwestern reservoirs has again been suggested (Vrtiska et al, 2001); however, biological control is a more attractive option because of the aforementioned disadvantages of chemical and mechanical control.…”

Food Habits of Stunted and Non-Stunted White Perch (Morone americana)

“…In Nebraska, however, the white perch is an invasive species with little commercial or recreational value because average size of adults is small (<200 mm total length). The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) stocked white perch in several Nebraska Sandhill lakes during 1964 (Hergenrader and Bliss 1971), believing that this species would flourish in these highly alkaline lakes (McCarraher 197 1). Unfortunately, the white perch was inadvertently stocked into Wagon Train Reservoir, Nebraska during 1964, and it dominated the fish community in this reservoir by 1967 (Hergenrader and Bliss 1971).…”

“…The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) stocked white perch in several Nebraska Sandhill lakes during 1964 (Hergenrader and Bliss 1971), believing that this species would flourish in these highly alkaline lakes (McCarraher 197 1). Unfortunately, the white perch was inadvertently stocked into Wagon Train Reservoir, Nebraska during 1964, and it dominated the fish community in this reservoir by 1967 (Hergenrader and Bliss 1971). White perch was discovered in nearby Stagecoach Reservoir two years later with the same result; it dominated the fish community in this reservoir three years after discovery (Hergenrader 1980a).…”