Trait‐related variation in the reproductive characteristics of female pikeperch (Sander lucioperca)

Abstract

Maternal characteristics typically affect the recruitment of an exploited fish population. The size and age at maturity, as well as the effects of maternal traits on relative fecundity and egg dry weight, were studied in six exploited pikeperch populations in Finnish lakes. The among‐lake variation in the maternal characteristics was substantial. The estimated total length at maturity (L10, L50, L90) varied between 318–444, 403–423 and 444–527 mm, respectively, largely depending on the average growth rate and body condition of pikeperch. The estimated L50 was generally close to the recently imposed national minimum size limit (42 cm). The estimated age at maturity (A50) ranged from 4.2 to 6.9 year. Both relative fecundity and egg dry weight significantly increased with female size and age, indicating size‐ and age‐dependent maternal effects on egg characteristics and quantity, and emphasising the importance of large individuals for reproduction. The observed among‐population differences in the size‐dependent maternal influences highlight the need for stock‐specific management of pikeperch fisheries. The conservation of large females should be promoted to increase recruitment and reduce its variability.

Diet and movements of pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) in a large oligotrophic lake with an exceptionally high pikeperch yield

“…The ecological status classification of the lake is good (database of Finnish Environment Institute, SYKE). During the present study, the minimum size limit for pikeperch was 450 mm in Lake Höytiäinen (Olin et al, ).…”

An ultra-high density SNP-based linkage map for enhancing the pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) genome assembly to chromosome-scale

“…Several studies have been performed in pikeperch concerning productive (e.g., growth and survival) 5 – 7 and reproductive (e.g., fecundity and spawning) 8 , 9 traits. However, despite the growing commercial importance of this species, little information is available regarding its genetic and genomic makeup.…”

The Effects of Age-At-Maturation on the Parameters of a Biphasic Lester Growth Model in Sander lucioperca

“…The species studied by us is the slow-growing pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) in Sahajärvi, a lake in Finland (Vinni et al 2009, Milardi et al 2011. Olin et al (2018) showed that the slow-growing female pikeperch matured at an older age but smaller size than the fast-growing ones. Aside from the growth rate, the first females matured three years earlier than the last ones (Olin et al 2018).…”

“…Olin et al (2018) showed that the slow-growing female pikeperch matured at an older age but smaller size than the fast-growing ones. Aside from the growth rate, the first females matured three years earlier than the last ones (Olin et al 2018). Thus, assigning one age at maturation to the entire population is not accu-rate, as it rarely fits all individuals (Lehtonen 1987, Raikova-Petrova & Živkov 1998, Lappalainen et al 2003, Ruuhijärvi et al 2005.…”

“…Therefore, our first aim was to estimate age and length at maturation for each sex separately, and then for the pooled sexes. We were particularly interested in determining whether length is an important factor in the onset of maturation in males, as has been found for female pikeperch (Olin et al 2018). If length is a significant factor in maturation, and not all pikeperch mature at the same age (Lehtonen 1987, Raikova-Petrova & Živkov 1998, Olin et al 2018, we hypothesized that the mature pikeperch will be either longer or heavier than immature pikeperch of the same age.…”