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Minimum size limits for yellow perch (Perca flavescens) in western Lake Erie
During the 1960's yellow perch (Perca flavescens) of Lake Erie supported a commercial fishery that produced an average annual catch of 23 million pounds, as well as a modest sport fishery. Since 1969, the resource has seriously deteriorated. Commercial landings amounted to only 6 million pounds in 1976, and included proportionally more immature perch than in the 1960's. Moreover, no strong year classes were produced between 1965 and 1975. An interagency technical committee was appointed in 1975 by the Lake Erie Committee of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to develop an interim management strategy that would provide for greater protection of perch in western Lake Erie, where declines have been the most severe. The committee first determined the age structure, growth and mortality rates, maturation schedule, and length-fecundity relationship for the population, and then applied Ricker-type equilibrium yield models to determine the effects of various minimum length limits on yield, production, average stock weight, potential egg deposition, and the Abrosov spawning frequency indicator (average number of spawning opportunities per female). The committee recommended increasing the minimum length limit of 5.0 inches to at least 8.5 inches. Theoretically, this change would increase the average stock weight by 36% and potential egg deposition by 44%, without significantly decreasing yield. Abrosov's spawning frequency indicator would rise from the existing 0.6 to about 1.2.
Collection and analysis of commercial fishery statistics in the Great Lakes
No abstract available.
Biology of larval sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) of the 1960 year class, isolated in the Big Garlic River, Michigan, 1960-65
The early life history of the sea lamprey, from hatching to the first capture of metamorphosed individuals, is described from observations on a known-age population isolated in a tributary of southern Lake Superior. The population had its origin in the spring of 1960, when 722 sea lampreys nearing spawning condition were introduced into the Big Garlic River, Marquette County, Michigan, a stream that had previously been free of lampreys because physical barriers prevented their upstream migration. The adults constructed 206 nests and spawned in 161 of them; an estimated 774,000 larvae were hatched. The average total lengths of larvae collected in October (when yearly growth was nearly complete) in 1960-65 were 13, 39, 63, 80, 92, and 107 mm in the successive years. A specially designed inclined-plane trap, installed at the lower end of the study area to monitor the downstream movement of larval and newly metamorphosed lampreys, captured 7,562 larvae in 1962-65 (none in 1960-61). The annual catch increased sharply from 9 in 1962 to 370 in 1963, 2,847 in 1964, and 4,336 in 1965. About 90% of each annual catch was taken by June 30. Most movement was at night. A total of 5,642 larvae were marked in 1962-65 by the subcutaneous injection of an insoluble dye, to study movement and distribution; 222 were recovered as larvae through 1965 (17 in the trap and 205 with an electric shocker). The recoveries of marked lampreys, the increase in density of larvae in the farthest downstream section of the study area, and the annual catches in the trap demonstrated that a large part of the population gradually shifted downstream. On the other hand, many larvae were still within less than 1 km from the place of hatching, after more than 5 years. The capture of four recently metamorphosed sea lampreys (two males and two females), 152-172 mm long, in the fall of 1965, established the minimum age at transformation for larvae in the Big Garlic River at 5 years. Age and length (with the exception of a possible minimum length) were determined not to be critical factors in metamorphosis. The presence of larvae 65-176 mm long (mean, 107 mm) in the river in 1965 indicated that metamorphosis of lampreys in a single year class takes place over a period of years.
Biology of larval and metamorphosing sea lampreys, Petromyzon marinus, of the 1960 year class in the Big Garlic River, Michigan, Part II, 1966-72
The 1960 year class of sea lampreys, Petromyzon marinus , isolated in a tributary of southern Lake Superior continued to yield information on the early life history of the sea lamprey. The larval population persisted and newly metamorphosed individuals were captured from 1966 until the study was terminated in 1972. The average lengths of larvae collected in October (when yearly growth is nearly complete) in successive years from 1966 to 1972 were 111, 113, 112, 114, 121, 128, and 129 mm. The average lengths of transforming lampreys during the same years were 150, 151, 145, 143, 144, 148, and 156 mm. A gradual downstream shift of the population took place. Catches in an inclined-plane trap at the lower end of the study area increased to a peak of 13,244 in the 1968-69 migration year (September 1-August 31), and then steadily decreased. As the number of lampreys decreased in the upper sections and increased in the lower ones, the changes in density were reflected in changes in growth rates. Although the mean length of ammocetes throughout the stream was 111 mm in 1966, it had increased by 1971 to 151 and 143 mm in the upstream sections (IV and V), but to only 115 mm in the densely populated area immediately above the trap. Of a total of 9,889 larvae marked in 1962-68 to study movement and distribution, 2,045 were recovered as larvae and 1,396 as newly transformed adults. Major downstream movements of larvae occurred during high water in April and May, and of transformed lampreys in mid-October through November. Each year about 40% (range, 30-68) of the annual production of transformed lampreys migrated from the Big Garlic River system in one 12-hour period, and 82% by the end of October. The Big Garlic River study proved conclusively that metamorphosis of a single year class occurs over a considerable number of years. Newly metamorphosed individuals were captured in almost steadily increasing numbers from 1965 (age V) to the termination of the study in 1972 (age XII). Many large ammocetes were still present in the study area in 1972, and it can safely be assumed that they would have continued to metamorphose for several more years.
Experimental control of sea lampreys with electricity on the south shore of Lake Superior, 1953-60
Experimental control of the sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, with electric barriers was begun in Lake Superior in 1953. Electrical devices were the most practical and promising method of control then available. Installed below spawning grounds in streams and rivers tributary to Lake Superior, these barriers were designed to prevent the sexually mature sea lampreys from reproducing. The catch of sea lampreys at the electric barriers increased rapidly from 1,668 in 1953 to 66,931 in 1958. The total catches dropped substantially in 1959 and 1960 to 52,173 and 39,783, respectively. Electric fields of sufficient intensity to block sea lampreys were potentially lethal to other fish and caused undesirable mortality. Improvements in design and installation, and the development of a direct-current diversion device reduced the mortality and increased the efficiency of operation. The development of control by selective chemicals in 1958 superseded the barrier control system which was terminated at the end of the 1960 season. The electric barrier operation provided considerable information on mature sea lampreys, including data on time of migration, length, weight, and sex composition. Electric devices of the type and design used are capable of blocking entire runs of adult sea lampreys. An accurate appraisal of the effectiveness of the barrier system is impossible, however. Most of the barriers were not operated long enough to reduce the contribution of parasites from the streams. Furthermore, a complete system of efficient electric barriers was never realized. The greatest weakness of this method of control lies in maintenance of the units in continuous, uninterrupted operation through consecutive migratory seasons.
The use of alkalinity and conductivity measurements to estimate concentrations of 3-trifluormethyl-4-nitrophenol required for treating lamprey streams
A method has been devised to estimate the minimum concentration of TFM that will kill sea lampreys and the maximum that will not kill fish. It is based on the relation of these concentrations to the alkalinity and the conductivity of various waters. Pretreatment bioassays will continue to be required for precise determination of treatment concentrations, but the estimates made possible by the method will permit a great reduction in the number of bioassays on a single stream.
Microbial degradation of the lamprey larvicide 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol in sediment-water systems
The selective lampricide 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM), maintained in the water at concentrations of 1 to 6 I?g/ml for several hours, kills larval sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) in tributaries of the Great Lakes. Because the fate of TFM in the environment is a matter of concern, the interactions of this chemical with river and lake sediments were studied in laboratory experiments. In mixtures of TFM, water, and sediment held in aquariums, the TFM decreased progressively and nearly or completely disappeared in 1 to 4 weeks; concentrations of the fluoride ion increased; and the systems became nontoxic for sea lamprey larvae and goldfish (Carassius auratus). If the reduction in TFM ceased before all of the chemical had disappeared, the process resumed when nutrient broth was added. Loss of TFM from the systems was prevented by the addition of an antiseptic (phenol) and by heat sterilization. Enrichment cultures of microorganisms isolated from stream and lake sediments degraded TFM in nutrient broths. I conclude that TFM is degraded by microorganisms that live in sediment-water systems.
Movement and recapture of parasitic-phase sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) tagged in the St. Marys River and Lakes Huron and Michigan, 1963-67
Recoveries of 477 (11.8%) of 4,048 tagged parasitic-phase sea lampreys showed that lampreys moved extensively and that interchange between the Great Lakes was common. Of 93 recoveries from 2,265 tagged lampreys released below the navigation locks in the St. Marys River, 80 were in Lake Huron, 12 in Lake Superior, and 1 in Lake Erie; of 359 recaptures from 1,666 released in northern Lake Huron, 331 were in Lake Huron, 25 in Lake Michigan, and 3 in the St. Marys River; and of 25 recaptures from 117 released in Lake Michigan, 21 were in Lake Michigan and 4 in Lake Huron. Of the 477 sea lampreys recovered, 209 (44%) were captured more than 15 km from the locality of release; 42 had traveled 160-628 km (average, 275 km) before they were recaptured. Among recaptures from sea lampreys released in northern Lake Huron, 240 (67%) were recovered within 15 km of the release point in less than 50 days after release; only 12 were recaptured within this radius after 50 or more days of liberty. Probability of recapture was not influenced by size among sea lampreys longer than 205 mm (total length), but the lampreys recaptured at the greater distances from the tagging localities tended to be large. All of 34 lampreys recaptured more than 150 km from the point of release were longer than 254 mm (average, 418 mm) when tagged and 9 recaptured more than 300 km away were longer than 354 mm (average, 441 mm). Four sea lampreys 345-445 mm long when tagged in November or early December were recovered in mid-September of the following year, at least 2 months after the end of the normal spawning season. Suggested possible reasons for this unusual occurrence are the extension of the parasitic phase of the life cycle beyond the usual 12 to 20 months, late-season maturation of the gonads, disease, or deleterious effects of the tags.
Lake Ontario phytoplankton, September 1964
Phytoplankton counts on samples collected in Lake Ontario on September 8-18, 1964, showed that green algae were the dominant plankters and diatoms were of secondary importance. The greatest abundance of phytoplankton was close to shore from Toronto, along the southern shore of the lake, and up the eastern shore to the North Channel. The open waters of Lake Ontario were characterized by low numbers of phytoplankton. The relationships among phytoplankton abundance, bottom fauna distribution, and enrichment are discussed.
Estimation of the brook and sea lamprey ammocoete populations of three streams
Marking experiments on three streams in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan yielded quantitative estimates of populations of larval and transforming lampreys. The estimates not only gave an idea as to the numbers of ammocetes in the streams, but also confirmed the judgments of abundance based on earlier surveys with electric-shocking equipment and provided valuable information on the movement of larvae during chemical treatment. The estimated numbers of ammocetes in the three streams were 4,300 in Furnace Creek, 30,600 in Snyder Creek, and 336,700 in the Ogontz River.
Control of the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) in Lake Superior, 1953-70
The sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) gained entrance into Lake Superior in the early 1940's, and began making drastic inroads on the fish stocks by the early 1950's. Serious efforts to control the parasite began in 1953 with the installation of electrical barriers in streams to block spawning runs. Control measures became much more effective after 1958, when a selective toxicant, the lampricide 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM), was used to destroy larval lampreys in streams. A unique methodology was developed for stream treatments which included surveys to find sea lamprey larvae, bioassays to determine effective lampricide concentrations, analytical techniques to monitor concentrations of lampricide throughout the treatment, and feeder systems to apply the toxicant in controlled amounts. Evidence of successful control was indicated first by reduced sea lamprey spawning runs, as measured by the numbers of adults taken at electrical barriers. The runs declined in 1962 by about 86%; periodic re-treatments of lamprey-infested streams held the population at a low level in 1963-70. Other indicators of success were decreases in the incidence of sea lamprey wounds on lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), in the numbers of sea lamprey larvae in streams, and in the number of streams regularly used by sea lampreys for spawning. Although sea lamprey control and heavy plantings of hatchery-reared stock had restored lake trout abundance to prelamprey levels in many areas by 1970, the trout had not yet become self-sustaining. Additional effort will be required to further reduce the effects of lamprey predation.
Changes in the lake trout population of southern Lake Superior in relation to the fishery, the sea lamprey, and stocking, 1950-70
Commercial catch and effort statistics for 1929-70, samples of commercial catches in 1959-62, and records of examinations of all lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) taken commercially in inshore waters of Michigan and Wisconsin in 1962-70 were the basis for descriptions of changes in the population in 1929-70. Abundance fluctuated cyclically and gradually downward in 1929-49, whereas fishing intensity tended to increase during the same period. In 1950-52, a change from cotton to nylon twine in gillnets raised effective fishing effort to 305% of the 1929-43 average in Michigan waters and to 228% in Wisconsin waters; production held near average. Abundance fell to 18% of average in Michigan in 1953-61 and to 25% of average in Wisconsin in 1956-61; in the same periods, production fell to 11% of average in Michigan and to 19% in Wisconsin. In 1962-70 abundance rose to 160% in Michigan and 246% in Wisconsin while production and fishing intensity were held low (3-14%) by regulation. Changes in abundance of lake trout were attributable to a sequence of developments in successive series of years; intensive fishing in the early 1950's; severe sea lamprey predation in the late 1950's; an 85% reduction in abundance of sea lampreys in mid 1961; and the combination of sea lamprey control, intensive stocking of yearling lake trout, and restrictions on fishing in 1962-70. A decline in average size of lake trout and the near elimination of spawning stocks in 1953-61 curtailed recruitment of native lake trout in the mid 1960's. Stocking of fin-clipped lake trout replaced natural reproduction in the early 1960's. In 1965-70, the lake trout population was composed mainly of hatchery-reared fish. Natural reproduction was reestablished on one major spawning shoal in Wisconsin in 1965, but in 1970 only 10% of the legal (17-inch and longer) and 17% of the undersize lake trout in Wisconsin were native fish. Reduction of sea lamprey abundance resulted in an immediate increase in survival and abundance of lake trout, especially of the larger sizes. As abundance of lake trout progressively increased in 1962-70, survival of the smaller legal-size lake trout increased, probably due to reduction of the predator-prey ratio and an increase in availability of larger lake trout preferred by sea lampreys. Abundance of spawning-size lake trout was limited by high natural mortality in 1965-70. Circumstantial evidence suggested that sea lamprey predation contributed a major part of the high natural mortality.
The ecology and management of the walleye in western Lake Erie
No abstract available.
Planktonic diatoms of Lake Ontario
The major species of diatoms in surface collections from Lake Ontario in September 1964 were Asterionella formosa, Fragilaria crotonensis, and Tabellaris fenestrata. Dominant species in the deep-water samples were Stephanodiscus astraea, S. astraea var. mintula, and F. crotonensis. The diatom flora in surface collections varied among several stations in the eastern end of the lake.
Substituted nitrosalicylanilides: a new class of selectively toxic sea lamprey larvicides
Structure activity relationships of substituted 3-nitro- and 5-nitro-salicylanilides and related compounds have been evaluated to elucidate their activity as potent selectively toxic sea lamprey larvicides.
Fishery survey of U. S. waters of Lake Ontario
Gill nets and trawls were fished by the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries R/V Cisco during September 19-23, 1964, at several locations and depths in the offshore United States waters of Lake Ontario. Water temperatures were low (3.7-8.3 A?C) at all fishing stations except one (16.4 A?C). Supplementary data were provided by the Bureau's R/V Kaho in 1966. Alewives and smelt were common. Ciscoes were extremely scarce, but large; most of those caught were bloaters. Slimy sculpins were abundant, but no deepwater sculpins were caught. Yellow perch were scarce. Although the warm water species were inadequately sampled, trout-perch seemed to be abundant. Other species, all caught in small numbers, were lake trout, spottail shiners, burbot, threespine sticklebacks, and johnny darters from cold water and northern pike, lake chubs, white suckers, white bass, white perch, and rock bass from warm water.