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At least 505 records · Page 28Linked to original sources
USGS1960

The bottom fauna of Lake Huron

The examination of 63 bottom samples, collected in Lake Huron in 1952 and 1956, revealed that Pontoporeia affinis was the dominant organism in both deep and shallow water. The next most abundant organisms in deep water were oligochaetes, fingernail clams, and midge larvae. Midge larvae were more numerous than either oligochaetes or fingernail clams in shallow water. The nmnber of organisms per square meter was similar to that determined from a similar study on Lake Michigan.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1960

The stoneroller, Campostoma anomalum (Rafinesque), in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum) is one of the more important fish in Great Smoky Mountains National Park because of its abundance and habits. Although esteemed locally as a food and a bait fish, the stoneroller is exploited but little since the fishing regulations which govern the utilization of game fishes afford it a large measure of protection. Distribution is controlled by gradient with an upper limit of 4.4 percent. Stonerollers limit reproduction of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) by destroying trout redds. Artificial reduction of stoneroller populations is not considered a necessary management procedure.

North Carolina, Tennessee↗
USGS1960

Chemical and histological studies of wild and hatchery salmon in fresh water

In a study of coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch ), the gross chemical and histological changes occurring over a 14-month period spent in fresh water were determined. The determinations were made at 3-month intervals on: 1) hatchery-reared fish, 2) fish hatchery-reared for 3, 6, 9, and 12 months and then planted in a controlled stream for the remainder of the period; and 3) an indigenous group of wild fish in this stream. Wild fish showed high incidence of tissue damage from spinose hairs of the moth larva, Halisidota argentata. Hatchery fish were similarly affected with the severity and incidence of lesions varying directly with the time of exposure of the larvae in the wild environment. Both groups of fish were heavily parasitized by sporozoan organisms in the kidney and spinal cord. Kidney disease appeared in both wild and planted hatchery fish. The gross chemical composition of hatchery fish transformed rapidly after planting to that of the wild fish. Although the initial rate of fat loss is essentially constant for all hatchery groups after planting, fish that were hatchery reared for 9 to 12 months did not complete the transformation to the wild-type body composition by the time of downstream migration at 14 months.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1960

A bacterial disease of yellow perch ( Peres flavescens )

On May 26, 1959, two of the authors' investigated a fish kill at Dailey Lake, Park County, Montana. They observed about a half-dozen live, weakly swimming yellow perch ( Perca flavescens ), in addition to thousand of dead perch along the shoreline. It was learned from local residents that mortalities had begun to appear some 2 weeks earlier. At that time the time the authorities had diagnosed the condition as a winterkill, since ice had only recently disappeared from the lake. Although a number of other species inhabit Dailey Lake, including rainbow trout (S almo gairdner i), brown trout ( S. trutta ), kokanee ( Oncorhynchus nerka ), black crappie ( Pomoxis nigromaculatus ), largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides ), longnose suckers ( Catostomus catostomus ), rainbow x cutthroat hybrids, only one other species was represented in the kill. This consisted of one black crappie. Examination of the freshly dead perch revealed the presence of multiple petechiae, which were visible externally as well as in the dorsal musculature. The peritoneal cavity showed evidence of inflammation and contained a bloody ascitic fluid. A number of the dead fish were placed on ice and shipped to the Western Fish Disease Laboratory in Seattle for bacteriological studies.

Montana↗
USGS1960

Age and growth of the whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis, of Munising Bay, Lake Superior

This study is based on a sample of 415 whitefish collected in 1953 from an unexploited population in Munising Bay, Lake Superior. Gill-net and trawl catches had different length-frequency distributions and age compositions, but estimates of growth from the two catches were very similar. The body-scale relation is a straight line with an intercept of 1.5 inches. Weight of Munising Bay whitefish captured in June increased as the 3.17 power of the length. Growth in length and weight of Munising Bay whitefish was the slowest yet reported from Great Lakes waters. Munising Bay whitefish required nearly 8 years to reach a length of 10 inches and a full 13 years to reach 15 inches. Slightly more than 8 years were required to reach a weight of 8 ounces and a little less than 14 years to reach 1 pound. The sex ratio of the Munising Bay whitefish exhibited no systematic change with an increase in age. The entire sample for which ages were determined contained 52 percent males. Munising Bay whitefish matured at much shorter lengths but at a greater age than reported for other Great Lakes whitefish populations. The smallest mature males were in the 11.5- to 11.9-inch length interval (age-group VII) and all males longer than 14.4 inches (age-group XII) were mature. The first mature females appeared at 12.0-12.4 inches (age-group X) and all females longer than 14.9 inches (age-group XII) were mature. The more rapidly growing individuals matured earlier than the slow-growing ones.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1961

Modification of the microhematocrit technique with trout blood

Commercial and laboratory‐prepared capillary tubes for hematocrit were tested. A 10 percent solution of heparin was found to be best for the preparation of treated capillary tubes. For examination of trout blood laboratory‐prepared capillary tubes were found to be superior to commercial tubes which are designed for human blood. Sharp, pointed heparinized capillary tubes were used with good results for collecting blood from the heart without killing the examined fish. Hematocrits determined directly in such tubes were found to have the same value as those prepared in other ways.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1961

Environmental changes in Lake Erie

Comparison of data compiled during the past 60 years with those from recent studies shows that major changes have occurred in the bottom and fish faunas of Lake Erie. The bottom fauna was formerly dominated by the nymphs of Hexagenia, but at present midge larvae and oligochaetes are most abundant. Blue pike (Stizostedion vitreum glaucum) and cisco (Coregonus artedii), which formerly dominated the commercial catch, are scarce, while other species are more plentiful than formerly. The concentrations of various major ions have increased as much as 10 p.p.m. The mean annual water temperatures are approximately 2° F. warmer today than during the 1918-28 period. Low levels of dissolved oxygen have been observed several times since 1930, and recently very low concentrations were found in the bottom waters covering many square miles of the central basin. Although similar conditions may have existed in the past, it appears that greater areas are involved at the present.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1961

Records, ages, and growth of the mooneye, Hiodon tergisus, of the Great Lakes

Mooneyes (Hiodon tergisus) are very scarce in the upper three Great Lakes since only four specimens have been received from Lake Michigan, one from Lake Huron, and none from Lake Superior. The published statistics of the mooneyes are erroneous. Those of 1931 of Lake Michigan were perhaps chubs (Coregonus spp.) and those of Lake Huron of 1929 were also chubs and of 1934, 1949, and 1951 were gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) but since 1956 were alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus). Mooneyes are common in Lakes Erie and Ontario and perhaps in Lake St. Clair but are commercialized only in the States of Ohio and Michigan. Virtually all Lake Erie mooneyes were caught in trap nets, pound nets, and seines in less than 35 feet of water. Their life-history data collected in 1927-31 included lengths and weights of age-groups I-VII, calculated increments and lengths based on both anterior radii and lateral diameters of scales, length-weight relationships, and sexual maturity. Apparently mature specimens exceeded 8.8 inches, 3.25 ounces, and age-group I.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1961

Factors related to commercial production of the walleye in Red Lakes, Minnesota

Growth of the walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) in Red Lakes, Minnesota, over a 17-year period was slower than in other waters of the Great Lakes region and fluctuated annually from 30.7 percent above to 42.2 percent below mean growth. Individual year classes varied considerably in growth rate. Age distribution in 3 1/2-inch stretch-measure commercial nets varied extremely in 9 years' collections and was related to year-class strength and fishing intensity during periods when classes were available for catch. Abundance of different classes varied 23-fold. Annulus formation and resumption of growth occurred from mid-June to late July. Effective growing season did not exceed 4 months and for some individuals in some years was 2 months or less. The catch contained age-groups II-XII but consisted principally of groups IV-VIII. Seasonal changes in age distribution were dependent on growth rate and fishing effort. Total catch was strongly influenced by growth and seasonal distribution of fishing effort. Maximum availability to commercial nets was at a total length of 15.1 inches, but a large percentage of the catch was smaller fish. Total annual mortality rate after fish attained 15.1 inches total length was 0.66, but continued recruitment through group VIII caused apparent change in mortality rate with increasing age up to IX. Maximum harvest could be attained by concentrating fishing effort in the latter part of the growing season. Abundance indices derived from commercial catch will be strongly influenced by the seasonal pattern of fishing.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1961

Recoveries of tagged, hatchery-reared lake trout from Lake Superior

Plantings that totaled 13,384 tagged, hatchery-reared lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush)—18, 25, 30, or 37 months old—were made at four Lake Superior localities in 1955-57 to: measure possible increases of return from rearing to greater size and age; study the effect of season of planting on the rate of return; compare returns from different types of tags; and follow the movements of hatchery-reared fish. The great advantage of spring over fall planting, demonstrated for fingerling lake trout in earlier experiments, did not hold for fish planted at ages of 18 to 37 months. The improvement of recovery rates with increase of age over the same 18- to 37-month interval appears to be too small to justify the cost of rearing to the higher ages. The recovery rates were closely similar (3.9 to 4.8 percent) for lower-jaw tags and two types of nylon-streamer tags but were much lower than the rate for Petersen tags (12.4 percent). The pins of Petersen tags render the fish highly vulnerable to entanglement in the webbing of gill nets, the principal gear in Lake Superior. Recoveries of Petersen tags also came earlier after planting than did those of other tags. The time between planting and recovery and the distance traveled by the fish were clearly but not closely correlated. Mean distance between points of planting and recovery increased with time out, and average time out increased with the number of miles traveled. More than half of the recoveries of fish that had been at liberty over 2 years were made within 25 miles of the point of release.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1961

Food of the American smelt in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron

In order to determine possible sources of vitamin A for quail, 37 species of insects and other invertebrates were analyzed for vitamin A and for carotene, and 26 species of seeds and fruits were assayed for carotene. The invertebrates showed no trace of vitamin A; but 8 herbivorous invertebrates and the praying mantis contained carotene. Most of the plants contained carotene--some of them a lot (dotted smartweed, some legumes, sumac, roses, bittersweet, etc.). The amount of carotene varied among plants of the same species and even among fruits on the same plant.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1961

Recent changes in the walleye fishery of northern Green Bay and history of the 1943 year class

Production, fishing intensity, and availability of walleyes (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) fluctuated widely in the commercial fishery of northern Green Bay in 1929-57. The catch ranged from 16,000 pounds (8 percent of average for the 1929-53 base period) in 1942 to 1,294,000 pounds (633 percent) in 1950. The index of fishing intensity ranged from 17 (1941) to 400 (1950) and that of abundance from 47 (1929) to 222 (1955). Production and fishing intensity were consistently above average in 1947-57; abundance exceeded the average in 8 of these years. The fishery statistics and records of age and size composition of commercial landings of walleyes in the spring and fall fishing seasons of 1949-58 (scale samples were taken from a total of 1,631 fish) were the basis for a study of recent changes in the walleye fishery with particular reference to the effects of fluctuations in the strength of year classes. The 1943 year class, by a wide margin, exceeded all others in the estimated total number (1,173,000 fish) and weight (3,355,000 pounds) contributed to commercial landings. This year class was a major factor in the sharp rise in production and abundance after 1945 and the all-time record catch of 1950. In contrast, certain other year classes (1945, 1946, 1948) have contributed totals as small as 16,000 to 52,000 pounds. The abundance of the 1950, 1951, and 1952 year classes approached or exceeded that of the 1943 year class at the lesser ages (through the IV group), but these more recent classes disappeared from the fishery so rapidly that their total contributions were relatively low. The indicated increase of mortality in the middle 1950's cannot be attributed to increase in the rate of commercial exploitation. Evidence is offered that the heightened mortality rate resulted from expansion of the sport fishery.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1961

Use of radioisotopes in hydrobiology and fish culture

Use of radioisotopes has increased rapidly in hydrobiology and fish culture. Their use, especially P 32 , to study circulation of nutrients has been demonstrated and offers opportunities in problems of lake metabolism. The most extensive use of isotopes has been to determine photosynthetic activity in plankton through C 14 uptake. Applications and limitations are discussed. Isotopes have been successfully used in food studies of fish to determine food selection, metabolism, and storage. Water movements in fresh and salt water and in sewage problems have been successfully followed by use of various isotopes. Marking of aquatic animals with radioisotopes has many possible applications, but has been little used because of some inherent problems related to danger to organisms and in field use. Extent of future use of isotopes in hydrobiology will be determined by further study of hazards and public acceptance of field studies.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1962

Distribution and detoxication of toxaphene in Clayton Lake, New Mexico

The fate of toxaphene, applied in three treatments at a total calculated concentration of 0.05 p.p.m. to Clayton Lake, New Mexico, was followed over a 1.5-year period. A detailed description of the chromatographic method of analysis is given. Water concentrations of toxaphene were higher in leeshore samples than in windward samples for 2 weeks after the application; toxaphene levels then appeared to reach a constant value of about 0.001 p.p.m. for at least an additional 250 days. Total body concentrations of toxaphene were determined in trout and bullheads present in the lake during the poisoning and in trout placed in the lake in live-cars subsequently. Trout were more susceptible to toxaphene and accumulated lower body levels than bullheads. Bullheads which showed symptoms of toxaphene poisoning when collected had higher levels than did normal-appearing individuals. No difference in levels was observed in live-car trout collected dead as compared to survivors. Aquatic vegetation accumulated high concentrations of toxaphene; low concentrations were found in some sediment samples. The significance of these findings is discussed.

New Mexico↗
USGS1962

Comparative toxicity of 3-trifluormethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) to larval lampreys and eleven species of fishes

The tolerances of larval lampreys, rainbow trout, and 10 species of warmwater fishes to 3-trifluormethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM), a selective lamprey larvicide, were determined in three dilution waters of different physical and chemical characteristics. Differential toxic effects of the chemical to larval lampreys and test fishes varied broadly with the species of fish. Smallmouth bass and other centrarchids were most tolerant of the chemical; walleye, yellow perch, bullheads, and white suckers were most susceptible. The toxicity of TFM to both lampreys and fishes diminished as the conductivity and alkalinity of the dilution water increased. The differential action of the chemical was retained in all waters, however.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1963

Food of the bloater, Coregonus hoyi, in Lake Michigan

Stomachs were examined from 1,469 Lake Michigan bloaters, Coregonus [Leucichthys] hoyi, greater than 7 inches long which contained identifiable food. An additional 461 ciscoes less than 7 inches long were incorporated into the study; these latter fish were not positively identified, but most of them undoubtedly were bloaters. The specimens were caught in bottom nets except for 49, all less than 6 inches long, taken in midwater trawls. Lake Michigan bloaters under 7 inches long depend heavily on zooplankton. Those larger than 7 inches feed predominantly on Pontoporeia affinis and Mysis relicta, although fish of the 7.0- to 7.9-inch size range commonly eat zooplankton, expecially in shallower water. Generally, Mysis becomes more important, and Pontoporeia less so, as the depth increases and as the season progresses from spring to fall. Incidence of Pontoporeia increases and that of Mysis declines as the fish size increases. Other food items, in decreasing order of importance, are fingernail clams, midges (all stages of development), fish eggs, ostracods, and miscellaneous adult and immature insects other than midges.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗