We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Synchronous changes in length at maturity across four species of Lake Erie fish with different harvest histories.
- Authors
Gíslason, Davíð; McLaughlin, Robert B.; Robinson, Beren W.
- Abstract
Decreases in size at maturation in harvested fish populations can reduce productivity and resilience. Delineating the causes for these changes in maturation is challenging. We assessed harvest and large-scale ecosystem variability as causes for changes in maturation in four Lake Erie fishes. Regulated harvests of yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and walleye (Sander vitreus) are greater than unregulated harvests of white perch (Morone americana) and white bass (Morone chrysops). Our assessment considered cohort data from 1991 to 2012 for each species. We used a conceptual model of harvest-induced plasticity to show that changes in female length at 50% maturity (L50) were unrelated to harvest intensity in all species. We then demonstrated that changes in female L50 among cohorts were synchronous across species. Post hoc analysis of variables capturing year-to-year variation in climatic and lake conditions suggested L50 was larger when water levels were near the norm for the study period and smaller at low and high levels. We conclude that changes in L50 were most strongly related to ecosystem changes unrelated to harvest intensity.
- Subjects
YELLOW perch; FISH populations; WATER levels; CLIMATE change; SPECIES
- Publication
Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences, 2021, Vol 78, Issue 6, p721
- ISSN
0706-652X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1139/cjfas-2019-0408