Species Succession and Fishery Exploitation in the Great Lakes

1968 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 667-693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanford H. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Brook Trout ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Coho Salmon ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sea Lamprey ◽  
Species Interaction ◽  
Selective Predation ◽  
Fish Stocks

The species composition of fish in the Great Lakes has undergone continual change since the earliest records. Some changes were caused by enrichment of the environment, but others primarily by an intensive and selective fishery for certain species. Major changes related to the fishery were less frequent before the late 1930's than in recent years and involved few species. Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) were overexploited knowingly during the late 1800's because they interfered with fishing for preferred species; sturgeon were greatly reduced in all lakes by the early 1900's. Heavy exploitation accompanied sharp declines of lake herring (Leucichthys artedi) in Lake Erie during the 1920's and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) in Lake Huron during the 1930's. A rapid succession of fish species in Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior that started about 1940 has been caused by selective predation by the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) on native predatory species, and the resultant shifting emphasis of the fishery and species interaction as various species declined. Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and burbot (Lota lota), the deep-water predators, were depleted first; this favored their prey, the chubs (Leucichthys spp.). The seven species of chubs were influenced differently according to differences in size. Fishing emphasis and predation by sea lampreys were selective for the largest species of chubs as lake trout and burbot declined. A single slow-growing chub, the bloater, was favored and increased, but as the large chubs declined the bloater was exploited by a new trawl fishery. The growth rate and size of the bloater increased, making it more vulnerable to conventional gillnet fishery and lamprey predation. This situation in Lakes Michigan and Huron favored the small alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) which had recently become established in the upper Great Lakes, and the alewife increased rapidly and dominated the fish stocks of the lakes. The successive collapses of various stocks after periods of stable production may give some indication of their sustainable yield. The sea lamprey is being brought under control in Lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron; lake trout are being established; and chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), coho salmon (O. kisutch), kokanee salmon (O. nerka), and the splake, a hybrid of lake trout and brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), are being introduced to reestablish a new species balance. Fish stocks are in a state of extreme instability in these lakes. Careful control of stocking programs and fisheries, and coordination of management among the various states of the United States and the province of Canada (Ontario) which manage the fish stocks, will be required to restore and maintain a useful fishery balance.

Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) in Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior: History of Invasion and Control, 1936–78

1980 ◽  
Vol 37 (11) ◽  
pp. 1780-1801 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. R. Smith ◽  
J. J. Tibbles
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Coho Salmon ◽  
Petromyzon Marinus ◽  
Control Program ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sea Lamprey ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Fish Stocks

Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) entered the upper three Great Lakes in the late 1930s and began making sharp inroads into the fish stocks by the mid-1940s in lakes Huron and Michigan and the mid-1950s in Lake Superior. The first serious attempts to control the parasite began in 1950 with the installation of mechanical barriers along the United States shore of Lake Huron to block spawning runs. Electrical barriers, developed in 1952, were installed in 132 tributaries of the Great Lakes by 1960, but control measures did not become effective until after 1958, when a selective toxicant — the lampricide 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) — was used to destroy larval lampreys in streams. In the 21 years, 1958–78, 1223 treatments of tributaries of the upper three lakes with TFM were completed in 334 streams — 91 in Canada and 243 in the United States. Evidence of the success of the control program was soon obvious: first by reduced sea lamprey spawning runs as measured by the numbers of adults taken at electrical barriers; second by significant decreases in the incidence of sea lamprey wounds on lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush); and finally by the excellent responses of major fish stocks to sea lamprey control. All three of the upper lakes have large numbers of lake trout, coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), and other salmonids available to the sport fishery and in some areas to the commercial fishing industry. Although the sea lamprey control program has been successful, it is important that emphasis be placed on developing new and innovative methods to reduce the dependence on lampricides. It is expected that a fully integrated program will eventually comprise several methods, including permanent barrier dams on selected streams and the use of sterilants, attractants, repellents, and biological controls, as well as chemical lampricides.Key words: sea lamprey, distribution, abundance, history, predation, integrated controls, Huron, Michigan, Superior

An examination of the PCB: lipid relationship among individual fish

1997 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 1031-1038
Author(s):  
C A Stow ◽  
L J Jackson ◽  
J F Amrhein
Keyword(s):  
Salmo Trutta ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Coho Salmon ◽  
Salvelinus Namaycush ◽  
Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus Mykiss ◽  
Strong Linear Correlation ◽  
Brown Trout Salmo Trutta ◽  
The Relationship

We examined data from 1984 to 1994 for five species of Lake Michigan salmonids to explore the relationship between total PCB concentration and percent lipid. When we compared mean species lipid and PCB values, we found a strong linear correlation. When we compared values among individuals, we found modest positive PCB:lipid associations in brown trout (Salmo trutta), chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) collected during spawning, but positive associations were not apparent among nonspawning individuals. Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) exhibited no discernible PCB:lipid relationship. Our results are not incompatible with previous observations that contaminants are differentially partitioned into lipids within a fish, but these results do suggest that lipids are not a major factor influencing contaminant uptake.

Classification of Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) Attack Marks on Great Lakes Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush)

1980 ◽  
Vol 37 (11) ◽  
pp. 1989-2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Everett Louis King Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Petromyzon Marinus ◽  
Attachment Site ◽  
Sea Lamprey ◽  
Salvelinus Namaycush ◽  
Oral Disc ◽  
Field Assessment ◽  
Sea Lampreys

Criteria for the classification of marks inflicted by sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) into nine categories were developed from laboratory studies in an attempt to refine the classification system used in field assessment work. These criteria were based on characteristics of the attachment site that could be identified under field conditions by unaided visual means and by touching the attachment site. Healing of these marks was somewhat variable and was influenced by the size of lamprey, duration of attachment, severity of the wound at lamprey detachment, season and water temperature, and by other less obvious factors. Even under laboratory conditions staging of some wounds was difficult, especially at low water temperatures. If these criteria are to be used effectively and with precision in the field, close examination of individual fish may be required. If the feeding and density of specific year-classes of sea lampreys are to be accurately assessed on an annual basis, close attention to the wound size (as it reflects the size of the lamprey's oral disc) and character of wounds on fish will be required as well as consideration of the season of the year in which they are observed.Key words: sea lamprey, attack marks, lake trout, Great Lakes

Burbot: Ecology, Management, and Culture

2008 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Habitat Degradation ◽  
Alosa Pseudoharengus ◽  
Fish Stocks ◽  
Pelagic Larvae ◽  
Sea Lampreys ◽  
Long Term Trends

Abstract.—Burbot <em>Lota lota </em>populations collapsed in four of the five Laurentian Great Lakes between 1930 and the early 1960s. Collapses in Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Ontario were associated with sea lamprey <em>Petromyzon marinus </em>predation, whereas the collapse in Lake Erie was likely due to a combination of overexploitation, decreased water quality, and habitat degradation. We examined time series for burbot population density in all five lakes extending as far back as the early 1970s to present time and characterized the long-term trends after the initial collapses. Burbot population density in Lake Superior has remained relatively low and stable since 1978. Recovery of the burbot populations occurred in Lakes Michigan and Huron during the 1980s and in Lake Erie during the 1990s. Control of sea lampreys was a requirement for recovery of burbot populations in these three lakes. Declines in alewife <em>Alosa pseudoharengus </em>abundance appeared to be a second requirement for burbot recovery in Lakes Michigan and Huron. Alewives have been implicated in the decline of certain Great Lakes fish stocks that have pelagic larvae (e.g., burbot) by consuming the pelagic fry and possibly by outcompeting the fry for food. Relatively high populations of adult lake trout <em>Salvelinus namaycush </em>compared to burbot served as a buffer against predation by sea lampreys in Lakes Huron and Erie, which facilitated recovery of the burbot populations there. Although sea lampreys have been controlled in Lake Ontario, alewives are probably still too abundant to permit burbot recovery.

The relationship between the size of some salmonid fishes and the intensity of their acanthocephalan infections

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 924-927 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar M. Amin
Keyword(s):  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Coho Salmon ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Partial Replacement ◽  
Steady Increase ◽  
Host Feeding ◽  
Host Age ◽  
Maximal Increase

Of the complex factors affecting the abundance of acanthocephalan infections in their definitive fish hosts, those related to fish age are considered. In Lake Michigan, the abundance of some 8000 worms, mostly Echinorhynchus salmonis (Müller, 1784), was independent of the age (weight) of coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch (Walbaum), chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum), and lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush (Walbaum), using linear regression analysis. Other E. salmonis infection patterns include steady increase in abundance with host age and a maximal increase in midage. A decrease in abundance with host age was demonstrated in other acanthocephalan species. The above patterns were primarily related to host feeding behavior as well as spatial and seasonal distribution of invertebrate and vertebrate larval hosts. A progressive increase in the abundance of Echinorhynchus through midage or through life is associated with a stable intake of an invertebrate diet, including the infected intermediate host, in larger volumes by older fish. Loss of the latter two patterns is affected by destabilizing the above trend through total or partial replacement of the invertebrate diet with a piscivorous one.

Responses of Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) to Harvesting, Stocking, and Lamprey Reduction

1980 ◽  
Vol 37 (11) ◽  
pp. 2133-2145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl J. Walters ◽  
Greg Steer ◽  
George Spangler
Keyword(s):  
Simple Model ◽  
Policy Analysis ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Population Regulation ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Normal Population ◽  
Lake Superior ◽  
Sea Lamprey ◽  
Salvelinus Namaycush ◽  
Density Dependent

Sustained yields, declines, and recovery of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) can be explained by a simple model that hypothesizes normal population regulation through density dependent body growth, coupled with depensatory lamprey mortality. The model indicates that either lamprey or fishing alone could have caused the Lake Superior decline, though they apparently operated in concert. The presence of depensatory lamprey mortality leads to a "cliff edge" in the system's dynamics, such that catastrophic changes may be repeated in the future. It is not unlikely that Lake Superior is on the verge of a second collapse. Options for dealing with potential disasters include conservative harvesting policies, development of more sensitive monitoring indicators, and modified stocking policies that may speed the coevolution of a viable lamprey/trout association.Key words: lake trout, sea lamprey, simulation, Great Lakes, policy analysis

Newly Documented Host Fishes for the Eastern Elliptio Mussel Elliptio complanata

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
William A. Lellis ◽  
Barbara St. John White ◽  
Jeffrey C. Cole ◽  
Connie S. Johnson ◽  
Julie L. Devers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brook Trout ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
The United States ◽  
Host Use ◽  
Host Fish ◽  
American Eel ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Elliptio Complanata ◽  
Host Fishes

Abstract The eastern elliptio Elliptio complanata is a common, abundant, and ecologically important freshwater mussel that occurs throughout the Atlantic Slope drainage in the United States and Canada. Previous research has shown E. complanata glochidia to be host fish generalists, parasitizing yellow perch Perca flavescens, banded killifish Fundulus diaphanus, banded sculpin Cottus carolinae, and seven centrarchid species. Past laboratory studies have been conducted in the Midwest; however, glochidia used in these studies were obtained from adult mussels in the Great Lakes or St. Lawrence River basins, or glochidia sources were not reported. The objective of this study was to identify host fishes for E. complanata from streams in the Mid-Atlantic region. We used artificial laboratory infections to test host suitability of 38 fish and 2 amphibian species with E. complanata glochidia from the Chesapeake Bay drainage. Glochidia successfully metamorphosed into juvenile mussels on five fish species: American eel Anguilla rostrata, brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis, lake trout Salvelinus namaycush, mottled sculpin Cottus bairdii, and slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus. American eel was the most effective host, yielding the highest overall metamorphosis success (percentage of attached glochidia that transformed into juvenile mussels; ≥0.90) and producing 13.2 juveniles per fish overall. No juvenile E. complanata metamorphosed on other fish or amphibian species tested, including many previously identified host fishes that appear in the literature. Reasons for discrepancies in published host fish could include geographic variation in host use across the species' range, differences in host use between lentic and lotic populations, or poorly resolved taxonomy within the genus Elliptio.

Prey fish exploitation, salmonine production, and pelagic food web efficiency in Lake Ontario

1998 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 318-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter S Rand ◽  
Donald J Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Coho Salmon ◽  
Lake Ontario ◽  
Osmerus Mordax ◽  
Prey Fish ◽  
Rainbow Smelt ◽  
Time Model

Estimates of production and predation rates from bioenergetic models of chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), and lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) suggest a long-term decline in their gross conversion efficiency (gross production/prey consumption) and the gross production to biomass ratio in Lake Ontario during 1978-1994. The former pattern was caused primarily by a declining trend in adult alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) energy density during 1978-1985; the latter pattern resulted from reductions in growth rates (coho salmon) and a buildup of the older age-classes in the population (lake trout) over time. Model results suggest that over 100 and 25% of the annual production of adult alewife and rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax), respectively, was consumed by salmonines during 1990 in Lake Ontario; hence, we claim that recent observations of reduced salmonine growth in Lake Ontario may be a result of prey limitation. Energy transfer from primary production to salmonines appeared to be more efficient in Lake Ontario than in Lake Michigan, probably due to higher stocking levels per unit area and higher densities of preferred prey fish in Lake Ontario. Through separate analyses, we arrived at conflicting conclusions concerning the sustainability of the food web configuration in Lake Ontario during 1990.

Predatory-Phase Sea Lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) in the Great Lakes

1980 ◽  
Vol 37 (11) ◽  
pp. 2007-2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. G. H. Johnson ◽  
William C. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Feeding Activity ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Sea Lamprey ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Sea Lampreys ◽  
Early Fall

Incidentally caught predatory-phase sea lampreys were obtained from the commercial fisheries of the Laurentian Great Lakes, together with related catch data, in return for a reward offered to fishermen. Catches of sea lampreys per unit of fishing effort in Lake Superior generally paralleled other indices of sea lamprey abundance. Recently metamorphosed sea lampreys tended to appear early in the season in deepwater fisheries, typically those directed toward cisco (Coregonus spp.), whereas older specimens were taken more often in gear set at shallower depths during summer and fall. The proportion of male sea lampreys in the collections decreased annually between spring and fall, due apparently to a shoreward movement of the males. Large lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) appeared to be the preferred prey of the sea lamprey. From studies of the stomach contents, sea lamprey feeding activity appeared to reach a peak in late summer or early fall, thereafter declining until the cessation of feeding in early spring. Growth rate reached a maximum in late summer or early fall. Greatest length was attained between January and March, after which a decrease in length was observed. Predatory-phase sea lampreys remained concentrated near the mouths of their parent streams if sufficient numbers of prey were present. Their distribution in the Great Lakes was related to the location of prey.Key words: sea lamprey, predation, Great Lakes fishery

Growth potential and host mortality of the parasitic phase of the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) in Lake Superior

2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (10) ◽  
pp. 2343-2353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey C Jorgensen ◽  
James F Kitchell
Keyword(s):  
Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Pacific Salmon ◽  
Lake Superior ◽  
Petromyzon Marinus ◽  
Maximum Size ◽  
Sea Lamprey ◽  
Growth Potential ◽  
Sea Lampreys ◽  
Host Mortality

Landlocked Lake Superior sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) cause a significant but uncertain amount of mortality on host species. We used a sea lamprey bioenergetics model to examine the scope of host sizes vulnerable to death as a consequence of sea lamprey feeding and incorporated the bimodal lake-ward migration of parasitic sea lampreys. At their peak feeding rate and maximum size (P = 1.0, proportion of maximum consumption), spring migrants were capable of killing lean lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) hosts ≤ 2.0 kg, which was larger than fall migrants (1.8 kg). Spring migrants feeding on Pacific salmon (coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch), Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), and steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss)) killed hosts ≤ 2.0 kg, but fall migrants killed hosts as large as 2.8 kg. Although there is no direct empirical evidence, bioenergetics modeling suggests that it is plausible that some of the largest sea lampreys in Lake Superior spent more than one summer as parasites. Two-summer parasites readily attained sizes of sea-run adult anadromous sea lampreys and killed hosts from 3 to >5.5 kg in size. The maximum upper limit number of 2-kg hosts killed by two-summer parasites was nearly twice that of one-summer parasites.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document