Origin and Geography of the Fish Fauna of the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin

1981 ◽  
Vol 38 (12) ◽  
pp. 1539-1561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reeve M. Bailey ◽  
Gerald R. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Lake Superior ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
Secondary Contact ◽  
Species Differentiation ◽  
Stizostedion Vitreum ◽  
Great Lakes Basin ◽  
Geological Evidence ◽  
The Past

The native fishes of the Great Lakes basin consist of 153 species, 64 genera, and 25 families. The total ichthyofaunal lists for the several lakes and (in parentheses) their tributary basins are as follows: Nipigon (and tributaries), 40; Superior, 53 (82); Michigan, 91 (135); Huron, 90 (112); St. Clair and Detroit River 108; Erie, 106 (125); Ontario, 95 (125). (These totals include 21 introduced species, most named species of ciscoes and chubs, and the blue pike (Stizostedion vitreum glaucum).)Several areas show notable within-species differentiation. Tributaries to Lake Ontario are part of a zone of secondary contact of a few small, nonmanaged, subspecies that entered the basin from both eastern and western glacial refugia. In the Great Lakes themselves, stocks of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), ciscoes, walleyes (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum), and a few nonmanaged species stem from differentiation within the basin or reflect interglacial events that occurred in Mississippi refugia.Species distribution patterns suggest colonization of the Great Lakes by 122 kinds solely from Mississippi basin refugia, 14 kinds only from Atlantic drainage refugia, and dual refugia for at least 18 kinds. Geological evidence provides some support for this interpretation. It is unlikely that any species colonized the Great Lakes from an Alaskan refuge in the past 14 000 yr.The ciscoes and chubs of the genus Coregonus include numerous genetically differentiated stocks, some of which may predate the opening of the Great Lakes in the past 14 000 yr. This conclusion is based on the occurrence in Lake Nipigon and Lake Superior of several forms that must have colonized prior to 9000 yr ago when the last access existed from Lake Superior to Lake Nipigon. At least four and perhaps up to eight forms of Great Lakes coregonines probably survived (or differentiated during) the last glaciation south of the ice in proglacial waters at the heads of major river systems. There is no evidence to support the hypothesized post-Wisconsinan dispersal of any of these forms from a northwestern refugium or their Pleistocene derivation by introgression with a Eurasian species.Despite the evidence for some long-standing genetic differentiation within Coregonus, morphological and biochemical characters fail to support the unequivocal recognition within the Great Lakes of more than one to four current biological species (apart from clupeaformis). The presently recognized species are groups of stocks whose position in the classification system is problematical. The named groups (two of which are extinct) included numerous stocks that were (or are) isolated by homing behavior specific to time and place. The lack of intrinsic reproductive isolation among forms increases their vulnerability to extinction because rare forms apparently hybridize with common forms spawning at adjacent times or places.Key words: biogeography, Coregonus, fish, Great Lakes, introduced fishes, Pleistocene, species, subspecies

Paleohydrology of the upper Laurentian Great Lakes from the late glacial to early Holocene

2009 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 397-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andy Breckenridge ◽  
Thomas C. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Lake Superior ◽  
Late Glacial ◽  
Lake Huron ◽  
Michigan Basin ◽  
Great Lakes Basin ◽  
Lake Agassiz ◽  
Sharp Drop ◽  
Freshwater Fluxes

AbstractBetween 10,500 and 9000 cal yr BP, δ18O values of benthic ostracodes within glaciolacustrine varves from Lake Superior range from − 18 to − 22‰ PDB. In contrast, coeval ostracode and bivalve records from the Lake Huron and Lake Michigan basins are characterized by extreme δ18O variations, ranging from values that reflect a source that is primarily glacial (∼ − 20‰ PDB) to much higher values characteristic of a regional meteoric source (∼ − 5‰ PDB). Re-evaluated age models for the Huron and Michigan records yield a more consistent δ18O stratigraphy. The striking feature of these records is a sharp drop in δ18O values between 9400 and 9000 cal yr BP. In the Huron basin, this low δ18O excursion was ascribed to the late Stanley lowstand, and in the Lake Michigan basin to Lake Agassiz flooding. Catastrophic flooding from Lake Agassiz is likely, but a second possibility is that the low δ18O excursion records the switching of overflow from the Lake Superior basin from an undocumented northern outlet back into the Great Lakes basin. Quantifying freshwater fluxes for this system remains difficult because the benthic ostracodes in the glaciolacustrine varves of Lake Superior and Lake Agassiz may not record the average δ18O value of surface water.

Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) Fluctuations in the Great Lakes and Possible Causes, 1800–1975

1977 ◽  
Vol 34 (10) ◽  
pp. 1878-1889 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Schneider ◽  
J. H. Leach
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Lake Superior ◽  
Lake Huron ◽  
Stizostedion Vitreum ◽  
Spawning Habitat ◽  
Green Bay ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Foreign Species ◽  
Western Lake Erie

Changes in walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) stocks in the Great Lakes from 1800 to 1975 were linked to proliferation of foreign species of fish and culturally induced sources of stress — exploitation, nutrient loading, alteration of spawning habitat, and toxic materials. During the 1800s, three small spawning stocks (and probably many others) were damaged or destroyed because of either overfishing or elimination of spawning habitat through logging, pollution, or damming.During 1900–40, stocks in the Michigan waters of Lake Superior, southern Green Bay, the Thunder Bay River of Lake Huron, the North Channel of Lake Huron, and the New York waters of Lake Ontario declined gradually. Pollution, in general, and degradation of spawning habitat, in particular, probably caused three of the declines and overexploitation was suspected in two instances. In addition, the decline of three of these stocks occurred when rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) were increasing.During 1940–75, stocks in seven areas declined abruptly: Saginaw Bay (1944), northern Green Bay (1953), Muskegon River (mid-1950s), western Lake Erie (1955), Nipigon Bay (late 1950s), Bay of Quinte (1960), and Black Bay (mid-1960s). The decline of each stock was associated with a series of weak year-classes. The stocks were exposed to various sources of stress, including overexploitation, pollution, and interaction with foreign species, which, if not important in the decline, may be suppressing recovery. Only the western Lake Erie stock recovered, in part due to a reduction in exploitation and, possibly, because of the relatively low density of smelt and alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) in the nursery areas.Relatively stable stocks persisted in five areas: Wisconsin waters of Lake Superior, Lake St. Clair — southern Lake Huron, eastern Lake Erie, northern Lake Huron, and parts of Georgian Bay. Pollution problems were relatively minor in these areas and exploitation was light during recent decades. Apparently these stocks were more capable of withstanding the additional stresses exerted by alien species. Key words: population fluctuations, Percidae, Stizostedion, Great Lakes walleye, history of fisheries, summary of stresses, harvests, management implications

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

Tumor Frequencies in Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) and Brown Bullhead (Ictalurus nebulosus) and Sediment Contaminants in Tributaries of the Laurentian Great Lakes

1991 ◽  
Vol 48 (9) ◽  
pp. 1804-1810 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul C. Baumann ◽  
Michael J. Mac ◽  
Stephen B. Smith ◽  
John C. Harshbarger
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Liver Neoplasms ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
River Sediment ◽  
Liver Tumors ◽  
Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Stizostedion Vitreum ◽  
Great Lakes Basin ◽  
Brown Bullhead ◽  
Ictalurus Nebulosus

To better characterize neoplasm epizootics in the Great Lakes basin and their association with families of contaminants, we sampled five locations: the Fox and Menominee rivers, Lake Michigan; Munuscong Lake, St. Mary's River; and the Black and Cuyahoga rivers, Lake Erie. Frequencies of external and liver tumors were determined for brown bullhead (Ictalurus nebulosus) from all locations except the Black River and for walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) from the Lake Michigan and St. Mary's River sites. Sediment samples were analyzed for metals, polychlorinated aromatics, and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Liver neoplasms occurred in brown bullhead from the Cuyahoga River and Munuscong Lake; brown bullhead captured from Munuscong Lake were older than those collected from the other locations. Brown bullhead from these same two rivers had elevated hepatosomatic indexes. No liver neoplasms were found in brown bullhead from the Fox and Menominee rivers, although polychlorinated aromatics were highest in both Fox River sediment and Fox and Menominee brown bullhead, and arsenic was highest in Menominee River sediment and fish. Liver neoplasms in brown bullhead from the Cuyahoga River fit the prevailing hypothesis that elevated PAH in sediment can induce cancer in wild fish. The cause of the liver neoplasms in Munuscong Lake brown bullhead is undetermined.

Mitochondrial DNA Variation in Great Lakes Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) Populations

1988 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 643-654 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil Billington ◽  
Paul D. N. Hebert
Keyword(s):  
Mitochondrial Dna ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Stizostedion Vitreum ◽  
Great Lakes Basin ◽  
The West ◽  
Dna Variation ◽  
Sequence Recognition ◽  
Last Glaciation

Mitochondrial DNA variation was examined in 141 walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) from 10 populations in the Great Lakes basin. Twenty-two hexanucleotide sequence recognition endonucleases were used, of which six (Ava I, Bst EII, Cla I, Dra I, Nco I, and Sca I) revealed polymorphisms between fish. Nine mitochondrial clones were resolved which fell into two major groups that differed in their Nco I and Sca I fragment patterns. The "A" group predominates in the eastern Great Lakes, while the "B" group predominates in the west. The geographical distribution of these two groups suggests that Great Lakes walleye persisted in at least two refugia during the last glaciation. The study revealed several rare mitochondrial genotypes which may prove useful in creating genetically marked brood stocks. Since mtDNA is maternally inherited, such markers would provide information on both the survival and long-term reproductive success of stocked fish.

scholarly journals Assessment of impacts of climate change on water resources – a case study of the Great Lakes of North America

2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 3183-3209 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. McBean ◽  
H. Motiee
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Historical Data ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Lake Superior ◽  
Great Lakes Basin ◽  
Historical Trends ◽  
Change Models ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Abstract. Historical trends in precipitation, temperature, and streamflows in the Great Lakes are examined using regression analysis and Mann-Kendall statistics, with the result that many of these variables demonstrate statistically significant increases ongoing for a six decade period. Future precipitation rates as predicted using fitted regression lines are compared with scenarios from Global Climate Change Models (GCMs) and demonstrate similar forecast predictions for Lake Superior. Trend projections from historical data are, however, higher than GCM predictions for Michigan/Huron. Significant variability in predictions, as developed from alternative GCMs, is noted. Given the general agreement as derived from very different procedures, predictions extrapolated from historical trends and from GCMs, there is evidence that hydrologic changes in the Great Lakes Basin are likely the result of climate change.

The Relative Efficiency of Nylon and Cotton Gill Nets for Taking Lake Trout in Lake Superior

1962 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 1085-1094 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L. Pycha
Keyword(s):  
Relative Efficiency ◽  
Sharp Increase ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Lake Superior ◽  
Efficiency Ratio ◽  
Gill Nets ◽  
The Past ◽  
Trout Fishery ◽  
Biased Estimates ◽  
Gill Netting

The change from cotton to nylon twine for gill nets in 1949–52 resulted in a sharp increase in the efficiency of the most important gear used for taking lake trout in Lake Superior, and, consequently, biased estimates of fishing intensity and abundance severely.From early May to the end of September 1961, short gangs (2000 or 4000 linear feet) of cotton and nylon nets were fished in parallel sets for lake trout. A total of 343,000 feet of gill netting was lifted. Nylon nets were 2.25 times as efficient as cotton nets for taking legal-sized fish and 2.8 times as efficient for undersized lake trout. The average lengths of legal, undersized, and all lake trout taken in nets of the two materials did not differ greatly. The percentage of the catch which was undersized (less than 1.25 lb, dressed weight) was 20.8 in nylon nets and 17.7 in cotton. The relative efficiency of cotton and nylon nets showed no trend during the season. The efficiency ratio determined in this study was closely similar to that obtained by earlier workers.Correction of estimates of fishing intensity and abundance for the greater efficiency of the nylon nets used since 1951 has not been attempted. The drastic decline of the lake trout fishery has forced fishermen to make changes in fishing practices in the past few years that cause new bias of an unknown extent to estimates of fishing intensity.

scholarly journals Experimental Evidence of Epizootic Epitheliotropic Disease Virus (Salmoid Herpesvirus-3, Alloherpesviridae) Transmission via Contaminated Fomites and Subsequent Prevention Using a Disinfectant

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 724
Author(s):  
Mochamad A. Purbayu ◽  
Megan A. Shavalier ◽  
Mohamed Faisal ◽  
Thomas P. Loch
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Group ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
Disease Virus ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Salvelinus Namaycush ◽  
Negative Control ◽  
Great Lakes Basin ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Promising Tool

Epizootic epitheliotropic disease virus (EEDV) has caused considerable mortality in hatchery-reared lake trout Salvelinus namaycush in the Great Lakes Basin, and yet the routes of transmission and efficacious means of prevention remain poorly understood. To determine whether EEDV can be transmitted via contaminated fomites and clarify whether such transmission could be prevented via fomite disinfection, juvenile lake trout (n = 20 per treatment) were handled in nets previously soaked in an EEDV suspension (7.29 × 104–2.25 × 105 virus copies/mL of water) that were further immersed in either 1% Virkon® Aquatic (“disinfected” treatment, in triplicate) or in sample diluent (“EEDV-contaminated” treatment). Negative control nets were soaked in sterile sample diluent only. Characteristic gross signs of EED developed in the “EEDV-contaminated” treatment group, which was followed by 80% mortality, whereas no gross signs of disease and 0–5% mortality occurred in the negative control and “disinfected” treatment groups, respectively. EEDV was detected via qPCR in 90% of the “EEDV-contaminated” treatment fish, however, it was not detected in any fish within the negative control or “disinfected” treatment groups. Study findings not only demonstrate that EEDV can be readily transmitted via contaminated fomites, but importantly suggest that Virkon® Aquatic is an efficacious option for preventing EEDV contagion via the disinfection of hatchery tools, thereby highlighting a promising tool for improving lake trout hatchery biosecurity and minimizing EEDV-linked losses.

Differences in Early Development Among Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) Populations

1985 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 737-743 ◽  
Author(s):  
William H. Horns
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Lake Superior ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Salvelinus Namaycush ◽  
The Other ◽  
Morphological Development ◽  
Green Lake ◽  
The Times

Genetic differences among surviving lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) populations might be important for the reestablishment of self-sustaining populations in the Great Lakes, but little relevant information is available to guide stocking practices. I studied eggs and fry of four populations, two from Lake Superior, one from Trout Lake, and one (the Green Lake strain) derived in part from Lake Michigan. I found significant interpopulation differences in hatching and emergence times as well as in indices of morphological development rates. Interpopulation differences in morphological development at the times of emergence suggest that the Green Lake strain emerges at an earlier stage of morphological development than do the other populations. Between-lake differences are the most important sources of variability in my data; the Lake Superior populations were similar to one another, and variation among crosses within populations was small.

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