Demographic patterns of walleye (Sander vitreus) reproductive success in a Wisconsin population

Evolutionary Applications
By: , and 

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Abstract

Harvest in walleye Sander vitreus fisheries is size-selective and could influence phenotypic traits of spawners; however, contributions of individual spawners to recruitment are unknown. We used parentage analyses using single nucleotide polymorphisms to test whether parental traits were related to the probability of offspring survival in Escanaba Lake, Wisconsin. From 2017 to 2020, 1339 adults and 1138 juveniles were genotyped and 66% of the offspring were assigned to at least one parent. Logistic regression indicated the probability of reproductive success (survival of age-0 to first fall) was positively (but weakly) related to total length and growth rate in females, but not age. No traits analyzed were related to reproductive success for males. Our analysis identified the model with the predictors' growth rate and year for females and the models with year and age and year for males as the most likely models to explain variation in reproductive success. Our findings indicate that interannual variation (i.e., environmental conditions) likely plays a key role in determining the probability of reproductive success in this population and provide limited support that female age, length, and growth rate influence recruitment.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Demographic patterns of walleye (Sander vitreus) reproductive success in a Wisconsin population
Series title Evolutionary Applications
DOI 10.1111/eva.13665
Volume 17
Issue 3
Year Published 2024
Language English
Publisher Wiley
Contributing office(s) Coop Res Unit Leetown
Description e13665, 16 p.
Country United States
State Wisconsin
County Vilas County
Other Geospatial Escanaba Lake
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