Diet composition and overlap for adult walleye, lake whitefish, and yellow perch in Green Bay, Lake Michigan

Journal of Great Lakes Research
By: , and 

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Abstract

Interspecific interactions among walleye Sander vitreus, lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis, and yellow perch Perca flavescens in Green Bay could influence the population status of each species, but potential trophic interactions are poorly understood. Our objectives were to determine if diet assemblages for each species and diet overlap among species varied spatially and temporally within Green Bay. Adult walleye (≥ 381 mm total length (TL); N = 981), lake whitefish (≥ 432 mm TL; N = 1507), and yellow perch (≥ 150 mm TL; N = 1174) were collected during May-October of 2018 and 2019 from multiple locations in southern and northern Green Bay. Diet assemblages of all three species varied between zones but walleye diets were more temporally variable (among months within zones and between years) than diets of lake whitefish or yellow perch. Lake whitefish represented a seasonally important prey item for walleye in southern Green Bay, composing 10% and 41% of walleye diets by weight in May and June, respectively. Yellow perch generally composed < 15% of walleye diets by weight but were consumed at a broader spatiotemporal scale than lake whitefish. Diet overlap between walleye and both lake whitefish and yellow perch was generally weak or moderate, whereas diet overlap between whitefish and perch was generally strong. Our assessment of adult trophic interactions suggests that changes in the population status of one species could influence fisheries for all three, and we identify additional research questions to address potential population-level effects of these trophic interactions.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Diet composition and overlap for adult walleye, lake whitefish, and yellow perch in Green Bay, Lake Michigan
Series title Journal of Great Lakes Research
DOI 10.1016/j.jglr.2022.09.005
Volume 48
Issue 6
Year Published 2022
Language English
Publisher Elsevier
Contributing office(s) Coop Res Unit Leetown
Description 15 p.
First page 1681
Last page 1695
Country United States
State Wisconsin
Other Geospatial Green Bay, Lake Michigan
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