Using eye lens stable isotopes to identify the rearing origin of fall age-0 walleye (<i>Sander vitreus</i>)

Justin M. Sturtz; Benjamin J. Schall; Matthew J. Ward; Cody E. Treft; Steven R. Chipps; Christopher A. Cheek

doi:10.1111/fme.70057

Using eye lens stable isotopes to identify the rearing origin of fall age-0 walleye (Sander vitreus)

Fisheries Management and Ecology

By: Justin M. Sturtz, Benjamin J. Schall, Matthew J. Ward, Cody E. Treft, Steven R. Chipps, and Christopher A. Cheek

https://doi.org/10.1111/fme.70057

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Abstract

Isotope values in fish eye lenses may be useful in differentiating rearing origins. We compared eye lens isotopic values of fall fingerling age-0 walleye (Sander vitreus) reared in a hatchery pond, a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), and a natural lake. Using 10 fish per rearing source, we delaminated layers from one eye lens per fish to assess temporal changes in carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) and pulverized the whole second eye lens for δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, and sulfur (δ³⁴S). RAS-reared walleye values exhibited high precision among individuals and were δ³⁴S enriched. Pond-reared walleye had lower δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N core values compared to other rearing sources. For δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N, values remained consistent among layers for RAS-reared walleye, δ¹⁵N slightly increased for pond-reared and lake-reared walleye, and δ¹³C increased substantially among subsequent layers in pond-reared walleye. Bayesian 95% ellipses did not overlap among rearing sources. These results demonstrate that eye lens stable isotope analysis may be a useful tool for differentiating hatchery-reared and wild large fingerling walleye, specifically from RAS- and pond-reared sources.

Suggested Citation

Sturtz, J.M., Schall, B.J., Ward, M.J., Treft, C.E., Chipps, S.R., Cheek, C.A., 2026, Using eye lens stable isotopes to identify the rearing origin of fall age-0 walleye (Sander vitreus): Fisheries Management and Ecology, 9 p., https://doi.org/10.1111/fme.70057.

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Additional publication details
Publication type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Title	Using eye lens stable isotopes to identify the rearing origin of fall age-0 walleye (Sander vitreus)
Series title	Fisheries Management and Ecology
DOI	10.1111/fme.70057
Edition	Online First
Publication Date	February 11, 2026
Year Published	2026
Language	English
Publisher	Wiley
Contributing office(s)	Coop Res Unit Leetown
Description	9 p.
Country	United States
State	South Dakota
County	Minnehaha County