The E.Ffects of Hydroelectric Develdprne,Nt on .. the Biology of No.Rthern Fishes (Reproduction And
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The E.ffects of Hydroelectric Develdprne,nt on .. the Biology of No.rthern Fishes (Reproduction and . · Population·Dynarnics} ln. Yellow Walleye · Stizostedion vitreum vitreum (Mit chill). A L.iterafl.lre Review and Bibliography. by Kazimierz Machniak FISHERIES AND MARINE SERVICE SERVICE DES PECHES ET DES SCIENCES DE LA MER 1975 £ Environment Environnement "l!ij'F Canada Canada Fisheries Service des peches and Marine et des sciences Service de Ia mer Technical Reports Technical Reports are research documents that are of sufficient importance to be preserved, but which for some reason are not appropriate for primary scientific publication. Inquiries concerning any particular Report should be directed to the issuing establishment. Rapports Techniques Les rapports techniques sont des documents de recherche qui revetent une assez grande importance pour etre conserves mais qui, pour une raison ou pour une autre, ne conviennent pas a une publication scientifique prioritaire. Pour toute demande de renseignements concernant un rapport particulier, il faut s'adresser au service responsable. Department of the Environment Ministere de l'Environnement Fisheries and Marine Service Service des Peches et des Sciences de la mer Research and Development Directorate Direction de la Recherche et Developpement TECHNICAL REPORT NO. 529 RAPPORT TECHNIQUE N°. 529 (Numbers 1-456 in this series were issued (Les numeros 1-456 dans cette serie furent as Technical Reports of the Fisheries utilises comme Rapports Techniques de l'Office Research Board of Canada. The Series des recherches sur les pecheries du Canada. name was changed with report number 457) Le nom de la serie fut change avec le rapport numero 457) THE EFFECTS OF HYDROELECTRIC DEVELOPMENT ON THE BIOLOGY OF NORTHERN ~ISHES (REPRODUCTION AND POPl~ATION DYNAMICS) III. YELLOW WALLEYE STIZOSTEDION VITREUM VITREUM (MIT CHILL) . A LITERATURE REVIEW AND BIBLIOGRAPHY by KAZIMIERZ MACHNIAK This is the sixtieth Ceci est le soixantieme Technical Report from the Rapport Technique de la Direction de la Research and Development Directorate Recherche et Developpement Freshwater Institute Institut des eaux douces Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba 1975 i Machniak, Kazimierz. 1975. The Effects of Hydroelectric Development on the Biology of Northern Fishes (Reproduction and Population Dynamics) III. Yellow Walleye Stizostedion vitreum vitreum (Mitchill). A Literature Review and Bibliography. Fish. Mar. Serv. Res. Dev. Tech. Rep. 529, 68 pp. The reproduction and early life of the yellow walleye, Stizostedion vitreum vitreum, is reviewed. Walleye commonly spawn in riffles of streams or along shorelines of lakes. Although they have been reported to spawn on a wide variety of substrata it appears they prefer clean gravel bottoms at depths less than 1.5 metres. In impoundments, walleye are apparently less influenced by water levels during the spawning period than are other "shallow water" spawners. Nonetheless, fairly stable or slightly rising levels during spawning and incubation are recommended if spawning is to be successful. Among the many hazards to reproduction, the silting over of spawning beds due to erosion along lakeshores and flooded streams is probably the major cause of spawning failure in impoundments. Growth and numbers could increase, but will be dependent upon the availability of forage species and spawning habitat. Cet ouvrage etudie la reproduction et le debut de la vie du dare jaune, Stizostedion vitreum vitreum. Le dare jaune fraye generalement dans les bas-fonds des rivieres ou pres du bard des lacs. Bien que les etudes montrent qu'il fraye a des profondeurs tres variables, il prefere fonds de gravier propres a des profondeurs inferieures a 1.5 metre. Dans les frayeres artificielles, le niveau de l'eau semble mains influencer le dare jaune pendant la saison du frai que les autres especes qui frayent dans les "hauts fonds." Neanmoins, pour que le frai soit bon, il est preferable que le niveau de l'eau soit assez stable ou monte legerement pendant le frai et la periode d'incubation. Parmi les nombreux facteurs qui peuvent gener la reproduction dans les frayeres artificielles, la principale est probablement ie recouvrement des frayeres par suite de !'erosion qui se produit le long des rives des lacs et des rivieres en crue. La croissance et la multiplication du dare jaune depend de la quantite des poissons dont il se nourrit et du nombre d'endroits qui peuvent servir de frayeres. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT i TABLE OF CONTENTS ii LIST OF TABLES iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv INTRODUCTION 1 REPRODUCTION AND EARLY LIFE HISTORY OF THE YELLOW WALLEYE Stizostedion vit~eum vit~eum (Mitchill) Place of spawning 2 Time of spawning 2 Spawning grounds 2 Sexual maturity 5 Fecundity 8 Sex ratios 8 Sexual dimorphism 11 Migration 11 Homing 11 Spawning behaviour 12 DEVELOPMENT OF EGGS AND.LARVAE Description 13 Fertilization 14 Incubation period and hatching 14 Early life 15 Mortality of eggs and larvae 16 FACTORS AFFECTING REPRODUCTION Temperature 16 Water levels and discharge 17 Quality of spawning sites 17 Water quality 18 Siltation 18 Pollution 18 Predation 19 Summary 19 EFFECTS OF IMPOUNDMENT ON WALLEYE REPRODUCTION Sexual maturity 20 Fecundity 20 Migration 20 Water temperature 21 Egg properties 21 Spawning grounds 21 Water level regulation and discharge rate 22 Siltation 24 Predation 24 Summary 24 WALLEYE POPULATIONS AND IMPOUNDMENT Population size 25 Food supply 26 Growth 27 iii Water level regulation 29 Distribution 29 Summary 30 BIBLIOGRAPHY OF YELLOW WALLEYE - REPRODUCTION AND EARLY LIFE 31 BIBLIOGRAPHY OF YELLOW WALLEYE - IMPOUNDMENT LITERATURE 50 ADDITIONAL CITATIONS 68 iv LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1. Time and Temperature of Walleye Spawning 3 2. Depth and Bottom Types of Walleye Spawning 6 3. Fecundity of Walleye in Various Localities 9 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Numerous persons have assisted me in providing information for this report. Their assistance is gratefully acknowledged. In particular, I wish to thank Dr. A. L. Hamilton, Dr. R. E. Reeky, and H. A. Ayles who have critically reviewed this manuscript. 1 INTRODUCTION This is the third in a series of technical reports concerning the impact of hydroelectric development on the biology of certain fishes. The report summarizes the available information on the repro duction and success of yellow walleye populations in reservoirs. Spawning in natural waters is also emphasized in assessing environmental requirements. 2 REPRODUCTION AND EARLY LIFE HISTORY OF THE YELLOW WALLEYE, STIZOSTEDION VITREUM VITREUM (MITCHILL) The walleye has a very extensive distribution, occurring as far north as the Mackenzie Delta and south down to Texas. However, most of the published materials dealing with reservoir impoundment originate from southern regions where the majority of the walleye populations are introductions and/or lake spawners. Nonetheless, in Canada, the basic biology of this species has been well studied, although there exists little data in relation to hydroelectric develop ment and reproduction. Place of Spawning Walleye commonly spawn in the rapids of streams, shallow offshore reefs, or along shorelines of lakes. Some populations are also known to spawn in marshes (Priegel, 1970). Time of Spawning Spawning occurs in the spring or early summer, depending on latitude and water temperature. Spawning throughout the walleye range may begin in early March or as late as June (see Table 1). Normally, walleye begin spawning at about the time of ice break-up in a lake, at water temperatures of 6.7 to 8.9 0 C, but have been known to spawn over a temperature range of 5.6 to 11.10 C (Scott and Crossman, 1973). Spawning Grounds The types of spawning areas utilized by walleye have been described by numerous .workers, among them; Bean (1903), Dymond (1926), Derback (194 7), Eschmeyer (1950), Rawson (1957), Niemuth et al. (1959), Johnson (1961), Ellis and Giles (1965), Regier et al. (1969) and Priegel (1970). Walleye have been reported to spawn on a wide variety of substrata, although it appears that walleye select gravel bottom for spawning when it is available (see Table 2). For example, Eschmeyer Table 1. Time and temperature of walleye spawning. Location Time of Temperature at Authority Spawning Spawning (oC) Alberta May Bidgood (1971) Saskatchewan April 30-May 18 3. 3-11.1 Rawson (1957) (Lac la Range) *(7.7-10.0) Manitoba May 6.1 Derback (1947) April-May 6.7-13.0 Ellis and Giles (1965) Ontario w (L. Erie) Mid-April 7.2. Parsons (1972) (L. of the Woods) Late April-early 3.9-7.2 Macins (1972) June (Talbot R.) April 7.2-15.6 MacCrimmon and ~kobe (1970) Northwest Territories June 5-June 11 Jessop et aZ. (1973) (Rabbitskin R.) Canada Early April-end June 5.6-11.1 Scott and Crossman (1973) Iowa 7.2-10.0 Harlan and Speaker (1969) Michigan May 4.4-6.7 Eschmeyer (1950) *(7.8-8.9) Table 1. (Cont'd) Location Time of Temperature at Authority Spawning Spawning (OC) New York (Oneida L.) March-April Raney and Lachner (1942) Forney (1966) April Houde (1969) Minnesota (L. Winnibigoshish) April-May 5.0-17.8 Johnson (1961) Wisconsin Mid-April- 6.1-17.2 Niemuth et al. (1959) early May *(8.9-10.0) ~ (Spoehr' s Marsh April 3-April 25 2.2-12.2 Priegel (1970) Wolf R.) (Fox R.) March 31-April 28 3.3-15.6 Priegel (1970) (L. Winnebago) April 17-May 4 3.9-11.1 Priegel (1970) Reservoirs Oklahoma March 10-March 20 3.9-14.4 Grinstead. (1971) (Canton Reservoir) March 4.4-15.6 Gennings (1967) Tennessee-Kentucky (Dale Hollow Reservoir) March 15-April 28 5.6-14.4 Libbey (MS 1969) . *(10.0) * Optimum Temperature 5 (1950) observed that sand was avoided while gravel areas only a few feet in diameter were utilized for spawning. He also noticed that unused areas generally had steeper depth gradients and were less often wave-washed. Johnson (1961) made similar observations.