Author: Powers. Emily

Publisher:

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 158

ISBN-13:

"Research has shown that Yellow Perch Perca flavescens, found throughout lakes and streams of North America, are good indicators of environmental health. Due to the correlation between fish condition and ecosystem health it is essential to reliably estimate condition to better manage our fisheries. Therefore, the study objectives were to measure the seasonal changes in adult Yellow Perch percent dry weight (PDW), and compare the reliability of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and morphometric-based estimates of condition. The seasonal fluctuations in average monthly PDW were measured over a two-year period and were sinusoidal in shape with peaks in August 2015 (25.44%) and July 2016 (26.34%) when water temperatures were above 22°C. The valleys occured in February 2015 (22.73%) and April 2016 (22.96%) when temperatures were below 5°C. When the best supported BIA lab model was used to estimate condition of Yellow Perch in the lab it explained 18% more of the variation in PDW (R2=0.60; RMSE=0.92) when compared to morphometric-based models (R2=0.42; RMSE = 1.09). BIA and morphometric-based models were unable to reliably estimate condition of Yellow Perch measured in the field (R2