Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference 2018

AUTHORS: Taylor J. Senegal, Purdue University; Carl R. Ruetz III, Grand Valley State University; David J. Janetski, Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Gregory Chorak, Montana State University; Tomas O. Höök, Purdue University, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

ABSTRACT: Yellow Perch Perca flavescens are an economically and ecologically prominent fish species in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Elucidation of their stock structure has important management implications regarding sustainable management of perch fisheries and conservation of genetic and phenotypic diversity. In eastern Lake Michigan, Yellow Perch is found in both the nearshore region of Lake Michigan proper and in various drowned river mouth (DRM) lakes. Recent genetic analyses suggest interesting and complex stock structure among these habitats. However, it is unclear how such genetic structure is reflected in phenotypic variation, such as morphology. Yellow Perch were collected in summer and fall of 2015 and 2016, and spring of 2016, from nine DRM lakes and two nearshore sites in Lake Michigan. Fin clips were obtained for genetic analyses and images were obtained for morphological analyses. We placed 19 digital landmarks on images to analyze yellow perch through traditional and geometric morphometrics. Researchers have documented deeper, more robust bodies of littoral fish and shallower, more streamlined bodies of fish residing in pelagic habitats. We expect to see similar patterns between the Yellow Perch of DRM lakes and nearshore Lake Michigan, respectively.