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. 2023 Dec;103(6):1543-1548.
doi: 10.1111/jfb.15523. Epub 2023 Aug 31.

Rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) influence on walleye (Sander vitreus) recruitment decline: mtDNA evidence supporting the predation hypothesis

Jesse M Lepak  1 , Adam G Hansen  1 , Erik T Cristan  1 , Demetra A Williams  1 , William M Pate  1
Affiliations

Rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) influence on walleye (Sander vitreus) recruitment decline: mtDNA evidence supporting the predation hypothesis

Jesse M Lepak et al. J Fish Biol. 2023 Dec.

Abstract

Rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) have been introduced widely but are associated with declines in walleye (Sander vitreus) recruitment. A primary hypothesis for these declines is that O. mordax consume larval S. vitreus. We confirmed overlapping spatial-temporal distributions of larval S. vitreus and O. mordax in our study system and used mtDNA analyses to determine if O. mordax stomach contents contained S. vitreus. Approximately 20% of O. mordax composite stomach samples were considered positive for S. vitreus consumption. These findings support the predation hypothesis and have S. vitreus management/stocking implications.

Keywords: genetic techniques; larval; predation; sport fish; stomach contents.

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