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Critical Current Speeds for Young Gulf Coast Walleyes
Author(s) -
Vanderkooy Steven J.,
Peterson Mark S.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
transactions of the american fisheries society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1548-8659
pISSN - 0002-8487
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8659(1998)127<0137:ccsfyg>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - stizostedion , current (fluid) , streams , fishery , population , environmental science , bathymetry , fish <actinopterygii> , hydrology (agriculture) , oceanography , geology , biology , computer network , demography , geotechnical engineering , sociology , computer science
We evaluated critical current speeds (CCS, cm/s) for young Gulf (of Mexico) Coast walleyes Stizostedion vitreum and compared the results to field determinations of water velocity under different flood conditions in Luxapalila Creek, Mississippi, which supports a small population of this species. Critical current speeds for actively feeding walleyes ranged from 8 to 74 cm/s, and were related to fish standard length (SL, mm) by log 10 (CCS) = −0.231 + 0.927·log 10 (SL), for which P < 0.0001, r 2 = 0.67, and N = 83. Mean current velocities in Luxapalila Creek between May and June ranged from 20 to 45 cm/s. Means were higher than the CCS for a young walleye at that time, but velocities were spatially variable. Persistance of walleyes in Luxapalila Creek and similar streams probably depends on the availability of instream structures that locally reduce current speed. Removal of such structures or channelization of such streams could compromise the survival of a genetically unique southern population of walleye.