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A Comparison of Alternative Approaches to Discriminate Larvae of Striped Bass and White Perch
Author(s) -
Waldman John R.,
Young John R.,
Lindsay B. Paul,
Schmidt Robert E.,
Andreyko Helena
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
north american journal of fisheries management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1548-8675
pISSN - 0275-5947
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8675(1999)019<0470:acoaat>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - perch , fishery , larva , bass (fish) , biology , white (mutation) , zoology , fish <actinopterygii> , ecology , biochemistry , gene
Striped bass Morone saxatilis and white perch M. americana are sympatric in rivers and estuaries across a broad region of eastern North America. Discrimination of their larvae is often an important but problematic component of large ichthyoplankton monitoring programs: their larvae are morphologically similar (particularly at the post‐yolk‐sac stage) and often co‐occur. In a blind test using hatchery‐reared larvae of known species identity, we compared the traditional externally based approach (method 1) with three alternatives: an approach based on interdigitation patterns of osteological features of cleared and stained individuals that has shown high potential for post‐yolk‐sac larvae (method 2); an approach based on premaxillary and vomerine tooth counts (method 3); and a variation of method 2 designed as a key to shorten inspection time (method 4). Method 1 provided the highest overall correct identification rates for striped bass (98.5%) and white perch (96.8%). Internal osteological features (method 2) also offered greater than 90% correct accuracy in identifying larvae but only for post‐yolk‐sac larvae sufficiently developed to display unambiguous development of the characters. Neither method 3 nor 4 yielded acceptable correct classification rates. These results indicate that external morphology can provide high accuracy in discriminating striped bass and white perch larvae (although wild‐caught larvae might display more confounding variation).