Rainbow Darter Etheostoma caeruleum

Sauger (Stizostedian canadense) By Curt Kemmerer http://www.iowadnr.com/fish/iafish/sau-card.html

Identification Olive-gray on back, 3-4 dark saddles White belly Dorsal fin completely divided 2-3 rows of black dots on anterior dorsal fin Large, glossy eyes…sharp teeth http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/Fishing/aquanotes-fishid/sauger.htm

Similar Species http://www.iowadnr.com/fish/iafish/differnt.html

Distribution Iowa Border rivers and lower reaches of their tributaries http://www.iowadnr.com/fish/iafish/sauger.html

Habitat Diet Large, turbid, slow moving rivers Large, cool lakes Move near bottom Bottom vegetation Instream structure Primarily fish Aquatic invertebrates Juveniles feed on larvae and zooplankton http://www.enature.com/

Reproduction Moves to smaller tributary streams to spawn Spawn at night during April and May Female deposits 32,000 to 83,000 eggs, scattered across bottom Eggs hatch in 7 to 18 days No parental care given to young http://www.fisheries.org/AFSmontana/SSCpages/Sauger%20Status.htm

Economic/Recreational Importance Conservation Status Abundant in border rivers Sport fish status Daily bag limits and possession limits Economic/Recreational Importance Very popular sport fishes among anglers Highly valued species = $$$ for Iowa Ecological Importance Important predator species Prey species to larger predators (muskie, pike) Tolerant of turbid, somewhat polluted water

References eNature.com. 2004. The Sauger. Available at http://www.enature.com/fieldguide/showSpeciesGS.asp?sort=1&curGroupID=99&display=1&area=99&searchText=sauger&curPageNum=1&recnum=FI0250. Iowa Department of Natural Resources. 1987. IowaDNR Fish and Fishing. Available at http://www.iowadnr.com/fish/iafish/sau-card.html. Montana Cooperative Fisheries Research Unit. January 2004. Available at http://www.fisheries.org/AFSmontana/SSCpages/Sauger%20Status.htm. Ohio Department of Natural Resources. 2004. Life History Notes: Sauger. Available at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/Fishing/aquanotes-fishid/sauger.htm. Stewart, T. W. 2004. Fishes known from Story County and nearby areas (with identification notes). Unpublished document provided by T. W. Stewart, Department of Natural Resources Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50010.

Walleye Stizostedion vitreum blue pike, dore, dory, glass-eye, gray pike, green pike, jack, jackfish, jack salmon, marble-eye, pickerel, pike, pike-perch, sauger, Susquchanna salmon, walleyed perch, walleyed pickerel, walleyed pike, white eye, yellow pickerel, yellow pike perch Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation Jessica Franck

Identification Large, white eyes Brassy, olive buff coloring with no distinct bars, just an overall brown or black mottling 19-22 dorsal fin soft rays 12-14 anal fin soft rays Sparsely scaled cheeks Well-developed teeth Current Iowa record is 80 cm (31.5 in), 6.4 kg (14 lbs 2 oz) from Spirit Lake, 1968

Stizostedion vitreum Distribution & Habitat Walleye Committee (data for VA) Stizostedion vitreum Distribution & Habitat Winter depths IA DNR Iowa natural lakes Major interior rivers like Des Moines, Iowa, Cedar, Wapsipinicon Great border rivers Large, clear, cool waterbodies with gravel and sandy substrate Summer depths

Stizostedion vitreum Diet planktonic organisms cladocerans and immature aquatic insects small fishes, minnows, yellow perch, suckers, and bluegill adults pscivirous, especially gizzard shad some reports of frogs, crayfish, and snails

Stizostedion vitreum Reproduction Sexual maturity: males 2-4 years, females 3-5 years Move to spawning ground when water temperature 7-10C (45-50F) Shallow water with rubble or gravel bottom Up to 495,000 eggs based on weight No parental care Incubation around two weeks Walleye fry, Maryland DNR

Stizostedion vitreum Importance & Conservation Status Big predator of gizzard shad One of N. America’s top game species Very tasty Easy propagation in hatcheries Still being stocked in many IA waters LARGE CANADIAN ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS

References Maryland Department of Natural Resources. January 2001. Walleye. http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/education/walleye/walleye.html. November 2004. Mayhew, J. (editor). 1987. Iowa Fish and Fishing. Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa. Walleye Committee. April 2001. Walleye http://www.dgif.state.va.us/fishing/special_programs/walleye.pdf. November 2004.

Yellow Perch Perca flavescens Family Percidae Luke Brager

Perca flavescens Identification Compressed body shape 6-8 dark vertical bands on sides ½ to ¾ lbs avg. Up to 1 or 2 lbs. (Jumbo) Bright green to olive on dorsal region Yellow on sides White on bottom Separated dorsal fin First is spiny; Second is soft rays Native Fish Conservancy Richard T. Bryant

Perca flavescens Comparison OH DNR Sauger Virgil Beck Yellow Perch

Perca flavescens Range Native to northern states east of Rocky Mountains Atlantic coastal regions south to South Carolina Range extends off the U.S. map to N.W. into Canada David Etnier

Perca flavescens Habitat Streams and lakes Prefer quiet water habitats Associated with rooted aquatic macrophytes Adapt to variety of habitats and water temperatures School usually at less than thirty feet in depth

Perca flavescens Diet Piscivorous Larvae forage on zooplankton After several months, yoy eat other small fishes Shad Aquatic invertebrates Cannibalistic Worms Feed year long

Perca flavescens Reproduction March to May Vegetation to submerged brush Sand and gravel shorelines Males move in first & wait for larger females to arrive Produce >100,000 eggs Eggs attached in long gelatatinous strands clinging to underwater objects Eggs hatch in 8 – 25 days dependent on water temp

Perca flavescens Conservation Status No federal or state special protection status for Perca flavescens Lower Great Lakes commercial fishery 11.3 million lbs Yellow perch Lake Erie 1981 Lake Michigan yields avg. 2.2 million lbs/year Lake Michigan Perch yields decreased 80% since 1990 WI banned commercial fishing Lake Michigan & cut daily limit for hook/line fishing to 5/day

References Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Yellow Perch. Available at : http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/fhp/fish/3jyperch.htm All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory. Yellow Perch. Available at: http://www.discoverlifeinamerica.org/atbi/species/animals/vertebrates/fish/Percidae/P_fla vescens.html Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Yellow Perch. Available at : http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/education/yellowperch/yperch.html

Identification: Olive to yellow-green dorsally; blue-green ventrally; encircled by 8-11 dark blue-green bands; posterior areas between bands are red to orange; first dorsal fin reddish with dark blue border; second dorsal and caudal reddish with narrow blue border; 13 pectoral rays; unscaled cheek; reaches length of 7.7 cm.

Similar Species: Rainbow Darter: unscaled cheek; breast naked;13 pectoral rays; no teardrop. Iowa Darter: fully scaled cheek; breast partly scaled; more slender; long caudal peduncle; teardrop present. Orangethroat Darter: 11-12 pectoral rays; teardrop present. Mud Darter: fully scaled cheek; breast naked; teardrop present.

Distribution: most prevalent in NE Iowa; with isolated populations spread throughout the state (South Skunk and Skunk). Habitat: riffles of clear creeks and small to medium rivers over cobble or gravel.

Diet: Young of the year mostly consume zooplankton (Cladocera, Copepoda, etc.). As growth increases the diet is mainly comprised of aquatic insects, fish eggs, and fish larvae. As adults their feeding behavior resembles that of a sport fish by becoming opportunistic feeders. Cladocerans, Copepods, a range aquatic insects, small minnows, fish eggs, amphibians, small crayfish, and lamprey ammocoetes have all been found in the stomach contents of rainbow darters.

Reproduction: occurs when temperatures get above 15°C; males defend 12-30cm diameter areas from intruding males; however, the largest, and most colorful males get the most action; upon mating there is no parental care, and rainbow darter larvae have been observed migrating to smallmouth bass nests to be guarded as if they were their own.

Conservation Status: Considered common in the Mississippi River basin, and of moderate abundance in the streams and rivers of NE Iowa. Ecological Importance: Predator and Prey; located in the middle of the food web as a primary consumer; eats anything smaller than itself, and is consumed by many secondary consumers.

References Becker, G.C. 1983. Fishes of Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Press. Madison, Wisconsin. p801-808. Fishbase, A Global Information System on Fishes. Available at http://www.fishbase.se/home.htm Nov. 2004. Gilbert, C.R. and J.D. Williams. 2002. National Audubon Society Field Guide to Fishes, Revised Ed., North America. Knopf, New York. p349-352. Google Images. Available at http://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi&q= Oct. 2004. Harlan, J.R., E.B. Speaker, and J. Mayhew. 1987. Iowa Fish and Fishing. Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Des Moines, Iowa. P146-147. Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Iowa DNR Fish and Fishing. available at http://www.iowadnr.com/fish/index.html Oct. 2004. Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr. 1991. Petersen Field Guides, Freshwater Fishes. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.