During the last two hundred years many wetlands and streams in Sweden have been lowered to provide land for agriculture and forestry. Some of the coastal wetlands and streams probably served as spawning sites for certain species of fish in the Baltic Sea, but the present situation is not well known. As standardized methods to monitor fish in running waters are carried out during late summer or autumn, there is a need for methods to sample spring-spawning fish in these streams. The aim of this study was to survey the lower kilometer stretch of Hammerstaån in Stockholm, to investigate the extent to which the stream is used by spring-spawning fish. Furthermore, the study aims to evaluate a new type of survey fishing gill net called strömöversiktsnät (SÖN). This was done by comparing the catch of fish by SÖN with that of fyke nets. The comparison of the types of gear included number of fish caught, on a catch per unit effort (CPUE) basis, number of species and the size distributions. The study included 14 days with one gill net and one fyke net at two sites, in total 28 net-days. The inventory yielded in total seventeen species among which only trout (Salmo trutta), perch (Perca fluvitalis), roach (Rutilus rutilus), burbot (Lota lota), eel (Anguilla anguilla) and pike (Esox lucius) were previously known to occur. Six spawning species, smelt (Osmerus eperlanus), vimba bream (Vimba vimba), perch (Perca fluvitalis), roach (Rutilus rutilus), bream (Abramis brama) and white bream (Blicka bjoerkna) were caught in more than 60 individuals, which was set as a limit for comparisons of size distributions. There was no significant difference in CPUE between SÖN and fyke nets. Also length distribution did not differ between SÖN and fyke nets except for the species perch and white bream were the nets caught significant smaller perch and bigger white bream than the fyke nets. The results show that investigations with SÖN or fyke nets during springtime can be of great importance to increase our knowledge about spring-spawning fish in Swedish streams and the coastal areas of the Baltic Sea.

Recent research has suggested that individual specialization within populations could be substantial and more common than previously acknowledged. Eurasian perch is one of many species of fish in lakes of postglacial origin that displays a morphological and dietary variation tightly coupled to the littoral and pelagic habitats of the lake. The occurrence of such resource polymorphisms might have important consequences for local adaptation and might also be an important initial step in speciation. I have investigated the importance of a number of factors for the development of resource polymorphisms using perch as a study organism. I found a weak genetic basis for morphological differences, and the environmental influence on morphology was of such a magnitude that an induced morphology could be reversed. The results nevertheless suggested that genetic differentiation could be substantial at small spatial and temporal scales, even within habitats. Several environmental factors were shown to influence the morphological development, and the results also suggest that behavioral differences could mediate a morphological response. I also found evidence for that competition-driven divergence might only occur when divergence in resource use is favoured at the same time as growth rates are kept sufficiently high for character divergence to be effective. The results finally indicate that divergence in the gut length of individuals might co-vary with habitat and diet use in resource polymorphic populations. This might enhance habitat fidelity and possibly also facilitate the persistence of resource polymorphisms since individuals should experience a cost of switching diets due to a too specific digestive system. Based on these findings I conclude that small scaled genetic differentiation might be more common than currently acknowledged, that more multi-factorial studies are needed if we are to fully understand the mechanisms behind trait diversity, and that competition not always favors divergence.

Seeking for a sustainable exploitation of the populations of commercialy valuable fish species without causing danger to their genetic resources it is necessary to amass extensive data about the population genetic structure of this fish species. When preparing the thesis a total of 221 eels and 262 perch were analysed. Fish samples collected in Lithuania and Latvia were studied using microsatellite DNA, the mtDNA D-loop region and mtDNA cyt b markers. Original primer pairs Ang1 and Ang2 have been designed for the mtDNA analysis of the eel. On the basis of the Anguilla genus species mtDNA D-loop region data obtained during work it can be stated that inland and territorial water bodies of Lithuania contain no A. japonica and A. rostrata species. The molecular investigations carried out indicate that the population genetic structure of the European eel is characterized by the genetic mosaic, which is formed due to the existence of reproductively isolated groups. Statistically significant genetic differentiation between the eel groups naturally recruited to Lithuania and Latvia and introduced to Lithuanian lakes has not been determined (p > 0.05). However, the eels stocked into different lakes of Lithuania differ in their genetic diversity. Pairwise comparisons of the Lithuanian and Latvian perch populations based on the mtDNA D-loop region data revealed that the perch population of Lake Drūkšiai was statistically significantly (p < 0.05) different from all other perch... [to full text] / Siekiant tvariai eksploatuoti verslinių žuvų populiacijas nesukeliant pavojaus jų genetiniams resursams būtina sukaupti daug duomenų apie šių rūšių populiacinę-genetinę struktūrą. Iš viso tyrimams panaudoti 221 unguriai ir 262 ešeriai. Lietuvoje ir Latvijoje surinkti žuvų audinių pavyzdžiai tirti naudojant mikrosatelitinės DNR, mtDNR D-kilpos regiono ir mtDNR cyt b žymenis. Ungurių mtDNR analizei sukurtos originalios Ang1 ir Ang2 pradmenų poros. Remiantis disertacinio darbo metu atliktais Anguilla genties rūšių mtDNR D-kilpos regiono tyrimais, galima teigti, jog šiuo metu A. japonica ir A. rostrata rūšių, tiek tirtuose Lietuvos vidaus vandens telkiniuose, tiek Lietuvos teritoriniuose vandenyse nėra. Atlikti molekuliniai tyrimai rodo, kad europinio upinio ungurio populiacinė-genetinė struktūra pasižymi genetine mozaika, kurios susiformavimą lemia reproduktyviai izoliuotos grupės. Tarp natūraliai į Lietuvą ir Latviją atplaukusių ir introdukuotų Lietuvos ežeruose ungurių grupių statistiškai patikima genetinė diferenciacija nenustatyta (p > 0,05), tačiau skirtinguose Lietuvos ežeruose gyvenantys unguriai pasižymi skirtinga genetine įvairove. Atliktų Perca fluviatilis mtDNR D-kilpos regiono tyrimų rezultatai rodo, jog Drūkšių ežero ešerių populiacija statistiškai patikimai (p < 0,05) skiriasi nuo visų kitų Lietuvos ir Latvijos ešerių populiacijų. Nustatyta, kad nuo Lietuvos pietvakarinės dalies iki Latvijos centrinės dalies plyti kelių skirtingų ešerių genetinių linijų kontaktinė... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Siekiant tvariai eksploatuoti verslinių žuvų populiacijas nesukeliant pavojaus jų genetiniams resursams būtina sukaupti daug duomenų apie šių rūšių populiacinę-genetinę struktūrą. Iš viso tyrimams panaudoti 221 unguriai ir 262 ešeriai. Lietuvoje ir Latvijoje surinkti žuvų audinių pavyzdžiai tirti naudojant mikrosatelitinės DNR, mtDNR D-kilpos regiono ir mtDNR cyt b žymenis. Ungurių mtDNR analizei sukurtos originalios Ang1 ir Ang2 pradmenų poros. Remiantis disertacinio darbo metu atliktais Anguilla genties rūšių mtDNR D-kilpos regiono tyrimais, galima teigti, jog šiuo metu A. japonica ir A. rostrata rūšių, tiek tirtuose Lietuvos vidaus vandens telkiniuose, tiek Lietuvos teritoriniuose vandenyse nėra. Atlikti molekuliniai tyrimai rodo, kad europinio upinio ungurio populiacinė-genetinė struktūra pasižymi genetine mozaika, kurios susiformavimą lemia reproduktyviai izoliuotos grupės. Tarp natūraliai į Lietuvą ir Latviją atplaukusių ir introdukuotų Lietuvos ežeruose ungurių grupių statistiškai patikima genetinė diferenciacija nenustatyta (p > 0,05), tačiau skirtinguose Lietuvos ežeruose gyvenantys unguriai pasižymi skirtinga genetine įvairove. Atliktų Perca fluviatilis mtDNR D-kilpos regiono tyrimų rezultatai rodo, jog Drūkšių ežero ešerių populiacija statistiškai patikimai (p < 0,05) skiriasi nuo visų kitų Lietuvos ir Latvijos ešerių populiacijų. Nustatyta, kad nuo Lietuvos pietvakarinės dalies iki Latvijos centrinės dalies plyti kelių skirtingų ešerių genetinių linijų kontaktinė... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Seeking for a sustainable exploitation of the populations of commercialy valuable fish species without causing danger to their genetic resources it is necessary to amass extensive data about the population genetic structure of this fish species. When preparing the thesis a total of 221 eels and 262 perch were analysed. Fish samples collected in Lithuania and Latvia were studied using microsatellite DNA, the mtDNA D-loop region and mtDNA cyt b markers. Original primer pairs Ang1 and Ang2 have been designed for the mtDNA analysis of the eel. On the basis of the Anguilla genus species mtDNA D-loop region data obtained during work it can be stated that inland and territorial water bodies of Lithuania contain no A. japonica and A. rostrata species. The molecular investigations carried out indicate that the population genetic structure of the European eel is characterized by the genetic mosaic, which is formed due to the existence of reproductively isolated groups. Statistically significant genetic differentiation between the eel groups naturally recruited to Lithuania and Latvia and introduced to Lithuanian lakes has not been determined (p > 0.05). However, the eels stocked into different lakes of Lithuania differ in their genetic diversity. Pairwise comparisons of the Lithuanian and Latvian perch populations based on the mtDNA D-loop region data revealed that the perch population of Lake Drūkšiai was statistically significantly (p < 0.05) different from all other perch... [to full text]

This thesis addresses flight control of the perch landing maneuver for micro-aerial vehicles. A longitudinal flight model is constructed for a pigeon-sized aircraft. In addition to a standard elevator control surface, wing-rotation also considered as a non-standard actuator for increasing low-speed aerodynamic braking. Optimal state and control trajectories for the perch landing maneuver are computed using commercial software. A neighboring optimal control law is then developed and implemented in a set of flight simulations. Simulations are run with both a quasisteady and an unsteady aerodynamic model. The effectiveness of wing rotation and of the neighboring optimal control law is discussed, as is the importance of unsteady aerodynamics during the maneuver. Wing rotation was found to be minimally effective in this case, but it showed potential to be more effective in further research. The unsteady aerodynamic model has significant influence over the success or failure of the maneuver.

Selectivity of trawl and experimental gill nets was determined for yellow perch taken from southern Lake Michigan in 1993 to 2006. Gill nets were comprised of 51-, 64-and 76-mm size mesh and showed female modal lengths of 205-, 245-, and 295-mm, respectively, while values for males were 200-, 230-, and 267-mm. Differences between females and males increased with mesh size and was significant. Comparison of nine anterior morphometric features of female and male fish indicated no differences in shape were identified that would cause the disparity in selectivity. Rather, differences in male and female selectivity were more likely due the variant population size structure of the local population sampled, with females the larger sex. A new method to estimate trawl selectivity was developed using a modified catch-curve analysis, which showed a maximum selectivity length value (1.0) of 190-mm for females and 170-mm for males. However, trawls fail to capture larger yellow perch when compared to gill nets using based on length-frequency distributions. Revealing such gear biases may lead to more efficient capture methods, resulting in improved sampling and quantitative assessment of fish populations. / Department of Biology

Access to abstract permanently restricted to Ball State community only / Access to thesis permanently restricted to Ball State community only / Department of Biology

Yellow perch, alewife, spottail shiner and round goby trawl catch per unit effort (CPUE) was evaluated in the Indiana waters of Lake Michigan from 1984-2006 to determine whether spatial or temporal variation in CPUE for these species occurred. Differences in CPUE among sites or periods were not clearly distinguished within a single sampling year. However, when compared over a 23 year time frame, spatial and temporal differences became evident. To determine the minimum number of samples needed to detect differences among sites and periods, we ran a Monte Carlo simulation using 23 years of empirical data. This compared favorably to results obtained from a power analysis that identified the minimum number of samples required to identify statistical differences. Sampling effort needed to distinguish differences in CPUE varied both spatially and temporally among the four species. Differences in sampling only became evident when multi-year efforts were employed. In addition, spatial and temporal differences in male and female (mature and immature) yellow perch proportions was also evaluated among our sample sites and periods from 1993-2006. / Department of Biology

Biological invasions are a global phenomenon that can threaten native species and disrupt ecosystem processes. Exotic species also impact ecosystems in less conspicuous ways by provoking native species to alter their foraging behaviour. Subtle impacts such as diet shifts are frequent, and can have consequences for food web dynamics and the fitness of native predators. Diet shifts involving the consumption of exotic species require native predators to recognize, capture and handle novel prey. In this thesis, I document a diet shift in the St. Lawrence River involving a common native fish and Eurasian mussels that invaded the river in the early 1990s. I conducted diet analysis of yellow perch (Perca flavescens) at multiple sites in the upper St. Lawrence River and discovered that they consumed substantial quantities of zebra and quagga mussels (Dreissena spp.) in the Soulanges Canal, an artificial waterway west of Montreal. This was unexpected because perch lack adaptations for crushing molluscs. This foraging innovation was not observed at the same site in the early 1990s or at other sites at any time. Mussel shells were weaker at this site, probably because of exposure to calcium-poor water. This suggests that water chemistry mediates yellow perch predation on mussels. This study provides an example of diet shifts involving exotic prey and illustrates the influence of abiotic factors on species interactions.

Aujourd’hui, la durabilité du modèle de développement de l’aquaculture est de plus en plus questionnée et une des solutions proposées consisterait à diversifier la production piscicole via la domestication de nouvelles espèces comme la perche commune, Perca fluviatilis, une espèce d’eau douce tempérée très intéressante pour la diversification de l’aquaculture continentale européenne. De nombreux aspects de la biologie de sa reproduction sont connus cependant, peu d’informations sont disponibles sur son développement. Or, des défauts de développement précoce, dont les causes sont encore mal définies, impactent actuellement la qualité de la production piscicole. C’est dans ce contexte que cette thèse vise à caractériser les succès et défauts de développement embryonnaire chez la perche commune à travers trois axes principaux : (i) déterminer une table de référence de l’embryogenèse normale permettant (ii) définir les défauts de développement tels que les malformations dans des conditions d’élevage différentes et (iii) identifier les liens entre différents paramètres de développement embryonnaire afin de déterminer des profils de développement variables. La première partie de ce travail a permis d’identifier la séquence précise de l’ontogenèse normale de cette espèce à travers la définition d’une table de développement embryonnaire alternative et flexible pour des espèces non-modèles, facilitant les comparaisons intra- et inter-espèces. Dans un second temps, l’identification la plus exhaustive possible de phénotypes anormaux a révélé 10 grandes catégories de malformations associées à des organes ou fonctions spécifiques. De plus, certains de ces défauts semblent fortement dépendants des conditions d’élevage des géniteurs ce qui permet d’identifier l’effet de potentiels facteurs extrinsèques sur le développement et d’améliorer les techniques de gestion des animaux. Enfin, l’ensemble de ces résultats et des paramètres mesurés durant l’embryogenèse ont permis d’effectuer une classification approfondie des pontes obtenues présentant des profils de développement similaires pour mettre en évidence des liens éventuels entre les divers phénotypes et paramètres utilisés. Les analyses de données effectuées ont montré que seulement 3 paramètres étaient nécessaires à la caractérisation de 4 profils de succès de développement variables : les taux de survie au début de l’organogenèse, d’éclosion et de malformations. A l’avenir, ces paramètres pourraient être généralisés permettant d’homogénéiser les critères d’évaluation du succès de développement chez d’autres espèces d’intérêt de poisson. L’ensemble de ces résultats constituent une base solide pour étudier l’effet des facteurs extrinsèques et/ou intrinsèques sur la qualité et le succès de développement embryonnaire / Currently, the durability of the aquaculture developmental model is clearly challenged and one solution consists to diversify the fish production by the domestication of new species such as the Eurasian perch (P. fluviatilis), a freshwater species promising and valuable for the diversification of European aquaculture. Several aspects of its reproductive biology are well known, nevertheless, only little information is available on its development. However, early developmental impairments, whose causes are unclear, actually impact the fish production quality. In this context, the present work aimed to characterize the developmental success and impairments in Eurasian perch on three main issues: (i) determine a model of normal embryogenesis table helping to (ii) define developmental impairments, in diverse rearing conditions and (iii) identify the relationships between various parameters of embryonic ontogenesis to characterize different patterns of developmental success. The first part of this study allowed identifying the accurate timing of normal ontogenesis of this species through the definition of an alternative and flexible developmental table to describe non-model fish species, allowing the intra- and inter-specific comparisons. In the second part, the exhaustive characterization of abnormal phenotypes revealed 10 categories of deformities linked to specific organs or functions. Moreover, some of these categories seemed to be related to rearing-conditions of the breeders allowing identifying the potential effects of extrinsic factors on the development and improving the management of fish. Finally, the previous results and the parameters measured during embryogenesis help to classify the several spawns obtained with the same developmental pattern and to highlight the potential relationships between diverse phenotypes and parameters. In addition, the data analyses showed that only 3 parameters are reliable to assess the developmental success: survival rate at the onset of the organogenesis, hatching and deformities rates. Henceforth, these parameters and this classification could be generalized as a new strategy to assess the developmental success in other fish species. All of these results provide a good basic knowledge to study the potential effects of various extrinsic and/or intrinsic factors on the developmental success and the embryonic quality