Crappies spawned in Rough River Lake from April 29 to July 9. Larvae were first collected on May 3 when the lake temperature reached 17 C. A total of 7369 crappie was taken from may 3 to August 1. The maximum number of crappies occurred from May 30 to June 20. The developmental chronology was described for specimens 4.75 mm to 29 mm total length. Meristic characters averaged 10.8 for preanal myomere count, 21.1 for postanal myomere count, 31.9 for total myomere count and 0.62 for preanal length to postanal length ratio. Densities of larvae were low early in the spawn reaching a peak of 147/100 m3 on June 6 and decreased to 10/100 m3 thereafter. Larval stages less than 20 mm were taken primarily at the surface while larger specimens moved to deeper waters. Growth averaged 3.1 mm per week for the 13 week study, 1.43 mm per week for the first 7 weeks and 4.5 mm per week for the last 6 weeks. Major food items of the early postlarvae were rotifers, copepod nauplii and the cladoceran, Diaphanosoma sp. Foods of the late postlarvae included the cladocerans, Diaphanosoma sp. and Simocephalus sp. and larval dipterans of the subfamily Chaoborinae. Primary food items of juveniles were copepods, the cladocerans, Bosima sp., Diaphanosoma sp. and Simocephalus sp. and larval members of the Chaoborinae.
No differences in development, meristic characters, density, distribution, growth, food habits and obne and cartilage patterns were observed between white and black crappie 20 mm total length and larger.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:WKU/oai:digitalcommons.wku.edu:theses-2808 |
| Date | 01 May 1979 |
| Creators | Overmann, Gary |
| Publisher | TopSCHOLAR® |
| Source Sets | Western Kentucky University Theses |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Masters Theses & Specialist Projects |
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