RE: NANFA-L-- trout perch sensitivity

Crail, Todd (tcrail-in-UTNet.UToledo.Edu)
Sat, 27 Aug 2005 22:03:44 -0400

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From: owner-nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org on behalf of Mark Otnes

Troutperch are supposedly common in the Red River of the North that runs
through Fargo here. This river is the poster child for agricultural runoff
as the entire Red River Valley has been converted into a network of
irrigation ditches, all of which run into the river.

As far as my observations and experience in Ohio goes Mike, the trout-perch
seems to be the quintessential canary in the coal mine for the East side of
the state (Muskingum, Grand, Upper Cuyahoga, Chagrin and Central Basin of the
Lake). It seems where they do okay, you'll find them by the bucketfull.
Where you find a couple, it's been compromised, but not heavily. Hop to the
next corresponding stream over in the watershed where they're absent... You
can bet that system has had heavy compromise.

They seem to have been extirpated from the Scioto because I've yet to find
them in any stream (and I've hit a few ;), yet they're common through the
Hocking and Muskingum in segments that haven't been beaten on in awhile. I've
been suprised they haven't poped up in the Mad River, but my sampling there
has been limited. I'd be very suprised to not find them in the Little Miami
with all the little streams that remained decent refugia, but again.. It's
hard to say who came and went while this state's streams went down the tubes.

As a side note, this is one species in Lake Erie that seems to have benefit
from the presence of zebra mussels. They're back in the western basin by the
trawl load away from the seasonal sediment plumes coming out of the rivers.
NANFAn Mark Binkley was up here in June visiting family and caught one in the
ol' Muddy Maumee-in-Perrysburg. Ted Cavender was really interested in that
one... Seems they've been absent for awhile in the Maumee, and isn't one that
normally migrates up from the lake. I can only imagine in the mainstem of the
Maumee, they decided to pack it in like the gilt darters and harelip suckers
:(

Anyway... In all his years-in-Stone, he never saw a single one in the northern
Ohio rivers (which was 1970-1990). It'd be interesting to see if they're
present now in the Sandusky, Huron and Vermillion Rivers since Cavender moved
down to OSUM and prior to the full effect of the zebra mussel invasion.

Neat fish to keep too so long as you have a well stocked tank. It takes a
whole lot of other "eyes" to make them feel comfy enough to come out and feed.
Really skittish otherwise.

Todd
The Muddy Maumee Madness, Toledo, OH
It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
http://www.farmertodd.com
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