Estimation of Smelt and Sculpin Biomass in Lake Michigan, 1973-80

摘要

The buildup of salmonid populations in Lake Michigan through annual stocking of hatchery-reared fish may become limited by the quantity of forage fish, primarily alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus), rainbow smelts, (Osmerus mordax), and slimy sculpins (Cottus cognatus), available for food. As a part of a continuing examination of predator-prey relationships in Lake Michigan, this report traces changes in the biomass of smelts and sculpins, estimated from trawl surveys conducted in late October and early November 1973-80.