The most common catch of the amateur angler is the perch and it is the diurnal periodicity of activity (& catchability) which is examined in this study based on earlier articles and manuscripts by the authors. Of all environmental factors, variation in light and temperature are the chief reasons in establishing the times of activity periods. Winter, summer and autumn activity was studied. The spawning perch was found to be more active than the non-spawning perch. The time of day in which the fish may be active is dependant on its ability to sense changes in the external environment. Its adaptation to light is the reason for day-activity in the winter, and also accounts for the fact that hardly any activity occurs between sunset and sunrise when this period exceeds 6 hours

Ellonen, T.

Keranen, M.

Kukko, O.

Lind, E. A.

Tenhunen, A.

English

Aquatic Commons

Freshwater Biological Association 
FBA Translation (New Series) No. 90 
Title: Seasonal variation in the diurnal periodicity of activity of the 
perch, Perca fluviatilis L. 
Author(s) LIND E.A., ELLONEN T., KERANEN M., KUKKO 0. & TENHUNEN A. 
Reference: Kalamies, 1973, (3) 3 
Original language: Finnish 
Date of publication of original: 1973 
Translator: Mrs T . Armitage 
Date of publication of translation: 1976 
Number of pages of translation: 7 
FBA. Translations are to be considered as "provisional". As a rule 
they have not been prepared by expert translators, nor have they 
been edited by the original authors. 
They are available from The Librarian, 
Freshwater Biological Association, 
The Ferry House, 
Far Sawrey, 
AMBLESIDE, 
Westmorland, 
England, 
at the current rate for xerox copying. 
F.B.A. Translation (N.S.) No.: 90 
LIND E.A., ELLONEN T., KERANEN M., KUKKO 0. & TENHUNEN A. 
Seasonal variation in the diurnal periodicity of activity of the perch, 
Perca fluviatilis L. 
Kalamies, 1973, (3); 3 
Translated by: T. Armitage. 
The most common catch of the amateur angler is the perch and it is 
the diurnal periodicity of activity ( & catchability) which is examined 
in this study based on earlier articles and manuscripts by the authors. 
Of all environmental factors, variation in light and temperature 
are the chief reasons in establishing the times of activity periods. 
Methods 
The winter activity was studied at Paijanne by winter angling during 
the years 1967 - 1971. 50 study days in all. 
Spawning activity was studied in the Kuusamo area for 5 consecutive 
days in 1971. A cage 'trap' was used for sampling and the study area was 
the Ylempi Hiidenlampi lake. 
Summer activity was also studied in a few small lakes in Kuusamo, 
at Oulanka river and, at Kiutajarvi lake during 1968 - 1970. Number of 
sampling days per month were: 7 in June, 17 in July and 9 in August, 
33 in all. Fishing was done by a cage and by net, both methods giving 
similar results. In August, activity of the perch was also examined in 
an artificial pool. In the experiment, fish were active at the same 
times of the day that catches were highest in the cages. 
Autumn activity was studied in Kuusamo on 4 days during September -
November 1972. Fishing was done by net. 
Feeding periods in the winter. 
In mid-winter fish were feeding at mid-day. In February the feeding 
period was longer, but otherwise similar. In March the morning feeding 
-2-
period occurred a little earlier and also there was another feeding 
period in the evening. During April the morning activity peak decreased 
and the evening one increased, activity was then typically two peaked. 
This trend continued in May and resulted in a weak morning feeding 
period and strong evening one. At this stage, part of the ice along the 
shore had melted. 
During the winter months the feeding periods generally lasted a few 
hours in a day. As there can be no significant variation in water 
temperature under ice, light must be the deciding factor in establishing 
the times of feeding periods. 
The spawning perch are more active than the non-spawning perch. 
During the spawning season, 80% of the non spawning, small fish, 
were caught between 1800 and 0300 hrs. The greatest numbers being caught 
between 2100 - 2400 hrs. Since the most active feeding time, in May, 
occurred at 1800 hrs, the shift to later feeding hours must have continued 
in June. 
The spawning fish of a small lake were found in the cages at all 
times of the 24 hours period but a slight increase was observed at 2100 hrs 
but the activity pattern was mainly non-synchronous. Roe was discharged 
at any time of the day. However, in the very clear-watered Ruoppilampi 
(small lake) the spawning perch were only caught between late evening 
and mid-night. 
Activity in the summer 
In the clear-water lakes, after spawning, the activity was clearly 
concentrated into the evening and mid-night hours. At these times i.e. 
between 2000 and 2400 hrs, 2/3 of the day's catch was caught, therefore 
the mature perch, after spawning show almost identical activity patterns 
as that of the immature fish during the spawning season. Signs of change 
in the periods of activity appeared at the end of the month. 
In July this change resulted in activity patterns peculiar to this 
month. The catches were greatest in the afternoon and evening with 
a minor peak also in the morning. In the main, activity was non-
synchronous. This was confirmed by the fact that although peaks 
did occur in the numbers of fish caught, the peaks occurred at 
different times from day to day. On many days no peak occurred, but 
more often 2 or 3 did at the times mentioned above. Same results were 
obtained by Lehtonen and Merivesi using various methods of fishing. 
In August the number of fish caught was greatest at sunset and 
at sunrise. Evening activity was dominant, since this was observed on 
more days than morning activity. When one activity period faded out, 
it usually was the morning one. During the latter two weeks of the month 
the fish were not active at mid-night. Also the period between 0800 -
1600 hrs was quiet. This type of activity pattern was also observed 
in laboratory experiments (Alabaster & Robertson). 
Autumn Activity 
In September the pattern of activity was similar to the August 
one except that the morning peak occurred slightly later and the 
evening one occurred earlier i.e. at 2100 hrs. 
In October the two peaked pattern continued, greatest activity 
occurring at l800 hrs. The morning peak had shifted later and so the 
two peaks of activity occurred closer to one another. 
In November the perch were active only during the 5 hours of day 
light, with only one peak in activity. The activity pattern was 
similar in December. 
Synchronized, non-synchronized and inversed periods of activity. 
As can be seen from the above, the diurnal periodicity of activity 
varies according to the time of year. 
In mid-winter activity occurs during the few hours between sunrise and 
-3-
-4-
sunset. In the summer, the immature fish, during spawning season, 
and all fish after spawning, were active for a few hours between the 
late evening and mid-night. In both cases the activity pattern is 
synchronized with one peak. Since the peaks occur at opposite ends 
of a 24-hour period, the activity patterns are inversed. The shift from 
day activity to night activity occurs in the spring. 
The synchronized activity pattern is also demonstrated by the 
distribution of the number of fish caught per 24-hour period during 
the spring and autumn. In both cases the activity pattern was two-phased, 
with one peak occurring at sunrise and the other at sunset. 
In June, during the spawning season, fish were caught in the cages 
and roe was discharged at all times of day and night, and although a 
minor peak occurred in the latter half of the day, the activity pattern 
was basically not synchronized. A similar pattern occurred in July. The 
non-synchronous nature of the activity was also demonstrated by the 
fact that peaks occurred at varying times on consecutive sampling days. 
Light, temperature and activity. 
The time of day in which the fish may be active is dependant on 
its ability to sense changes in the external environment. Its 
adaptation to light is the reason for day-activity in the winter, and 
also accounts for the fact that hardly any activity occurs between 
sunset and sunrise when this period exceeds 6 hours. Although requiring 
sufficient light for activity it is presumed that the light should not 
be too intense. This would explain, that when peaks in activity do occur, 
they occur at the times of sunrise and sunset, especially at sunset. 
During the spawning season, not even the intense mid-day light 
inhibits activity. Obviously the instinct to reproduce is stronger than 
the inhibiting effect of the very bright light. 
In July the nonsynchronized activity pattern is probably due to 
higher temperatures, since the light conditions are similar to that of 
May. In pokilotherms, such as perch, increase in activity is generally 
related to temperature rises. 
REFERENCES: 
ALABASTER, J. & ROBERTSON , K.G. 1961 The effect of diurnal changes in 
temperature, dissolved oxygen and illumination on the behaviour of roach, 
(Rutilus rutilus (L.), bream (Abramis brama (L.) and perch (Perca fluviatillis 
(L.). 
Anim.Behaviour 9: 187-192 
ELLONEN T. & LIND E.A. 1973. Pilkkiahvenen syontiaika. (Summary: Diurnal 
periodicity of winter activity in the perch. Perca fluvlatillis L.). 
Kalamies 1973 (1): 3 
ELLONEN T., KERANEN M. & LIND E.A. (In press). Painossa: Ahvenen 
pyydystettavyyden vuorokauden aika syksylla (Summary: Diurnal periodicity 
of autumn activity in the perch, Perca fluviatilis L. Lehtonen. H. 1969: 
Milloin miten mita ahven saalistaa? 
Metsastys ja Kalastus 58: 25-28 
LIND E.A. & TENHUNEN A. 1970. Milloin ahven liikkuu. 
Metsastys ja Kalastus 59 (5) 6-10 
LIND E.A. & TENHUNEN A. 1971: Tagersrhytmik des Barsches Perca 
fluviatilis L., in Naturpopulationen nahe des Polarkrises. 
Manuscript, 20pp Oulu. 
-5-
LIND E.A., KUKKO O., KERANEN M. & ELLONEN T. 1972. Ahvener kudun 
vuorokaudenaika. (Summary: Diurnal periodicity of activity in the 
spawning perch. Perca fluviatillis L.) 
Kalamies 1972 (7): 3 
MERIVESI A. 1969. Nappaako tanaan, opaskirja kalamiehille 
kalantulon ennustamisessa. 
Helsinki. pp 132 
-6-
The variation in numbers of perch caught per 24 hours at Paijanne lake 
during December - May (XII - V) and at Kuusamo lakes and at Oulanka 
river during June - November. 
y axis on the right shows the distribution of each month's catch/ 
24 hrs. On the left and in the middle are given the month (in Roman 
numerals) and the number of fish caught. Broken line shows the times 
of sunrise and sunset. x axis hours GMT. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notice 
 
 
Please note that these translations were produced to assist the scientific staff of the 
FBA (Freshwater Biological Association) in their research. These translations were 
done by scientific staff with relevant language skills and not by professional 
translators. 
 
 
 


Seasonal variation in the diurnal periodicity of activity of the perch, Perca fluviatilis L. [Translation from: Kalamies 1973(3) 3.]

http://aquaticcommons.org/4874/1/90_1973_lind_seas.pdf

Seasonal variation in the diurnal periodicity of activity of the perch, Perca fluviatilis L. [Translation from: Kalamies 1973(3) 3.]

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