Diurnal periodicity of spawning in the perch so far are rather meagre and found to be partly contrary to experiences of perch anglers. Therefore a study was made on the spawning during a 5-day period in the spring of 1971 in the Kuusamo area. Observations were made during the main spawning season, between 4- 9 June 1971. The perch were often measured, weighed and then released back into the water. The differences between spawning and non-spawning perch were studied as well as the time of roe discharge in a 24 hour period. Activity and environmental factors such as light intensity were also taken into consideration

Ellonen, T.

Keranen, M.

Kukko, O.

Lind, E. A.

English

Aquatic Commons

Freshwater Biological Association 
FBA Translation (New Series) No. 88 
Title: Diurnal periodicity of activity in the spawning perch P. fluviatilis L. 
Author(s) LIND E.A. KUKKO O. , KERANEN M. & ELLONEN T. 
Reference: Kalamies 1972 (7); 3 
Original language: Finnish 
Date of publication of original: 1972 
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.: 88 
LIND E.A., KUKKO O., KERANEN M. & ELLONEN T. 
Diurnal periodicity of activity in the spawning perch. P. fluviatilis L. 
Kalamies 1972 (7); 3 
Translated by T. Armitage. 
The earliest observations on the diurnal periodicity of spawning 
in the perch are according to Fabricius, recorded by Kammerer, who has 
claimed that the species spawns in darkness and that strong light 
disturbs or even interrupts spawning. In a laboratory test carried 
out by Fabricius spawning started on two consecutive days immediately 
after 1700 hrs. Fish were kept in an aquarium in a room with windows. 
As these descriptions are rather meagre and found to be partly 
contrary to experiences of perch anglers, a study was made on the 
spawning during a 5-day period in the spring of 1971 in the Kuusamo 
area. 
Methods 
The fish were caught at Ylempi Hiidenlampi lake where the perch 
population is well known, during the main spawning season, between 4 - 9 
June 1971. The cage traps were checked 8 times a day at 3 hour intervals 
and the fish were counted each time. The perch were also often measured, 
weighed and then released back into the water. Some individuals were 
caught in the cages several times, the number of fish caught was 374, which 
gives an average of 75 fish per day. 
During the sampling, observations were also made on roe, which 
appeared in the cages, both in and outside, and on fish discharging 
milt and roe. The time of day during which spawning occurred was also 
studied in open water and with purpose built 'roe collecting equipment'. 
The equipment was raised to the surface every 3 hours and roe ribbons counted. 
The immature perch 
The young and still non-spawning fish were caught in the cages 
later than the others. During the 5-day study in June these were caught 
as follows: 9, 6, 21, 25 and 21 individuals. A few spawning fish were also 
caught. 
This group of fish (immatures) were caught in the cages in greatest 
numbers during the night hours, especially late in the evening. 80% were 
caught in the four sampling periods from 1800 hrs to 0300 hrs. In some 
cases two thirds of the catch was caught in the mid-night sample, which 
generally proved to be the most productive. Of the total 5 day catch 
38% was caught in the mid-night sample. On a few days the greatest 
number of fish was caught at 2100 hrs, which indicates brisk activity 
in the late evening. The period of least activity was during the morning 
between the hours 0600 to 1200. The catch for this period is only 6% of the 
total 5 day catch and consists entirely of the fish caught on the 8th June. 
Activity periods of spawning perch. 
The spawning perch show both similarities and significant 
differences in activity compared with the immature fish. Similarity 
was shown in the occurence of a peak in activity, though a weak one. The 
differences between spawning and non-spawning perch are shown in the table 
below, which shows the distribution per 24 hours of catches during the total 
study period expressed as a percentage. 
-2-
The aforementioned weak peak in activity occurred 3 hours earlier in the 
spawning fish than in the non spawning ones. The period of least 
activity in the day occurred at 9 in the morning, after which activity 
increased up to 1500 hrs when it was followed by a small decrease at 
1800 hrs. 
The spawning fish were caught in the cages in fairly even numbers 
throughout the 24 hour period so the activity pattern is considered to 
be mainly non-synchronized. Therefore the distribution of activity shows 
no peaks at the various sampling times. Differences between sexes were 
not observed. 
The time of roe discharge in a 24 hour period. 
The roe was found on cages, waterplants and on the roe collecting 
equipment on 45 occasions. On the first day of study no roe was 
observed, on the second 2 roe ribbons, on the 3rd 19, on the 4th 15 and 
on the 5th 9. The distribution of roe during a 24 hour period is shown 
in a table below. 
-3-
_4-
The distribution of roe discharging times differs from the activity 
hours of the immature fish. But is nearly identical to the times of catches 
of spawning fish. Roe was discharged during all sampling periods 
throughout the day, therefore this also confirms the non-synchronous 
activity pattern in the spawning fish. The main spawning period occurred 
during the evening, two thirds of spawn was observed at this period. The 
period of least spawning was the morning. 
Activity and environmental factors 
The male perch started discharging milt at the end of May when the 
lake was still under a strong ice cover. The ice melted in the beginning 
of June so that on the first day of study only a narrow strip of ice 
remained on the southwest shore. The study days were chosen to occur 
during the main spawning period, which was known from the number of 
spawning females and from previous experience. 
The temperature of the surface water rose from 5 to 8°C during the 
study period. Possibly due to this rise, the immature fish showed an 
increase in hours of activity in the last days of the study. However 
their activity did not increase significantly during the 5 days, and the 
spawning fish showed no variation in activity, therefore temperature must 
-5-
be regarded as a minor factor in establishing patterns of activity. 
Also the temperature variation was small during a 24 hour period, often 
not as much as a degree 
In the timing of activity, light undoubtedly is a major factor. 
The distribution of fish caught and the amount of light (light intensity) 
in relation to the time of day is shown in the following table: 
The activity of the non spawning fish occurred during the periods 
of least light i.e. late evening and mid-night. The strong light of 
mid-day inhibits activity. This however, did not deter the activity of 
the spawning perch (compare Dahlstrom 1969). The activity of spawning 
fish shows a peak 3 hours earlier than that of the non-spawning fish, 
this therefore would indicate that the instinct for activity in the 
spawning fish is stronger than in the non spawning ones. In Ruoppilampi 
lake spawning fish were only caught between 2000 - 2400 hrs, which 
indicates the regulating effect of strong light. Ruoppilampi has very 
clear water whereas Hiidenlampi has brown water. 
It has been shown earlier that after spawning, the activity of perch 
in the Kuusamo area, occurs mainly during late evening and mid-night (Lind 
& Tenhunen). In July the activity pattern showed 2 or 3 peaks and was non-
synchronized and in August activity is clearly concentrated to the times of 
-6-
sunset and sunrise, especially sunset. During mid-winter angling, 
fish were only caught in the day time and in the summer the inverse is the 
case. These inversed activity periods (phase shift) in the perch are known 
also in some other animals. 
REFERENCES; 
DAHLSTROM H. 1969 Ahven 
Kalamies 1969 (1): 1-2 
KAMMERER P. 1905: Donaubarsche. 
Blatt. Aquarien 
Terrarienkunde 16: 231-345 
FABRICIUS E. 1956: Hur abborren leker. 
Zool.Revy 18, 48-55 
LIND E.A. & TENHUNEN A. 1970: Milloin ahven liikkuu. 
Metsastys ja Kalastus 59, (5): 6 - 10 
LIND E.A. & TENHUNEN A. 1971. Tagershythmik des 
Barsches, Perca fluviatilis L. , in Naturpopulationen nahe 
des Polarkreises. 
Manuskript 20pp Oulu. 
The activity periods of the perch during spawning season in Ylempi 
Hiidenlampi lake. Continuous line shows the activity of the marked and 
mature fish. Broken line shows the activity of unmarked and mainly small 
fish. Vertical axis shows the distribution of fish caught per sample 
period. At this time of the year there is only about one hour between 
sunset and sunrise. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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. 
 
 
 


Diurnal periodicity of activity in the spawning perch P. fluviatilis L. [Translation from: Kalamies 1972(7) 3, 1972]

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Diurnal periodicity of activity in the spawning perch P. fluviatilis L. [Translation from: Kalamies 1972(7) 3, 1972]

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