Food-habits data were collected from 102 yellow perch, Perca flavescens, in West Long Lake, Nebraska, from April to October, 2001, to determine iffood habits changed seasonally in this shallow, vegetated, natural lake. Based on percent by number and weight, yellow perch in all length groups and during all seasons primarily consumed macro-invertebrates. Yellow perch \u3c 130 mm in total length fed primarily on amphipods and chironomids in all months except October. For perch between 130 and 199 mm, amphipods and chironomids composed greater than 60% of the diet by weight in all months except August. Yellow perch ≥ 200 mm primarily consumed macro-invertebrates with fish contributing less than 6% ofthe diet by weight during all months except June. Knowledge of the trophic ecology of yellow perch in these lentic systems should help biologists better understand the role of perch as both predator and prey

DeBates, Timothy J.

Wilkens, Justin L.

Willis, David W.

English

DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska

University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies Nebraska Academy of Sciences 2002 FOOD HABITS OF YELLOW PERCH, PERCA FLAVESCENS, IN WEST LONG LAKE, NEBRASKA Justin L. Wilkens South Dakota State University Timothy J. DeBates South Dakota State University David W. Willis South Dakota State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tnas  Part of the Life Sciences Commons Wilkens, Justin L.; DeBates, Timothy J.; and Willis, David W., "FOOD HABITS OF YELLOW PERCH, PERCA FLAVESCENS, IN WEST LONG LAKE, NEBRASKA" (2002). Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies. 22. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tnas/22 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Nebraska Academy of Sciences at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. 2002. Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences 28: 49-56 FOOD HABITS OF YELLOW PERCH, PERCA FLA VESCENS, IN WEST LONG LAKE, NEBRASKA Justin L. Wilkens, Timothy J. DeBates, and David W. Willis Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences South Dakota State University Brookings, South Dakota 57007-1696 ABSTRACT Food-habits data were collected from 102 yellow perch, Perca flavescens, in West Long Lake, Nebraska, from April to October, 2001, to determine iffood habits changed seasonally in this shallow, vegetated, natural lake. Based on percent by number and weight, yellow perch in all length groups and during all seasons primarily consumed macro-invertebrates. Yellow perch < 130 mm in total length fed primarily on amphipods and chironomids in all months except October. For perch between 130 and 199 mm, amphipods and chirono-mids composed greater than 60% of the diet by weight in all months except August. Yellow perch ~ 200 mm primarily consumed macro-invertebrates with fish contributing less than 6% ofthe diet by weight during all months except June. Knowledge of the trophic ecology of yellow perch in these lentic systems should help biologists better understand the role of perch as both predator and prey. t t t The yellow perch, Perea flaveseens (Fig. 1), is a popu-lar sport fish in Nebraska Sandhills lakes. While yel-low perch can serve as a primary prey for predators (Paukert et al. 2002), they can also be a predator of bluegill, Lepomis maeroehirus (Fullhart et al. 2002; Reed and Parsons 1996; Schneider and Breck 1997). Food habits of yellow perch have varied from zooplank-ton to macro-invertebrates to fish (Clady 1974; Laarman and Schneider 1972; Lott et al. 1996; Schneider 1972; Wolfgang and Mackay 1992). However, little informa-tion exists on the seasonal diets of yellow perch in Nebraska Sandhills lakes. Thu.s, the objective of this study was to describe food habits of small « 130 mm), medium (130-199 mm), and large (~ 200 mm) yellow perch in West Long Lake, Nebraska. Figure 1. Yellow perch, Perca flavescens, about life size, after a drawing by H. L. Todd from Goode (1884-87) obtained from National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationlDepartment of Commerce website. 49 50 J. L. Wilkens et al. _____ Fish eggs ~Fish ____ Macroinvertebrates -<>-- Zooplankton 100 < 130 mm 80 60 40 20 0 April June August October 100 • ------, ! ... ~ 130-199 mm C) 80 .-(1) 3: 60 >-.c -;!!. 0 40 c:: to 20 (1) ~ 0 April June August October 100 ~200 mm 80 60 40 20 0 April June August October Figure 2. Food habits by season and length group for yellow perch sampled from West Long Lake, Nebraska, in 2001. Vertical bars represent ± 1 SE. Percentages do not always add to 100 because unidentifiable remains and plant material were excluded from these data. STUDY SITE West Long Lake is a 25-ha natural lake located on the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge in Cherry County, Nebraska. Mean depth of West Long Lake is 1.2 m, with a maximum depth of 1.8 m. Submergent vegetation covers approximately 80% of the lake sur-face during mid-summer. Grasslands completely sur-round the lake and there are no crops within its water-shed (McCarraher 1977). Yellow perch are common in West Long Lake. Other species present include bluegill; largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides; black bullhead, Ameiurus melas; and the recently established northern pike, Esox lucius, which was first documented in 1998 (Paukert and Willis 2000). MATERIALS AND METHODS West Long Lake was sampled by nighttime electrofishing (pulsed DC) in April, June, August, and October of 200 1. We collected yellow perch throughout the lake, with a goal to collect seven yellow perch per total length group (< 130 mm, 130-199 mm, ;::: 200 mm) each month. Yellow perch collected by electrofishing were weighed and measured, and food items were removed using an acrylic tube (White 1930). The tube was inserted through the esophagus to the posterior end of the stomach. Visual inspection was made by looking through the tube to see if all food items had been removed (Dubets 1954). Some yellow perch < 130 mm were preserved in 10% formalin and brought back to the laboratory for dissection and removal of the stom-ach. In the field, stomach contents were stored in a plastic bag and preserved in 10% formalin. In the laboratory, stomach contents were retained by a 100-!lm sieve while water was used to rinse off formalin. Stomach contents were then examined under a dissect-ing microscope. Stomachs from preserved yellow perch were separated from the digestive tract and the con-tents were flushed into a petri dish. Aquatic inverte-brates were identified to family or order using keys by Merritt and Cummins (1984) and Pennak (1989). Fish were identified using keys developed by Cross and Collins (1995). Prey items that could be distinguished as fish or insects but could not be identified further were labeled as unidentifiable fish remains (UFR) and unidentifiable insect remains (UIR), respectively. Re-mains that could not be identified as fish, macro-inver-tebrate, or plant items, were labeled unidentified re-mains (UR). Frequency of occurrence (number of fish where a specific taxon was present in stomach divided Food habits of yellow perch 51 by total number of fish in length group), percent by number (number of taxa divided by total number of food items present in each stomach), and percent by weight (weight of specific taxon divided by total weight of stomach contents in each stomach) were used to describe diets. Zooplankton weights were calculated using weight-length regressions obtained from Dumont et al. (1975). In the laboratory, macro-invertebrates and fish and were weighed to nearest 0.01 g using a digital scale. RESULTS Stomach contents were assessed for 102 yellow perch in West Long Lake from April to October of 2001. Based on percent by weight, yellow perch in all length groups primarily consumed macro-invertebrates dur-ing all seasons (Fig. 2). Zooplankton were a minor dietary component, while fishes were rarely consumed. Macro-invertebrates composed the majority of the stomach contents for yellow perch < 130 mm, with cladocerans, unidentifiable remains, and plant mate-rial appearing in August and October (Table 1). Chi-ronomids and amphipods dominated (% by number) the stomach contents of yellow perch in this length group, ranging from 64% ofthe diet in October to 93% in June. Unidentifiable remains (UR) made up the majority (% by weight) of stomach contents in August. Cladocerans composed approximately 33% (by number and by weight) ofthe stomach contents during October for yellow perch <130mm. Although amphipods dominated the diets of 130-199 mm yellow perch in three of the four samples (Table 2), a greater variety of prey taxa appeared in their diets compared to yellow perch < 130 mm. In April, only three prey taxa appeared in the diets of 130-199 mm yellow perch, with amphipods composing 84.6% of the diets by weight. In June, amphipods dominated the diets at nearly 89% by weight, with cladocerans composing 12% ofthe stomach contents by number but only 1.5% by weight. Chironomids and molluscs dominated the diets in similar proportions by weight during August. In October, amphipods com-posed greater than 50% by weight of the diet, with fish and chironomids making up an additional 23% by weight. The lone stomach containing fish involved a single bluegill weighing 1.9 g. Macro-invertebrates again dominated the diets of yellow perch;::: 200 mm in all seasons (Table 3), with a continuing trend of greater prey diversity with increas-ing perch length. Chironomids and amphipods were primary prey items in June and October. Amphipods composed greater than 85% ofthe diets by number and weight during April. In August, hemipterans, mol-52 J. L. Wilkens et al. Table 1. Frequency of occurrence (FOe), mean percent by number, and mean percent by weight for prey items eaten by yellow perch < 130 mm total length during 2001 at West Long Lake. N represents number offish sampled; SE = standard error ofthe mean; DR = unidentifiable remains; UIR = unidentifiable insect remains. No small « 130 mm) yellow perch were collected during April, 2001. Month N Prey item FOC June 1 Chironomidae 100.0 Ephemeroptera 100.0 Amphipoda 100.0 August 5 Chironomidae 100.0 Zygoptera 40.0 Trichoptera 20.0 Ephemeroptera 80.0 Mollusca 20.0 Amphipoda 100.0 Cladocera 20.0 UR 100.0 October 3 Chironomidae 33.3 Trichoptera 33.3 Amphipoda 66.7 Cladocera 33.3 VIR 33.3 Plant material 33.3 luscs, chironomids, and ephemeropterans together com-posed 69% of the stomach contents by weight. Molluscs were the dominant diet item by weight, followed by plant material that likely was ingested as yellow perch fed on gastropods. DISCUSSION Yellow perch apparently exhibit differential roles in various fish communities. For example, yellow perch predation on small bluegills may positively influence bluegill growth and size structure in Minnesota lakes with complex fish communities (Anderson and Schupp 1986; Fullhart et al. 2002; Reed and Parsons 1996). In contrast, yellow perch in eastern South Dakota lakes fed almost exclusively on zooplankton and macro-in-vertebrates rather than on fishes, even when perch exceeded 200 mm in length (Lott et al. 1996). In our study, yellow perch in West Long Lake primarily fed on macro-invertebrates. We found few fishes in yellow perch stomachs, which confirms speculation by Paukert et al. (2002), who found no evidence of an inverse rela-tionship between abundance of bluegill and yellow perch in a study of 30 Nebraska Sandhills lakes. In fact, they reported that bluegill abundance, size structure, and condition were all positively related to yellow perch abundance, size, and condition. Thus, production of high quality yellow perch populations for angling in Nebraska Sandhills lakes apparently i.s not dependent on bluegill predation to reduce abundance of small perch. Paukert et al. (2002) suggested that largemouth bass predation may be the most influential factor on %bynumber SE %byweight SE 6.7 6.7 4.3 4.3 6.7 6.7 2.9 2.9 86.7 86.7 92.8 92.8 25.4 11.4 7.6 5.4 9.0 6.7 3.0 2.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 7.4 3.9 3.4 2.8 2.8 2.8 6.6 6.6 54.6 7.7 27.3 10.1 0.3 0.3 0.01 0.01 51.4 51.4 28.0 28.0 31.6 31.6 1.3 1.3 0.2 0.2 36.0 32.1 34.1 33.0 33.3 33.3 33.3 33.3 1.3 1.3 0.2 0.2 0.5 0.5 yellow perch size structure in Sandhill lakes. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to thank Daryl Bauer and Greg Hesse for their assistance in the field, Darrel Hartman and Doug Graham for logistical support, and Joel Klammer and Andrew Glidden for assistance in the field and sharing of equipment. Valentine National Wildlife Refuge personnel allowed access to the study lake. We also thank Craig Paukert for his input and assistance throughout the duration of the project. This project was funded by Nebraska Game and Parks Com-mission through Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Project Number F-118-R. This paper was approved for publication by the South Dakota Agricultural Experi-ment Station as Journal Series 3302. LITERATURE CITED Anderson, D. W., and D. H. Schupp. 1986. Fish com-munity responses to northern pike stocking in Horse-shoe Lake, Minnesota. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Investigational Re-port 387, St. Paul. Clady, M. D. 1974. Food habits of yellow perch, small-mouth bass and largemouth bass in two unproduc-tive lakes in northern Michigan. American Mid-land Naturalist 91: 453-459. Cross, F. B., and J. T. Collins. 1995. Fishes in Kansas, 2nd edition. Lawrence, University of Kansas Press: 315 pp. Food habits of yellow perch 53 Table 2. Frequency of occurrence (FOC), mean percent by number, and mean percent by weight for prey items eaten by yellow perch 130-199 mm total length during 2001 at West Long Lake. N represents number offish sampled; SE = standard error of the mean; UR = unidentifiable remains; UIR = unidentifiable insect remains. Month N Prey item FOe April 3 Chironomidae 33.3 Zygoptera 33.3 Amphipoda 100.0 June 4 Chironomidae 50.0 Trichoptera 25.0 Ephemeroptera 50.0 Hemiptera 25.0 Amphipoda 100.0 Cladocera 50.0 August 7 Chironomidae 71.4 Zygoptera 14.3 Trichoptera 28.6 Ephemeroptera 57.1 Nematomorpha 28.6 Lepidoptera 14.3 Hemiptera 71.4 Mollusca 71.4 Amphipoda 42.9 UIR 28.6 UR 28.6 Plant material 14.3 October 7 Chironomidae 85.7 Zygoptera 85.7 Anisoptera 28.6 Trichoptera 28.6 Ephemeroptera 28.6 Hirudinea 14.3 Mollusca 28.6 Amphipoda 71.4 Cladocera 28.6 Fish 14.3 UIR 28.6 Plant material 42.9 Dubets, H. 1954. Feeding habits oflargemouth bass as revealed by gastroscope. Progressive Fish-Culturist 16: 134-136. Dumont, H. J., I. Van de Velde, and S. Dumont. 1975. The dry weight estimate of biomass in a selection of cladocera, copepoda and rotifera from the plankton, periphyton andbenthos of continental waters. Oecologia 19: 75-59. Fullhart, H. G., B. G. Parsons, and D. W. Willis. 2002. Yellow perch piscivory and its possible role in struc-turing littoral zone fish communities in small Min-nesota lakes. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 17: 37-43. Goode, G. B., ed. 1884-87. The Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the United States, 7 vols. Washington D.C., U. S. Government Printing Office. Laarman, P. W., and J. C. Schneider. 1972. The food %bynumber SE %byweight SE 13.3 13.3 2.0 2.0 11.1 11.1 13.3 13.3 75.6 12.4 84.6 12.4 8.2 4.8 3.5 2.4 0.7 0.7 3.4 3.4 1.8 1.1 1.6 1.5 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 76.2 9.9 88.9 5.6 11.9 7.7 1.5 .9 29.3 11.7 27.3 12.1 0.5 0.5 0.7 0.7 1.1 0.9 1.1 1.0 15.1 14.2 3.2 2.9 0.4 0.3 0.05 0.03 0.2 0.2 0.05 0.05 20.2 13.6 15.2 14.1 15.1 9.9 26.7 14.1 17.7 9.0 11.9 8.3 0.4 0.2 1.4 0.9 12.2 11.2 0.2 0.2 15.5 5.8 8.7 4.7 8.7 4.6 5.7 3.8 0.3 0.2 3.7 3.6 0.1 0.07 0.1 0.07 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.06 0.04 0.04 0.2 0.2 2.5 2.4 0.4 0.3 52.2 14.0 52.6 15.6 3.0 2.9 0.3 0.29 14.3 14.3 14.3 14.3 3.1 2.4 13.8 13.7 0.2 0.1 and feeding habits of the bluegill and yellow perch in lakes with good and poor fishing. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Research and Development Report No. 279, Ann Arbor. Lott, J. P., D. W. Willis, and D. O. Lucchesi. 1996. Relationship of food habits to yellow perch growth and population structure in South Dakota lakes. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 11: 27-37. McCarraher, D. B. 1977. Nebraska's Sandhills Lakes. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration, Project F-54-R, Completion Report, Lincoln. Merritt, R. W., and K. W. Cummins, editors. 1984. An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America, second edition. Dubuque, KendalllHunt Publish-ing Company: 862 pp. Paukert, C. P., and D. W. Willis. 2000. Factors affect-54 J. L. Wilkens et al. Table 3. Frequency of occurrence (FOe), mean percent by number, and mean percent by weight for prey items eaten by yellow perch C: 200 mm total length during 2001 at West Long Lake. N represents number offish sampled; SE = standard error of the mean; DR = unidentifiable remains; UIR = unidentifiable insect remains. Month N Prey item FOe %bynumber BE %byweight BE April 26 Chironomidae 23.1 3.6 3.1 0.7 0.4 Zygoptera 7.7 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 Trichoptera 7.7 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 Ephemeroptera 7.7 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 Hirudinea 3.8 0.3 0.3 2.6 2.6 Mollusca 7.7 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 Amphipoda 92.3 86.7 5.9 87.5 5.8 Cladocera 23.1 0.5 0.2 0.003 0.001 Fish egg 7.7 0.6 0.5 1.1 1.0 VIR 7.7 7.7 5.3 7.7 5.3 June 15 Chironomidae 80.0 47.7 10.4 43.8 11.0 Zygoptera 20.0 1.3 .9 2.7 1.9 Trichoptera 73.7 10.0 4.6 11.1 5.4 Ephemeroptera 33.3 0.9 0.4 0.6 0.3 N ematomorpha 6.7 0.1 0.1 0.05 0.05 Lepidoptera 6.7 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.8 Hirudinea 20.0 0.6 0.4 5.9 4.7 Mollusca 20.0 3.8 3.0 6.9 4.6 Amphipoda 86.7 20.0 7.0 12.8 6.0 Cladocera 13.3 0.8 0.6 0.01 0.01 Fish egg 13.3 13.0 8.9 12.4 8.5 Fish 66.7 1.2 0.3 3.0 1.3 August 16 Chironomidae 62.5 17.4 7.2 12.9 7.2 Trichoptera 31.3 5.8 3.1 5.3 3.5 Ephemeroptera 50.0 11.3 6.7 10.5 6.7 N ematomorpha 12.5 0.1 0.06 0.02 0.01 Lepidoptera 18.8 0.4 0.3 2.1 2.0 Hirudinea 6.3 0.03 0.03 0.05 0.05 Hemiptera 68.7 30.4 8.4 16.9 7.5 Mollusca 37.5 22.3 8.0 28.8 8.9 Amphipoda 37.5 3.7 2.0 0.4 0.2 Cladocera 6.3 5.0 5.0 0.01 0.01 Copepoda 6.3 0.1 0.1 0.004 0.004 Fish 6.3 3.1 3.1 VIR 12.5 0.3 0.2 0.6 0.5 VR 12.5 0.1 0.1 Plant material 56.3 22.1 8.9 October 16 Chironomidae 81.3 22.7 7.6 19.3 7.6 Zygoptera 31.3 2.8 2.5 5.8 5.4 Anisoptera 6.3 0.1 0.1 2.1 2.1 Trichoptera 25.0 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.3 Ephemeroptera 18.8 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 Hirudinea 11.5 3.2 3.1 5.9 5.8 Mollusca 6.3 0.03 0.03 0.01 0.01 Amphipoda 87.5 64.5 8.8 56.8 9.6 Cladocera 12.5 0.2 0.1 0.014 0.013 Copepoda 6.3 0.03 0.03 0.01 0.01 Fish 12.5 4.4 3.3 5.3 4.8 VIR 6.3 1.3 1.3 0.3 0.3 Plant material 62.5 3.8 1.3 ing panfish populations in Nebraska Sandhill lakes. Nebraska Game and Parks Commision, Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration, Project Number F-118-R, Study 1, Job 1, Completion Report, Lincoln. --, --, and J. A. Klammer. 2002. Effects of predation and environment on quality of yellow perch and bluegill populations in Nebraska San-dhilliakes. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 22: 86-95. Pennak, R. W. 1989. Freshwaterlnvertebrates of the United States, 3rd edition. New York, John Wiley and Sons: 628 pp. Reed, J. R., and B. G. Parsons. 1996. Observations of predation on small bluegill in a Minnesota cen-trarchid lake. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Section of Fisheries Investigational Re-port No. 452, St. Paul. Food habits of yellow perch 55 Schneider, J. C. 1972. Dynamics of yellow perch in single species lakes. Michigan Department of Natu-ral Resources, Research and Development Report No. 184, Lansing. ---, and J. E. Breck. 1997. Overwinter consump-tion of blue gills by walleyes and yellow perch. Michi-gan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Research Report No. 1992, Ann Arbor. White, H. C. 1930. Some observations on eastern brook trout (S. fontinalis) of Prince Edward Island. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 60: 101-105. Wolfgang, A. J., and W. C. Mackay. 1992. Foraging in yellow perch, Perca flavescens: biological and physi-cal factors affecting diel periodicity in feeding, con-sumption, and movement. Environmental Biology of Fishes 34: 287-303. 

FOOD HABITS OF YELLOW PERCH, \u3ci\u3ePERCA FLAVESCENS\u3c/i\u3e, IN WEST LONG LAKE, NEBRASKA

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University of Nebraska - Lincoln 
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln 
Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of 
Sciences and Affiliated Societies Nebraska Academy of Sciences 
2002 
FOOD HABITS OF YELLOW PERCH, PERCA FLAVESCENS, IN 
WEST LONG LAKE, NEBRASKA 
Justin L. Wilkens 
South Dakota State University 
Timothy J. DeBates 
South Dakota State University 
David W. Willis 
South Dakota State University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tnas 
 Part of the Life Sciences Commons 
Wilkens, Justin L.; DeBates, Timothy J.; and Willis, David W., "FOOD HABITS OF YELLOW PERCH, PERCA 
FLAVESCENS, IN WEST LONG LAKE, NEBRASKA" (2002). Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of 
Sciences and Affiliated Societies. 22. 
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tnas/22 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Nebraska Academy of Sciences at 
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Transactions of the 
Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies by an authorized administrator of 
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. 
2002. Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences 28: 49-56 
FOOD HABITS OF YELLOW PERCH, PERCA FLA VESCENS, 
IN WEST LONG LAKE, NEBRASKA 
Justin L. Wilkens, Timothy J. DeBates, and David W. Willis 
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences 
South Dakota State University 
Brookings, South Dakota 57007-1696 
ABSTRACT 
Food-habits data were collected from 102 yellow perch, 
Perca flavescens, in West Long Lake, Nebraska, from April to 
October, 2001, to determine iffood habits changed seasonally 
in this shallow, vegetated, natural lake. Based on percent by 
number and weight, yellow perch in all length groups and 
during all seasons primarily consumed macro-invertebrates. 
Yellow perch < 130 mm in total length fed primarily on 
amphipods and chironomids in all months except October. 
For perch between 130 and 199 mm, amphipods and chirono-
mids composed greater than 60% of the diet by weight in all 
months except August. Yellow perch ~ 200 mm primarily 
consumed macro-invertebrates with fish contributing less 
than 6% ofthe diet by weight during all months except June. 
Knowledge of the trophic ecology of yellow perch in these 
lentic systems should help biologists better understand the 
role of perch as both predator and prey. 
t t t 
The yellow perch, Perea flaveseens (Fig. 1), is a popu-
lar sport fish in Nebraska Sandhills lakes. While yel-
low perch can serve as a primary prey for predators 
(Paukert et al. 2002), they can also be a predator of 
bluegill, Lepomis maeroehirus (Fullhart et al. 2002; 
Reed and Parsons 1996; Schneider and Breck 1997). 
Food habits of yellow perch have varied from zooplank-
ton to macro-invertebrates to fish (Clady 1974; Laarman 
and Schneider 1972; Lott et al. 1996; Schneider 1972; 
Wolfgang and Mackay 1992). However, little informa-
tion exists on the seasonal diets of yellow perch in 
Nebraska Sandhills lakes. Thu.s, the objective of this 
study was to describe food habits of small « 130 mm), 
medium (130-199 mm), and large (~ 200 mm) yellow 
perch in West Long Lake, Nebraska. 
Figure 1. Yellow perch, Perca flavescens, about life size, after a drawing by H. L. Todd from Goode (1884-87) obtained from 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationlDepartment of Commerce website. 
49 
50 J. L. Wilkens et al. 
_____ Fish eggs 
~Fish 
____ Macroinvertebrates 
-<>-- Zooplankton 
100 
< 130 mm 
80 
60 
40 
20 
0 
April June August October 
100 • 
------, ! ... ~ 130-199 mm C) 80 .-(1) 
3: 60 >-
.c 
-;!!. 0 40 
c:: 
to 20 (1) 
~ 
0 
April June August October 
100 
~200 mm 
80 
60 
40 
20 
0 
April June August October 
Figure 2. Food habits by season and length group for yellow perch sampled from West Long Lake, Nebraska, in 2001. Vertical 
bars represent ± 1 SE. Percentages do not always add to 100 because unidentifiable remains and plant material were excluded 
from these data. 
STUDY SITE 
West Long Lake is a 25-ha natural lake located on 
the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge in Cherry 
County, Nebraska. Mean depth of West Long Lake is 
1.2 m, with a maximum depth of 1.8 m. Submergent 
vegetation covers approximately 80% of the lake sur-
face during mid-summer. Grasslands completely sur-
round the lake and there are no crops within its water-
shed (McCarraher 1977). 
Yellow perch are common in West Long Lake. Other 
species present include bluegill; largemouth bass, 
Micropterus salmoides; black bullhead, Ameiurus melas; 
and the recently established northern pike, Esox lucius, 
which was first documented in 1998 (Paukert and Willis 
2000). 
MATERIALS AND METHODS 
West Long Lake was sampled by nighttime 
electrofishing (pulsed DC) in April, June, August, and 
October of 200 1. We collected yellow perch throughout 
the lake, with a goal to collect seven yellow perch per 
total length group (< 130 mm, 130-199 mm, ;::: 200 mm) 
each month. 
Yellow perch collected by electrofishing were 
weighed and measured, and food items were removed 
using an acrylic tube (White 1930). The tube was 
inserted through the esophagus to the posterior end of 
the stomach. Visual inspection was made by looking 
through the tube to see if all food items had been 
removed (Dubets 1954). Some yellow perch < 130 mm 
were preserved in 10% formalin and brought back to 
the laboratory for dissection and removal of the stom-
ach. 
In the field, stomach contents were stored in a 
plastic bag and preserved in 10% formalin. In the 
laboratory, stomach contents were retained by a 100-
!lm sieve while water was used to rinse off formalin. 
Stomach contents were then examined under a dissect-
ing microscope. Stomachs from preserved yellow perch 
were separated from the digestive tract and the con-
tents were flushed into a petri dish. Aquatic inverte-
brates were identified to family or order using keys by 
Merritt and Cummins (1984) and Pennak (1989). Fish 
were identified using keys developed by Cross and 
Collins (1995). Prey items that could be distinguished 
as fish or insects but could not be identified further 
were labeled as unidentifiable fish remains (UFR) and 
unidentifiable insect remains (UIR), respectively. Re-
mains that could not be identified as fish, macro-inver-
tebrate, or plant items, were labeled unidentified re-
mains (UR). Frequency of occurrence (number of fish 
where a specific taxon was present in stomach divided 
Food habits of yellow perch 51 
by total number of fish in length group), percent by 
number (number of taxa divided by total number of 
food items present in each stomach), and percent by 
weight (weight of specific taxon divided by total weight 
of stomach contents in each stomach) were used to 
describe diets. Zooplankton weights were calculated 
using weight-length regressions obtained from Dumont 
et al. (1975). In the laboratory, macro-invertebrates 
and fish and were weighed to nearest 0.01 g using a 
digital scale. 
RESULTS 
Stomach contents were assessed for 102 yellow perch 
in West Long Lake from April to October of 2001. 
Based on percent by weight, yellow perch in all length 
groups primarily consumed macro-invertebrates dur-
ing all seasons (Fig. 2). Zooplankton were a minor 
dietary component, while fishes were rarely consumed. 
Macro-invertebrates composed the majority of the 
stomach contents for yellow perch < 130 mm, with 
cladocerans, unidentifiable remains, and plant mate-
rial appearing in August and October (Table 1). Chi-
ronomids and amphipods dominated (% by number) the 
stomach contents of yellow perch in this length group, 
ranging from 64% ofthe diet in October to 93% in June. 
Unidentifiable remains (UR) made up the majority (% 
by weight) of stomach contents in August. Cladocerans 
composed approximately 33% (by number and by weight) 
ofthe stomach contents during October for yellow perch 
<130mm. 
Although amphipods dominated the diets of 130-
199 mm yellow perch in three of the four samples 
(Table 2), a greater variety of prey taxa appeared in 
their diets compared to yellow perch < 130 mm. In 
April, only three prey taxa appeared in the diets of 
130-199 mm yellow perch, with amphipods composing 
84.6% of the diets by weight. In June, amphipods 
dominated the diets at nearly 89% by weight, with 
cladocerans composing 12% ofthe stomach contents by 
number but only 1.5% by weight. Chironomids and 
molluscs dominated the diets in similar proportions by 
weight during August. In October, amphipods com-
posed greater than 50% by weight of the diet, with fish 
and chironomids making up an additional 23% by 
weight. The lone stomach containing fish involved a 
single bluegill weighing 1.9 g. 
Macro-invertebrates again dominated the diets of 
yellow perch;::: 200 mm in all seasons (Table 3), with a 
continuing trend of greater prey diversity with increas-
ing perch length. Chironomids and amphipods were 
primary prey items in June and October. Amphipods 
composed greater than 85% ofthe diets by number and 
weight during April. In August, hemipterans, mol-
52 J. L. Wilkens et al. 
Table 1. Frequency of occurrence (FOe), mean percent by number, and mean percent by weight for prey items eaten by yellow 
perch < 130 mm total length during 2001 at West Long Lake. N represents number offish sampled; SE = standard error ofthe 
mean; DR = unidentifiable remains; UIR = unidentifiable insect remains. No small « 130 mm) yellow perch were collected during 
April, 2001. 
Month N Prey item FOC 
June 1 Chironomidae 100.0 
Ephemeroptera 100.0 
Amphipoda 100.0 
August 5 Chironomidae 100.0 
Zygoptera 40.0 
Trichoptera 20.0 
Ephemeroptera 80.0 
Mollusca 20.0 
Amphipoda 100.0 
Cladocera 20.0 
UR 100.0 
October 3 Chironomidae 33.3 
Trichoptera 33.3 
Amphipoda 66.7 
Cladocera 33.3 
VIR 33.3 
Plant material 33.3 
luscs, chironomids, and ephemeropterans together com-
posed 69% of the stomach contents by weight. Molluscs 
were the dominant diet item by weight, followed by 
plant material that likely was ingested as yellow perch 
fed on gastropods. 
DISCUSSION 
Yellow perch apparently exhibit differential roles 
in various fish communities. For example, yellow perch 
predation on small bluegills may positively influence 
bluegill growth and size structure in Minnesota lakes 
with complex fish communities (Anderson and Schupp 
1986; Fullhart et al. 2002; Reed and Parsons 1996). In 
contrast, yellow perch in eastern South Dakota lakes 
fed almost exclusively on zooplankton and macro-in-
vertebrates rather than on fishes, even when perch 
exceeded 200 mm in length (Lott et al. 1996). In our 
study, yellow perch in West Long Lake primarily fed on 
macro-invertebrates. We found few fishes in yellow 
perch stomachs, which confirms speculation by Paukert 
et al. (2002), who found no evidence of an inverse rela-
tionship between abundance of bluegill and yellow perch 
in a study of 30 Nebraska Sandhills lakes. In fact, they 
reported that bluegill abundance, size structure, and 
condition were all positively related to yellow perch 
abundance, size, and condition. Thus, production of 
high quality yellow perch populations for angling in 
Nebraska Sandhills lakes apparently i.s not dependent 
on bluegill predation to reduce abundance of small 
perch. Paukert et al. (2002) suggested that largemouth 
bass predation may be the most influential factor on 
%bynumber SE %byweight SE 
6.7 6.7 4.3 4.3 
6.7 6.7 2.9 2.9 
86.7 86.7 92.8 92.8 
25.4 11.4 7.6 5.4 
9.0 6.7 3.0 2.6 
0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 
7.4 3.9 3.4 2.8 
2.8 2.8 6.6 6.6 
54.6 7.7 27.3 10.1 
0.3 0.3 0.01 0.01 
51.4 51.4 
28.0 28.0 31.6 31.6 
1.3 1.3 0.2 0.2 
36.0 32.1 34.1 33.0 
33.3 33.3 33.3 33.3 
1.3 1.3 0.2 0.2 
0.5 0.5 
yellow perch size structure in Sandhill lakes. 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
We would like to thank Daryl Bauer and Greg 
Hesse for their assistance in the field, Darrel Hartman 
and Doug Graham for logistical support, and Joel 
Klammer and Andrew Glidden for assistance in the 
field and sharing of equipment. Valentine National 
Wildlife Refuge personnel allowed access to the study 
lake. We also thank Craig Paukert for his input and 
assistance throughout the duration of the project. This 
project was funded by Nebraska Game and Parks Com-
mission through Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration 
Project Number F-118-R. This paper was approved for 
publication by the South Dakota Agricultural Experi-
ment Station as Journal Series 3302. 
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Food habits of yellow perch 53 
Table 2. Frequency of occurrence (FOC), mean percent by number, and mean percent by weight for prey items eaten by yellow 
perch 130-199 mm total length during 2001 at West Long Lake. N represents number offish sampled; SE = standard error of 
the mean; UR = unidentifiable remains; UIR = unidentifiable insect remains. 
Month N Prey item FOe 
April 3 Chironomidae 33.3 
Zygoptera 33.3 
Amphipoda 100.0 
June 4 Chironomidae 50.0 
Trichoptera 25.0 
Ephemeroptera 50.0 
Hemiptera 25.0 
Amphipoda 100.0 
Cladocera 50.0 
August 7 Chironomidae 71.4 
Zygoptera 14.3 
Trichoptera 28.6 
Ephemeroptera 57.1 
Nematomorpha 28.6 
Lepidoptera 14.3 
Hemiptera 71.4 
Mollusca 71.4 
Amphipoda 42.9 
UIR 28.6 
UR 28.6 
Plant material 14.3 
October 7 Chironomidae 85.7 
Zygoptera 85.7 
Anisoptera 28.6 
Trichoptera 28.6 
Ephemeroptera 28.6 
Hirudinea 14.3 
Mollusca 28.6 
Amphipoda 71.4 
Cladocera 28.6 
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11.1 11.1 13.3 13.3 
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8.2 4.8 3.5 2.4 
0.7 0.7 3.4 3.4 
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0.2 0.1 
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Table 3. Frequency of occurrence (FOe), mean percent by number, and mean percent by weight for prey items eaten by yellow 
perch C: 200 mm total length during 2001 at West Long Lake. N represents number offish sampled; SE = standard error of the 
mean; DR = unidentifiable remains; UIR = unidentifiable insect remains. 
Month N Prey item FOe %bynumber BE %byweight BE 
April 26 Chironomidae 23.1 3.6 3.1 0.7 0.4 
Zygoptera 7.7 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
Trichoptera 7.7 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 
Ephemeroptera 7.7 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
Hirudinea 3.8 0.3 0.3 2.6 2.6 
Mollusca 7.7 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
Amphipoda 92.3 86.7 5.9 87.5 5.8 
Cladocera 23.1 0.5 0.2 0.003 0.001 
Fish egg 7.7 0.6 0.5 1.1 1.0 
VIR 7.7 7.7 5.3 7.7 5.3 
June 15 Chironomidae 80.0 47.7 10.4 43.8 11.0 
Zygoptera 20.0 1.3 .9 2.7 1.9 
Trichoptera 73.7 10.0 4.6 11.1 5.4 
Ephemeroptera 33.3 0.9 0.4 0.6 0.3 
N ematomorpha 6.7 0.1 0.1 0.05 0.05 
Lepidoptera 6.7 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.8 
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Mollusca 20.0 3.8 3.0 6.9 4.6 
Amphipoda 86.7 20.0 7.0 12.8 6.0 
Cladocera 13.3 0.8 0.6 0.01 0.01 
Fish egg 13.3 13.0 8.9 12.4 8.5 
Fish 66.7 1.2 0.3 3.0 1.3 
August 16 Chironomidae 62.5 17.4 7.2 12.9 7.2 
Trichoptera 31.3 5.8 3.1 5.3 3.5 
Ephemeroptera 50.0 11.3 6.7 10.5 6.7 
N ematomorpha 12.5 0.1 0.06 0.02 0.01 
Lepidoptera 18.8 0.4 0.3 2.1 2.0 
Hirudinea 6.3 0.03 0.03 0.05 0.05 
Hemiptera 68.7 30.4 8.4 16.9 7.5 
Mollusca 37.5 22.3 8.0 28.8 8.9 
Amphipoda 37.5 3.7 2.0 0.4 0.2 
Cladocera 6.3 5.0 5.0 0.01 0.01 
Copepoda 6.3 0.1 0.1 0.004 0.004 
Fish 6.3 3.1 3.1 
VIR 12.5 0.3 0.2 0.6 0.5 
VR 12.5 0.1 0.1 
Plant material 56.3 22.1 8.9 
October 16 Chironomidae 81.3 22.7 7.6 19.3 7.6 
Zygoptera 31.3 2.8 2.5 5.8 5.4 
Anisoptera 6.3 0.1 0.1 2.1 2.1 
Trichoptera 25.0 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.3 
Ephemeroptera 18.8 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 
Hirudinea 11.5 3.2 3.1 5.9 5.8 
Mollusca 6.3 0.03 0.03 0.01 0.01 
Amphipoda 87.5 64.5 8.8 56.8 9.6 
Cladocera 12.5 0.2 0.1 0.014 0.013 
Copepoda 6.3 0.03 0.03 0.01 0.01 
Fish 12.5 4.4 3.3 5.3 4.8 
VIR 6.3 1.3 1.3 0.3 0.3 
Plant material 62.5 3.8 1.3 
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FOOD HABITS OF YELLOW PERCH, \u3ci\u3ePERCA FLAVESCENS\u3c/i\u3e, IN WEST LONG LAKE, NEBRASKA

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