Document Type
Article
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine if walleye Sander vitreus percent dry weight, a measure of condition, differed among summer months of 2014 on Maple Lake, Minnesota. A second objective was to determine if there was a relationship between condition and body temperature, total length, or wet weight. Between three and six walleyes were collected per month by hook and line methods. All fish had internal body temperatures taken at the time of capture and were oven dried in the laboratory at 80 °C in order to measure percent dry weight. There was no relationship between condition and wet weight, month, total length, or body temperature. Due to the lack of significant trends questions about small sample sizes arose. Ideal sample size was calculated with a power analysis. Widths of confidence intervals were plotted in relation to sample size. The inflection point of the plot provided evidence to suggest a minimum sample size of seven fish per month should have been collected to obtain more accurate result. Future studies attempting to detect trends in percent dry weight of walleye should use a sample size of 7-10 fish per treatment group in order to detect biologically meaningful differences.
Publication Date
2014
Recommended Citation
Longtin, Kevin, "Changing Body Condition in Walleye with Reference to Ideal Sample Size Requirements" (2014). Journal of Earth and Life Science. 56.
https://pines.bemidjistate.edu/j-earth-life-sci/56
Included in
Animal Experimentation and Research Commons, Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons, Behavior and Ethology Commons, Biology Commons, Environmental Health and Protection Commons, Laboratory and Basic Science Research Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Population Biology Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons, Water Resource Management Commons
Comments
Faculty sponsor: Dr. Andrew Hafs, Department of Biology, Aquatic Biology Program