Larval and Young of Year Walleye Diets in Western Lake Erie during 2014 and 2019

Lake Erie walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) recruitment fluctuates annually and depends partially on their diet and growth during their first year of life. To determine how age-0 walleye have responded to changes in prey species and abundance, larval and young of year walleye were collected from western Lake Erie in 2019 and 2014. Larval and young of year fish stomachs were extracted and dissected, with prey contents removed for later identification. All prey contents were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level using a dissecting microscope and counted, with up to 20 prey items from each taxa per fish measured (0.01 mm) using a digital computer image analysis system. Zooplankton prey items were identified to order, family, or genus and measured for body length, excluding the spine. Invertebrate prey items were identified to order, family, or genus and measured for body length and/or head capsule width. Fish prey items were measured for total length, standard length, backbone length, or otolith length depending on their degree of digestion.