Growth, Food Habits, and the Relative Effectiveness of Stocking Rainbow Trout (Salmo gairdneri) in South-Central South Dakota

The effectiveness of stocking rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) in 47 selected stock ponds in south-central South Dakota was analyzed in 1977 and 1978. Rainbow trout were captured in 31 (66.0%) ponds during the study. Twenty-five of the 31 ponds (80.6%) appeared to have excellent rainbow trout populations. Rainbow trout stocked in ponds with a resident largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) population had poor survival. The growth rates and condition factors for 93 and 463 rainbow trout in 1977 and 1978, respectively, were excellent. The average total length for age-groups I and II rainbow trout in 1977 was 195 and 224 mm, respectively. The values for age-groups I, II, III, and V rainbow trout in 1978 were 184, 290, 366, and 499 mm, respectively. The average coefficient of condition value for all rainbow trout in 1977 was 1.04 and 1.07 for all trout in 1978. Stomachs were removed from 463 rainbow trout in 1978. Hemipterans and gastropods were the dominant food organisms eaten. Other organisms frequently consumed were coleopterans, dipterans, odonates, and cyprinids. Odonates and cyprinids were more frequently consumed by larger trout. The maximum surface temperatures recorded were 26.0 C in 1977 and 28.5 C in 1978. All ponds contained water with temperatures and dissolved oxygen levels within the reported tolerance ranges of rainbow trout. Several ponds, however, contained marginal levels and may have been responsible for our failure to capture rainbow trout in 16 ponds.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis - Open Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Wildlife and Fisheries Science

Year

1982

Author dc:creator

• Clodfelter, Kenneth C.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Charles G. Scalet

• Natural Resources and Conservation

Statement dc:rights

• <p>No Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Only<br /><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/</a></p>

Language dc:language

en

Repository record dc:identifier

https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/30

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:openprairie.sdstate.edu:etd-1030