Growth And Feeding Dynamics Of Lake Sturgeon In Oneida Lake, New York:
Results From The First 5 Years Of A Restoration Program
Jackson, James R., Anthony J. VanDeValk, Thomas E. Brooking, Olvin A. vanKeeken and Lars G. Rudstam. 2002. Growth and feeding dynamics of lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens, in Oneida Lake, New York: results from the first 5 years of a restoration program. Journal of Applied Ichthyology. In press.
Assessments of a lake sturgeon restoration program in Oneida Lake, New York, indicate the establishment of a large, fast-growing population of juvenile fish. Catches of lake sturgeon since 1996, the year after the restoration program was initiated, have revealed that age 1-5 lake sturgeon are growing at a rate of 145 mm/year, significantly faster than other populations for which data are available. Similarly, weight-based measures of condition suggest a population with abundant food resources. Amphipods were the most abundant diet item, with zebra mussels becoming important in the diets of juvenile lake sturgeon larger than 700 mm. The possible impact of lake sturgeon on the exotic zebra mussel warrants further study. If suitable spawning habitat is available, current data indicate potential for Oneida Lake to support a self-sustaining population of lake sturgeon.