Assessing the Foraging Abilities of Juvenile Walleye in Differing Light Intensities
Light plays a key role in the foraging habits of walleye because they possess a tapetum lucidum, a membrane in the eye that allows walleye to see in dimmer environments than other fish. This provides a predatory advantage to the walleye as it can see its prey while remaining undetected. Before the development of the tapetum lucidum, walleye are found to be positively phototactic. Previous studies have determined the optimal optical environment of adult walleye to be between 6-68 lux. While the foraging abilities of other freshwater fishes are well researched, the effects of light intensities on juvenile walleye foraging are unknown. We seek to determine the effects of changing light intensities on the foraging habits of juvenile walleye. To do this we visually monitored the foraging of juvenile walleye given different light intensities in a controlled tank. Our results showed an increase in foraging succuss in brighter light environments compared to the darker environments tested. Determining the effects of light on juvenile walleye has impactions for stocking and conservation efforts that will ensure the survival of the species.