Examination of possible taxonomic differences within Lake Erie rainbow smelt, Osmerus mordax (Mitchill)

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Abstract
Random samples of rainbow smelt, Osmerus mordax, from commercial summer trawl harvests in the Central and Eastern basins of Lake Erie are examined. Analysis of the meristic, morphometric, and electrophoretic data indicates no statistical evidence of genetic differences between basin populations. However, significant differences in size and growth data between basin populations occur and are attributed to differences in limnological conditions between basins which affect the time of spawning, length of growing season, and growth rate. Thus, these differences indicate an ecophenotypic distinction between the Central and Eastern Basin populations because of between-basin limnological dissimilarities.