Use of Genetic Tags to Evaluate Stocking Success for Reservoir Walleyes

Abstract
In recent years, recruitment of walleyes Stizostedion vitreum vitreum in Claytor Lake, Virginia, has resulted from both natural reproduction and periodic stockings of age‐0 fish from the midwestern United States. Malate dehydrogenase (MDH) allele frequencies of six walleye cohorts were assessed by starch gel electrophoresis. Augmented cohorts were found to possess MDH allele frequencies significantly different from unstocked cohorts, and both augmented and unstocked cohorts differed in allele frequencies from the juvenile fish that had been stocked during that period. Success of supplemental stocking was evaluated by quantifying shifts in cohort allele frequencies due to the stocking of juvenile fish with allele frequencies different from resident fish. Supplemental stocking of juvenile walleyes contributed an average 67% of year‐class strength to augmented cohorts in Claytor Lake during 1976–1979. This investigation demonstrates the utility of genetic tags for evaluating stocking efficiency, even in situations where supplementally stocked fish do not possess unique alleles or phenotypes. Received September 4, 1982 Accepted April 13, 1983

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