Synopsis
Ultrasonic telemetry was used to study the movement and behavior of nine adult muskellunge, 69 to 101 cm in total length. Intensive fish tracking conducted from June to August 1978 produced 1178 contacts, the basis for summer home range determinations. Eight fish established summer home ranges by the time surface water temperatures rose above 17°C in mid-June, and by early July all fish exhibited home range behavior. Individual summer home ranges were 39 to 443 ha (mean = 146 ha) in area as determined by the minimum convex polygon method, and 27 to 73 ha (mean = 63 ha) as estimated by the grid-square method. Six fish had home ranges comprised of two distinct activity centers, 2.0 to 3.5 km apart. Some home ranges spatially overlapped, but occurrences of two fish at a common location were rare. In autumn, six of eight surviving fish remained within or near their summer home ranges. Observations on these eight fish during spring and summer 1979 provided evidence of reproductive and nonreproductive homing behavior
Similar content being viewed by others
References cited
Bachmann, R.W., R.V. Bovbjerg & J.D. Hall. 1966. The morphometry of West Lake Okoboji. Proc. Iowa Acad. Sci. 73: 165–168.
Bachmann, R.W. & J.R. Jones. 1974. Water quality in the Iowa Great Lakes. Iowa Great Lakes Water Quality Control Plan Report. Iowa State University, Department of Animal Ecology, Ames. 573 pp.
Barr, A.J., J.H. Goodnight, J.P. Sall, W.H. Blair, D.M. Chilko & J.T. Helwig (ed.)1979. SAS user's guide, 1979 edition. SAS Institute Inc., Raleigh 494pp.
Brewer, D.L. 1980. A study of native muskellunge populations in eastern Kentucky streams. Kentucky Dept. Fish Wildl. Resour., Fish. Bull. 64. 107 pp.
Christianson, J. 1978. Fishing and boating survey, East and West Okoboji Lakes. Project No. 77-I-P-7. 1977 Job Completion Reports, 1978 Management Plan, Fisheries Management Section, Iowa Conservation Commission: 44–67.
Crossman, E.J. 1956. Growth, mortality and movements of a sanctuary population of maskinonge (Esox masquinongy). J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 12: 599–612.
Crossman, E.J. 1977. Displacement, and home range movements of muskellunge determined by ultrasonic tracking. Env. Biol. Fish. 1: 145–158.
Crum, G.H. & R.W. Bachmann. 1973. Submersed aquatic macrophytes of the Iowa Great Lakes Region. Iowa State J. Res. 48: 147–173.
Dombeck, M.P. 1979. Movement and behavior of the muskellunge determined by radio-telemetry. Wis. Dep. Nat. Resour. Tech. Bull. 113. 19 pp.
Gerking, S.D. 1959. The restricted movement of fish populations. Biol. Rev. Cambr. Philos. Soc. 34: 221–242.
Haas, R.C. 1978. The muskellunge in Lake St. Clair. Amer. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. 11: 334–339.
Hart, L.G. & R.C. Summerfelt. 1975. Surgical procedures for implanting transmitters in flathead catfish (Pylodictus olivaris). Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 104: 56–59.
Johnson, L.D. 1958. Pond culture of muskellunge in Wisconsin. Wis. Conserv. Dep. Tech. Bull. 17. 54 pp.
Johnson, L.D. 1963. The traveling musky. Wis. Conserv. Bull. 28: 10–11.
MacArthur, R.H. & E.R. Pianka. 1966. On optimal use of a patchy environment. Amer. Nat. 100: 603–609.
Malinin, L.K. 1969. Home range and homing instinct of fish. Zool. Zh. 48: 381–391. (In Russian, Fish. Res. Board Can. Transl. Ser. No. 2050).
McNab, B.K. 1963. Bioenergetics and the determination of home range size. Amer. Nat. 97: 133–140.
Miles, R.L. 1978. A life history study of the muskellunge in West Virginia. Amer. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. 11: 140–145.
Miller, M.L. 1982. Behavior of muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) in West Okoboji Lake, Iowa as determined by ultrasonic telemetry. M.S. Thesis, Iowa State University, Ames. 174 pp.
Miller, M.L. & B.W. Menzel. 1985. Movement, activity, and habitat use patterns of muskellunge in West Okoboji Lake, Iowa. Amer. Fish. Spec. Publ. 15: (in press).
Minor, J.D. & E.J. Crossman. 1978. Home range and movements of muskellunge as determined by radio-telemetry. Amer. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. 11: 146–153.
Muir, B.S. & J.G. Sweet. 1964. The survival, growth and movement ofEsox masquinongy transplanted from Nogies Creek Sanctuary to public fishing waters. Can. Fish. Cult. 32: 31–44.
Odum, E.P. & E.J. Kuenzler. 1955. Measurement of territory and home range size in birds. Auk 72: 128–137.
Oehmcke, A.A., L.D. Johnson, J. Klingbiel & C. Wistrom. 1974. The Wisconsin muskellunge. Its life history, ecology, and management. Wis. Dep. Nat. Resour. Publ. 8-3600. 12 pp.
Olson, D.E., D.H. Schupp & U. Macins. 1978. An hypothesis of homing behavior of walleyes as related to observed patterns of passive and active movement. Amer. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. 11: 52–57.
Pitlo, J.M.1978. Walleye movement and behavior in West Lake Okoboji, Iowa. M.S. Thesis, Iowa State University, Ames. 87 pp.
Rongstad, O.J. & J.R. Tester. 1969. Movements and habitat use of whitetail deer in Minnesota. J. Wildl. Manage. 33: 366–379.
Schoener, T.W. 1968. Sizes of territories among birds. Ecology 49: 123–141.
Schoener, T.W. 1971. Theory of feeding strategies. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 2: 369–404.
Strand, R. 1985. Identification of principal spawning areas and seasonal distribution and movements of muskellunge in Leech Lake, Minnesota. Amer. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. 15: (in press).
Winter, J.D. 1977. Summer home range movements and habitat of four largemouth bass in Mary Lake, Minnesota. Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 106: 323–330.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Journal Paper No. J-11155 of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, Iowa. Project No. 2236
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Miller, M.L., Menzel, B.W. Movements, homing, and home range of muskellunge,Esox masquinongy, in West Okoboji Lake, Iowa. Environ Biol Fish 16, 243–255 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00842978
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00842978