1. Rainbow Darter Etheostoma caeruleum

2. Sauger (Stizostedian canadense) By Curt Kemmerer

3. Identification Olive-gray on back, 3-4 dark saddles White belly
Dorsal fin completely divided
2-3 rows of black dots on anterior dorsal fin
Large, glossy eyes…sharp teeth

4. Similar Species

5. Distribution Iowa Border rivers and lower reaches of their tributaries

6. Habitat Diet Large, turbid, slow moving rivers Large, cool lakes
Move near bottom
Bottom vegetation
Instream structure
Primarily fish
Aquatic invertebrates
Juveniles feed on larvae and zooplankton

7. Reproduction Moves to smaller tributary streams to spawn
Spawn at night during April and May
Female deposits 32,000 to 83,000 eggs, scattered across bottom
Eggs hatch in 7 to 18 days
No parental care given to young

8. Economic/Recreational Importance
Conservation Status
Abundant in border rivers
Sport fish status
Daily bag limits and possession limits
Economic/Recreational Importance
Very popular sport fishes among anglers
Highly valued species = $$$ for Iowa
Ecological Importance
Important predator species
Prey species to larger predators (muskie, pike)
Tolerant of turbid, somewhat polluted water

9. References
eNature.com The Sauger. Available at
Iowa Department of Natural Resources IowaDNR Fish and Fishing. Available at
Montana Cooperative Fisheries Research Unit. January Available at
Ohio Department of Natural Resources Life History Notes: Sauger. Available at
Stewart, T. W Fishes known from Story County and nearby areas (with identification notes). Unpublished document provided by T. W. Stewart, Department of Natural Resources Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

10. Walleye Stizostedion vitreum blue pike, dore, dory, glass-eye, gray pike, green pike, jack, jackfish, jack salmon, marble-eye, pickerel, pike, pike-perch, sauger, Susquchanna salmon, walleyed perch, walleyed pickerel, walleyed pike, white eye, yellow pickerel, yellow pike perch
Oklahoma Department of
Wildlife Conservation
Jessica Franck

11. Identification Large, white eyes
Brassy, olive buff coloring with no distinct bars, just an overall brown or black mottling
19-22 dorsal fin soft rays
12-14 anal fin soft rays
Sparsely scaled cheeks
Well-developed teeth
Current Iowa record is 80 cm (31.5 in), 6.4 kg (14 lbs 2 oz) from Spirit Lake, 1968

12. Stizostedion vitreum Distribution & Habitat
Walleye Committee (data for VA)
Stizostedion vitreum Distribution & Habitat
Winter depths
IA DNR
Iowa natural lakes
Major interior rivers like Des Moines, Iowa, Cedar, Wapsipinicon
Great border rivers
Large, clear, cool waterbodies with gravel and sandy substrate
Summer depths

13. Stizostedion vitreum Diet
planktonic organisms
cladocerans and immature aquatic insects
small fishes, minnows, yellow perch, suckers, and bluegill
adults pscivirous, especially gizzard shad
some reports of frogs, crayfish, and snails

14. Stizostedion vitreum Reproduction
Sexual maturity: males 2-4 years, females 3-5 years
Move to spawning ground when water temperature 7-10C (45-50F)
Shallow water with rubble or gravel bottom
Up to 495,000 eggs based on weight
No parental care
Incubation around two weeks
Walleye fry, Maryland DNR

15. Stizostedion vitreum Importance & Conservation Status
Big predator of gizzard shad
One of N. America’s top game species
Very tasty
Easy propagation in hatcheries
Still being stocked in many IA waters
LARGE CANADIAN ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS

16. References
Maryland Department of Natural Resources. January Walleye. November 2004.
Mayhew, J. (editor) Iowa Fish and Fishing. Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.
Walleye Committee. April Walleye November 2004.

17. Yellow Perch Perca flavescens
Family Percidae
Luke Brager

18. Perca flavescens Identification
Compressed body shape
6-8 dark vertical bands on sides
½ to ¾ lbs avg.
Up to 1 or 2 lbs. (Jumbo)
Bright green to olive on dorsal region
Yellow on sides
White on bottom
Separated dorsal fin
First is spiny;
Second is soft rays
Native Fish Conservancy
Richard T. Bryant

19. Perca flavescens Comparison
OH DNR Sauger
Virgil Beck Yellow Perch

20. Perca flavescens Range
Native to northern states east of Rocky Mountains
Atlantic coastal regions south to South Carolina
Range extends off the U.S. map to N.W. into Canada
David Etnier

21. Perca flavescens Habitat
Streams and lakes
Prefer quiet water habitats
Associated with rooted aquatic macrophytes
Adapt to variety of habitats and water temperatures
School usually at less than thirty feet in depth

22. Perca flavescens Diet Piscivorous Larvae forage on zooplankton
After several months, yoy eat other small fishes
Shad
Aquatic invertebrates
Cannibalistic
Worms
Feed year long

23. Perca flavescens Reproduction
March to May
Vegetation to submerged brush
Sand and gravel shorelines
Males move in first & wait for larger females to arrive
Produce >100,000 eggs
Eggs attached in long gelatatinous strands clinging to underwater objects
Eggs hatch in 8 – 25 days dependent on water temp

24. Perca flavescens Conservation Status
No federal or state special protection status for Perca flavescens
Lower Great Lakes commercial fishery
11.3 million lbs Yellow perch Lake Erie 1981
Lake Michigan yields avg. 2.2 million lbs/year
Lake Michigan Perch yields decreased 80% since 1990
WI banned commercial fishing Lake Michigan & cut daily limit for hook/line fishing to 5/day

25. References
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Yellow Perch. Available at :
All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory. Yellow Perch. Available at: vescens.html
Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Yellow Perch. Available at :

26. Identification: Olive to yellow-green dorsally; blue-green ventrally; encircled by 8-11 dark blue-green bands; posterior areas between bands are red to orange; first dorsal fin reddish with dark blue border; second dorsal and caudal reddish with narrow blue border; 13 pectoral rays; unscaled cheek; reaches length of 7.7 cm.

27. Similar Species:
Rainbow Darter: unscaled cheek; breast naked;13 pectoral rays; no teardrop.
Iowa Darter: fully scaled cheek; breast partly scaled; more slender; long caudal peduncle; teardrop present.
Orangethroat Darter: pectoral rays; teardrop present.
Mud Darter: fully scaled cheek; breast naked; teardrop present.

28. Distribution: most prevalent in NE Iowa; with isolated populations spread throughout the state (South Skunk and Skunk).
Habitat: riffles of clear creeks and small to medium rivers over cobble or gravel.

29. Diet: Young of the year mostly consume zooplankton (Cladocera, Copepoda, etc.). As growth increases the diet is mainly comprised of aquatic insects, fish eggs, and fish larvae. As adults their feeding behavior resembles that of a sport fish by becoming opportunistic feeders. Cladocerans, Copepods, a range aquatic insects, small minnows, fish eggs, amphibians, small crayfish, and lamprey ammocoetes have all been found in the stomach contents of rainbow darters.

30. Reproduction: occurs when temperatures get above 15°C; males defend 12-30cm diameter areas from intruding males; however, the largest, and most colorful males get the most action; upon mating there is no parental care, and rainbow darter larvae have been observed migrating to smallmouth bass nests to be guarded as if they were their own.

31. Conservation Status: Considered common in the Mississippi River basin, and of moderate abundance in the streams and rivers of NE Iowa.
Ecological Importance: Predator and Prey; located in the middle of the food web as a primary consumer; eats anything smaller than itself, and is consumed by many secondary consumers.

32. References
Becker, G.C Fishes of Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Press. Madison, Wisconsin. p
Fishbase, A Global Information System on Fishes. Available at Nov
Gilbert, C.R. and J.D. Williams National Audubon Society Field Guide to Fishes, Revised Ed., North America. Knopf, New York. p
Google Images. Available at Oct
Harlan, J.R., E.B. Speaker, and J. Mayhew Iowa Fish and Fishing. Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Des Moines, Iowa. P
Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Iowa DNR Fish and Fishing. available at Oct
Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr Petersen Field Guides, Freshwater Fishes. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.