I noticed something odd about Yellow Perch when fishing, they are just as active when caught through the ice as they are in the summer. Unlike many fish such as bass and hornpout (bullhead) which go sluggish or dormant in wnter, perch seem very active all year.
Do yellow perch have a special form of thermoregulation using heat exchanging veins like sharks and tuna do? If not how do they remain active in both hot and cold water rather than growing sluggish like most cold blooded creatures do?
perch temperature regulation
Started by
Guest_FirstChAoS_*
, Mar 28 2009 02:14 AM
2 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_mikez_*
Guest_mikez_*
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Posted 28 March 2009 - 11:06 PM
Perch evolved in a cold habitat. It's normal for them. They breed at ice out when the water's barely above freezing.
BTW, neither hornpout nor bass go dormant under the ice. Both will feed aggressively all winter. Some of the biggest bass of the year come through the ice.
BTW, neither hornpout nor bass go dormant under the ice. Both will feed aggressively all winter. Some of the biggest bass of the year come through the ice.
#3
Guest_az9_*
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Posted 29 April 2009 - 07:58 AM
Perch evolved in a cold habitat. It's normal for them. They breed at ice out when the water's barely above freezing.
Your first sentence is true but respectfully disagree with the second. True, they are early spring spawners right after walleye but they don't breed until the water gets into the upper 40's F. and a little higher.
BTW, neither hornpout nor bass go dormant under the ice. Both will feed aggressively all winter. Some of the biggest bass of the year come through the ice.
Very true!
I might add even though fish are "coldblooded" our freshwater species in our temperate zone are adaptable to temperature changes as they've had to be or perish. Obviously their metabolism peaks in their optimum temperature zone, but many species have adapted to increased feeding as their gonadal development increases substantially.
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