Grass carp capture and life history traits in the Lake Erie watershed, 2017-2023, and in the Mississippi, Missouri, and Lamine Rivers within the state of Missouri, 2022

From 2017-2023, a total of 934 Grass Carp were removed from the Lake Erie basin and tributaries, and 159 were captured in the Mississippi, Missouri, and Lamine Rivers within the state of Missouri in 2022. For each captured fish we documented capture location, water temperature; we measured total length and total weight. Length data was used to assess the removal efforts in Lake Erie. A subset of Lake Erie captures (n=121), and Missouri captures (n=153) were histologically sampled to determine age-at-maturity, fecundity type, developmental timing, and spawning strategies. Gonadosomatic index (GSI) was analyzed to determine if it is a valid proxy for maturity.