Outdoors Column: Mystery of blue walleye revealed
By Forrest Fisher
For many decades now, seasonal open water Lake Erie walleye anglers catch or see an occasional walleye that does not bear the typical brilliant yellow-gold coloring of the resident Lake Erie strain. Instead, the fish have distinct blue pigment coloration in their skin, including the mucous clinging to their scales and exterior body. Anglers often confuse these fish for the old Lake Erie blue pike, declared extinct in 1983, but they are not blue pike. They are, in fact, walleye with an interesting biological twist.
According to Dr. Wayne Schaefer, biologist at the University of Wisconsin, research is beinf done on the blue walleye frequently found in Canada and the upper Midwest. Schaefer’s group would appreciate information on catches and sightings, as well as samples of liquid mucous from the skin of the fish with blue pigment caught from Lake Erie.
According to Schaefer’s Web site at www.bluewalleye.com, “Blue walleye are genetically different than the now extinct “blue pike” of Lake Erie. Blue walleye are albino for yellow color and have blue color in the mucous of their skin. The blue color forms on the dorsal (upper) part of the body and is particularly noticeable in the two dorsal fins and the upper (top) part of the tail.”
Schaefer’s research shows that two factors contribute to the blue color in walleye — lack of yellow pigment in the skin of the fish and the presence of a blue pigment in the skin mucous of the fish. The group has identified the blue pigment in the mucous as a new protein never before described in fish literature and have named the pigment “sandercyanin.” Sander is the genus name for walleye and cyanin means blue in Greek.
Schaefer says, “From the scientific side, sandercyanin consists of a large lipocalin protein which carries “biliverdin,” a normal excretory product secreted in the urine of all vertebrate creatures. It forms from the breakdown of “heme,” a blood protein. Sandercyanin occurs in the mucous of walleye in many lake and river systems in Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba, and appears to equally present in both blue and yellow walleye of any given lake or river system.”
Sandercyanin appears to be moving south across the Canadian-U.S. border into upper Minnesota and upper Michigan, though many WNY anglers that have visited Quebec river systems and northern Ontario lakes have pictures and stories of blue walleye that show the definitive blue color characteristics described here. According to Schaefer, sandercyanin does not harm the health or taste of the fish. It is produced by the fish seasonally, with more in summer, and interestingly, is only produced on the dorsal (upper) part of the fish, above the lateral line.
Schaefer has noted that one factor that causes the breakdown of heme to biliverdin is exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. The earth is normally protected from UV radiation by ozone in the upper atmosphere. In recent years ozone “holes” have been noted over both the north and south poles, suspected as the result of CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) entering the atmosphere. In some species of animals, biliverdin is known to act as a photo-protectant.
According to the Web site, “It is possible that walleye in Canada use, as a sun screen, the very chemical which forms in their blood from exposure to too much sun. This conclusion is still only speculation but it is our best hypothesis.” A related white paper published by Schaefer on the subject suggests that perhaps the blue color may provide an advantage to walleye in their search for forage fish. This seems reasonable in a deep water environment that would be dominated by blue to blue–green light.
In a related story on blue walleye in Walleye-Insider magazine, “Schaefer also tracks isolated reports of blue pike and hopes to discover a surviving population of the once over-abundant Lake Erie native fish.”
Locally, WNY walleye anglers fishing from Buffalo, Sturgeon Point and Cattaraugus Creek in Lake Erie, have caught rare numbers of blue-pigmented walleye. I have witnessed several over the years myself. In a nutshell, the blue pigment may be a natural form of sunscreen for the fish. Nature adapts in necessary ways to survive unpredicted environmental changes. To participate in the research, check out the Web site.
New fee in Ontario
Effective January 1, 2009, anglers and hunters from outside Ontario who hunt and fish in the province will need to purchase a new Outdoors Card at a cost of $9. Non-resident anglers and hunters will be required to purchase the three-year card in addition to an annual non-resident Ontario fishing or hunting license. The card is available wherever Ontario hunting and fishing licenses are sold.
DEC fishing hotlines
A new digital announcer unit was acquired by the NYS-DEC for the fishing hotline phone in the Buffalo office. The new unit has over twice the message capacity, so in addition to the Lake Erie Fishing Hotline, the Western New York Fishing Hotline can now also be heard at 855-FISH. The new unit also counts calls, which will track the actual usage of this fishing information resource. Both hotlines are updated weekly, recorded on the phone line and posted to the DEC website.
Outdoors Calendar
Jan. 31: Snowshoe and Track Walk – Identify Animal Tracks, Reinstein Nature Preserve, 10:30 a.m., 93 Honorine Drive, Depew, call 683-5959.
Feb. 1: Evans Rod & Gun Club, Cain Rd., WNY Winter 3D Archery League, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., call 549-0333.
Feb. 3: East Aurora Fish and Game, monthly meeting , open to prospective members, 1016 Luther Road, East Aurora, 8 p.m.
Feb. 3: Youth Archery, Jr. Olympic Archery Development , ages 6–18, 6–10 p.m., West Falls Conservation Society, 55 Bridge Street, West Falls, call 941-9393.
Feb. 4: Erie County Fish Advisory Board, monthly meeting, 7 p.m., Bison City Rod & Gun Club, 511 Ohio St., Buffalo, free.
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