Using Eye Lens Stable Isotopes to Identify the Rearing Origin of Fall Age‐0 Walleye ( Sander vitreus )

ABSTRACT Isotope values in fish eye lenses may be useful in differentiating rearing origins. We compared eye lens isotopic values of fall fingerling age‐0 walleye ( Sander vitreus ) reared in a hatchery pond, a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), and a natural lake. Using 10 fish per rearing source, we delaminated layers from one eye lens per fish to assess temporal changes in carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) and pulverized the whole second eye lens for δ 13 C, δ 15 N, and sulfur (δ 34 S). RAS‐reared walleye values exhibited high precision among individuals and were δ 34 S enriched. Pond‐reared walleye had lower δ 13 C and δ 15 N core values compared to other rearing sources. For δ 13 C and δ 15 N, values remained consistent among layers for RAS‐reared walleye, δ 15 N slightly increased for pond‐reared and lake‐reared walleye, and δ 13 C increased substantially among subsequent layers in pond‐reared walleye. Bayesian 95% ellipses did not overlap among rearing sources. These results demonstrate that eye lens stable isotope analysis may be a useful tool for differentiating hatchery‐reared and wild large fingerling walleye, specifically from RAS‐ and pond‐reared sources.