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Abstract
Infections of walleye eggs by organisms of the family Saprolegniaceae have been implicated in instances of poor hatching success experienced by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. In 2018 and 2019, the effectiveness of various hydrogen peroxide treatment regimens on the hatching success of incubating walleye eggs was tested. Three hydrogen peroxide concentrations (100, 250 or 500 mg/L) and two exposure frequencies (once or twice daily) were tested. Results showed improved hatching success in systems treated with 100 mg/L hydrogen peroxide in 2018 but not in 2019. There was no effect of treatment frequency and no interaction effect between concentration and frequency in either year. Quantification of zoospores over the course of both experiments based on qPCR methodologies was dissimilar to observed hyphal growth and was unaffected by any hydrogen peroxide treatment. DNA sequencing of hyphae revealed that Aphanomyces laevis is a pathogen associated with walleye for the first time.