Question

suppose that your trap 255 stickleback fish in a lab and mark them by clipping the first spine off their dorsal fins. one month later, you return to the lake and capture a total of 162 stickleback fish. 78 of these fish are marked. what is the estimated population size of stickleback fish in this lake? group of answer choices 50 123 530 4814

Answer 1

The estimated population size of stickleback fish in the lake can be calculated using the mark and recapture method. In this case, 78 fish out of a total of 162 captured fish are marked. The estimated population size is 528.

Step-by-step explanation:

The estimated population size of stickleback fish in the lake can be calculated using the mark and recapture method. In this case, 78 fish out of a total of 162 captured fish are marked. We can use the formula N = (M*C)/R, where N is the estimated population size, M is the number of fish initially marked, C is the total number of fish captured in the second sample, and R is the number of marked fish recaptured in the second sample.

In this case, M = 255, C = 162, and R = 78. Plugging these values into the formula, we get N = (255*162)/78 = 528.46. Since the population size cannot be a fraction, we can round it to the nearest whole number. Therefore, the estimated population size of stickleback fish in the lake is 528.