LIFE HISTORY OF LAKE HERRING OF LAKE HURON 345 



Although food played no significant role in the formation of annuli in these mature 

 fish, it does not follow that food can not be such a factor. Undoubtedly it is the 

 normal factor in some species of wild fishes, and in starvation it becomes the principal 

 factor in all species. It is also conceivable that sexual maturation, when accompanied 

 by an abundance of food and a propensity for feedmg, leaves no effect on the scale 

 sculpture. 



Many experimental and other kinds of data have been accumulated relative to 

 the factors that govern the growth of animals and plants. Even the references that 

 involve fishes only are too numerous to review here. A brief but good review on this 

 subject may be found in Weymouth's paper (1923). In the last paragraph of his 

 review the author writes: "In the end it must be admitted that at present no exact 

 evaluation of the factors involved in seasonal growth is possible [p. 35]." 



The time of the formation of the annuli in the wild coregonids has not been 

 determined; but inasmuch as the formation of an annul us is causally related to the 

 retardation of growth, it is safe to assume that in nature, too, the annulus of these 

 species forms during the winter period. 



The exact season in other species of wild fishes of the northern latitudes has been 

 ascertained carefully by several investigators. All found that it was the period of 

 growth retardation or cessation during the winter. Such was the conclusion of Hoff- 

 bauer (1898, etc.) and Walter (1901) for the carp, of Thomson (1904) for several 

 species of Gadidaj, of Johnston (1905) for the Atlantic salmon, of Gilbert (1913) and 

 Fraser (1917) for the Pacific salmon, of Lea (1911) for the Atlantic herring, of Thomp- 

 son (1917) for the Pacific herring, and of Reibisch (1911) for the winter band on the 

 otoliths of the halibut. Miss Clark (1925), however, found that as a result of the 

 long protracted spawning season, growth of the mature atherine fish of California 

 (Leuresthes tenuis) "ceases during the months of May, June, and July and is resumed 

 again in the fall. This cessation of growth during the summer months results in the 

 formation of a breeding annulus on the scales. Growth continues during the winter 

 and a winter annulus is formed only in rare cases [p. 39]." 



Part II.— LIFE HISTORY OF LEUCICHTHYS ARTEDI LE SUEUR, THE BLUE- 

 BACK OR LAKE HERRING 



HISTORICAL: A SUMMARY OF OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE LIFE HISTORY 



OF LAKE HERRING 



DESCRIPTION OF ADULTS 



According to Jordan and Evermann (1911), two species of herring are common 

 in Lake Huron — Leucichthys harengus (Saginaw Bay herring, Georgian Bay herring) 

 found in Saginaw Bay, in Georgian Bay, and in the shallow waters of Lake Huron 

 proper, and Leucichthys sisco huronius (Lake Huron herring, blueback) found com- 

 monly in Lake Huron proper and occasionally in Georgian Bay. They recognize a 

 third herring, Leimchthys manitoulinus (Manitoulin tullibee), which occurs only in 

 the North Channel of Lake Huron. In addition to these three species of herring, two 

 others occur occasionally in Lake Huron, according to Jordan and Evermann — 

 Leucichthys artedi (lake herring, Erie herring, common lake herring, grayback) and 



