A winter spawner the burgot has usually completed spawning by the time 

 the ice is gone. Burbot have been observed spawning in the riffle areas of streams 

 and the young have been observed in the streams. The fact that many newly 

 hatched young are found on the shallow, sandy bottoms of lakes indicates that 

 some burbots may spawn in lakes. 



Burbot or cusk were taken from all parts and at all depths of Moosehead 

 Lake, Maine. There is considerable competition between the cusk and togue in 

 Moosehead Lake since both eat smelts and the larger members of both species 

 feed on the larger suckers. 



A size of three pounds is considered large in Maine waters although records 

 from other sections of the country record lengths up to 30 inches and weights of 

 1 pounds. 



BASS FAMILY (Serranidae) 

 WHITE PERCH 



Morone atnerkana (Gmelin) 



The white perch, a member of the true bass family, is ordinarily found in 

 both fresh and brackish waters along the Atlantic coast, sometimes, as in Maine, 

 becoming landlocked in fresh water. The white perch is one of the four abun- 

 dant warm-water game species in Maine and in some regions may well be the 

 most important game fish. 



Spawning takes place in June with some of the fish spawning along the 

 shoreline and some entering the inlets. The eggs are very adhesive and stick to- 

 gether in masses or to any object on which they chance to rest. This adhesive- 

 ness makes it very difficult to propagate the species artificially. As young fish 

 they swim about in large schools cruising over shallow areas of the lakes. The 

 older fish exhibit a definite nocturnal migration into the shallow areas of lakes. 

 During the day for the most part they are taken in deeper waters from 10 to 20 

 feet. 



Studies on the food habits of the white perch in Maine indicate that roughly 

 60% of the food is made up of aquatic insects and 26% of a fish diet composed 

 largely of smelt, yellow perch and white perch. 



Perch over 1 inches in length may be found in most Maine lakes although 

 fish much larger are not as common. Fish up to 14^^ inches have been taken 

 weighing over two pounds. Fish around 10 inches in length weigh about one- 

 half pound and in most cases are 1 years old. Prized fish of over a pound are 

 from 1 2 to 15 years of age. As compared to other fishes they have a slow growth 

 rate. Like other warm-water species they tend to produce more than the produc- 

 tivity of the water can support. The result is stunted populations consisting of 

 great numbers of fish but all of small size. 



42 



