low again at lengths of 238 and 248 millimeters. 

 There were wide fluctuations in the values of K 

 within these different intervals of lengths. Fe- 

 males exhibited the same kind of change as 

 males in values of K with increasing length of 

 fish However, the increase from a relatively 

 low value of K to a higher value did not occur in 

 the females until a length of 209 millimeters was 

 reached, instead of 172 millimeters, and the de- 

 crease in coefficient of condition of larger 

 females occurred at 242 millimeters instead of 

 at 238 millimeters as in males. When data for 

 the sexes are combined it may be seen that 

 values of K remained at about the same level 

 until a fish length of 172 millimeters was reached. 

 The values of JC increased over the length range 

 of 172 to 202 millimeters, remained fairly con- 

 stant at a high level for lengths of from 208 to 

 237 millimeters, then gradually declined with 

 each increase in length of the larger fish. 



The changes in the values of K with 

 changes in standard length of sexes combined 

 appear to be due to the trends in values of jC of 

 each sex . Each sex had approximately the same 

 coefficient of condition at lengths of 108 to 168 

 millimeters, inclusive (K equalled 2.23 for the 

 males, and 2 .29 for the females) . It is obvious 

 that males were in better condition at lengths of 

 172 to 198 millimeters, inclusive. It is ob- 

 served also that values of K for the sexes com- 

 bined increased at the lengths where the males 

 were relatively heavier than the females. The 

 high value of K at 202 millimeters is due entire- 

 ly to the heaviness of the males. The continued 

 high value of K for the sexes combined at lengths 

 of 208 to 232 millimeters no doubt was due to the 

 circumstance that both sexes were in good con- 

 dition at those lengths (K equalled 2.62 for the 

 males, and 2 .55 for the females) . The hi^ 

 value of^at 237 millimeters for the sexes com- 

 bined was due to the good condition of the females 

 in that length interval and to the scarcity of the 

 more slender males. Since both sexes showed 

 a decline in condition at the greater lengths, the 

 decreasing values of K at lengths of 242 milli- 

 meters and more was to be expected. 



Values of K, of individual age-groups 

 (table 18) show only slight differences related 

 to sex in the younger age groups but the males 

 were distinctly heavier than the females in the 



older age groups (V-VUI) . _K_ showed a tendency 

 to increase with age and length of the fish . 



Average^ of 2.46 for Lower Red Lake 

 yellow perch is unusually large for the species 

 and indicates that although they had grown at 

 only a moderate rate for the species, they were 

 extremely heavy for their length . 



Maturity and sex ratio 



The criterion employed to ascertain 

 maturity in the walleye was also used for yellow 

 perch . Male yellow perch of Lower Red Lake 

 mature earlier than females (table 21). All fish 

 of both sexes were immature as age -group 1 (in 

 second summer). In age-group n, however, 59 

 percent of the males were mature whereas only 

 2 percent of the females were mature. The per- 

 centages of maturity for age-group III were: 

 males, 94; females, 37. The samples contained 

 no rV -group females but the high percentage of 

 immature Ill-group females suggests that some 

 would still have been immature as age -group IV. 

 The IV -group males and all fish of both sexes 

 of age -group V and older were mature. Sex ratios 

 varied widely among the age groups, although the 

 females tended to predominate. On the whole, the 

 females outnumbered the males 180:100. 



THE GOLDEYE OF THE RED LAKES 



The goldeye, Amphiodon alosoides 

 Rafinesque, was recorded as a separate item in 

 the statistical summaries of the Red Lakes fish- 

 eries in 1917-1918, althou^ thereafter, until 1927, 

 it was grouped with the miscellaneous fishes. Gold- 

 eyes were reported to have been extremely abundant 

 in the early years. Comparatively few goldeyes 

 were sold until a demand developed for the 

 smoked fish. In the period 1927-1938, an annual 

 average of 57,876 pounds of goldeyes was 

 marketed. This species accounted for 6.6 

 percent of the average annual catch of all fish . 

 On the average, during 1930-1938, 97 percent 

 of the yearly catch of goldeyes was produced 

 during the summer season. 



FRESHWATER DRUM OF THE RED LAKES 



The freshwater drum (also called sheeps- 

 head, gray bass, and white perch), Aplodinotus 

 grunniens Rafinesque, is one of the least valued 

 of the commercial fishes of the Red Lakes. 

 Large numbers are consumed fresh by the 



48 



