ARTIFICIAL, PROPAGATION OF WHITEFISH, ETC. 3 



short, contained about five times in the lengtli of the body ; the snout 

 is bhmt; the mouth is small and nearly horizontal with the lower jaw 

 included ; the maxillary is short and broad, reaching to a point near 

 the pupil; the mandible extends to a point under the posterior edge 

 of the eye. The eye is small, its diameter being about one-fifth the 

 length of the head. The rays in both the dorsal and anal fins num- 

 ber 11. The number of rows of scales along the side of the body 

 varies from about 82 to 92, with about 11 above the lateral line and 

 8 below. Tlie gill rakers number about 28, of which 10 are on the 

 upper arm of the gill arch ; the longest are contained about twice in 

 the length of the eye. The general color of this fish is a satiny white, 

 with a faint olive-green shade on the back. The fins are uniformly 

 white, except the caudal, which normally has a dark edge. 



COMMON NAMES. 



This fish has a number of common names in different parts of its 

 range. It is the whitefish par excellence of the United States and 

 Canada. As found in Otsego Lake, N. Y., it is inappropriately called 

 " Otsego bass." In allusion to its humped back it is called " high- 

 back whitefish," " bowback whitefish," " buffalo-back whitefish," and 

 other similar names in Lake Superior. 



HABITS. 



Although more is known of the habits of this species than of any 

 other member of the group, many phases of its life are still obscure, 

 as it remains in deep water most of the time. Besides the regular 

 annual movements of the schools to the spawning grounds there are 

 other well-marked migrations in some lakes. Wliether these depend 

 on food, temperature, enemies, or other causes is not known. Owing 

 to its small, weak mouth, it is seldom taken with a baited hook. It 

 subsists on minute animal food, chiefly crustaceans, mollusks, and in- 

 sect larvae. The food of the fry and young fish is almost wholly 

 small crustaceans. 



COMMERCIAL VALUE. 



The whitefishes are by far the most important group of fresh- 

 water fishes of North America, probably of the world. The common 

 whitefish is the best of the tribe, but some of the others nearly equal 

 it in merit, and all are more or less esteemed as food. The common 

 whitefish reaches a larger size than any other species of whitefish in 

 the United States. Examples weighing over 20 pounds have been 

 taken, but the average weight is under 4 pounds. Among the fishes 

 of the Great Lakes the common whitefish ranks next in value to the 

 ciscoes and the lake trout. In 1917 the catch in the United States 

 amounted to about 6,288,000 pounds, having a value of $731,519. If 

 to this is added the yield of ciscoes and other species of whitefish, 

 the aggregate is over 54,000,000 pounds, having a value of nearly 

 $2,600,000. The market value of the whitefishes taken in 1920 in 

 the British Provinces was reported as $1,315,932, a sum representing 

 about 20,356,000 pounds. 



Whitefish fishing is done chiefly with gill nets set at or near the 

 bottom in comparatively deep water, although considerable quanti- 



