The Prnducihnty of Ftsli Food in Oneida Lake 97 



If we select certain groups or species as characteristic of 

 these bottom areas, we would select for the boulder areas 

 Goniobasis, Galba, Physa (all in the adult stage), Camhartis, 

 Heptagenia, Helicopsyche, and Psephenus. The gravel areas 

 have about the same characteristic animals with the addition 

 of Spluerinni vermonlanum. If a single species of animal is 

 to be designated as characterizing the stony habitats the gas- 

 tropod Goniobasis is best suited for this purpose, and the com- 

 munity might be called a Goniobasis comnnmity, or if it be 

 thought advisable to add an associated animal, a Goniobasis- 

 Helicopsyche community. 



Many small fish were noted in the boulder-gravel habitats, 

 especially Fundidus diaphanus, and they appear to afiford good 

 feeding grounds, especially in calm weather, for many young 

 fish and minnows, even in water but a few inches deep. 



Life on the Sand Bottom. The unit area examined on 

 sand bottoms was approximately 100 square cm. or 16 square 

 inches. Material was collected from 143 such unit areas, the 

 total molluscan life contained therein being 2,361 individuals 

 and the total associated animal life 2,532 individuals, the ave- 

 rages being 16.51 and 17.7 per unit. There are estimated to 

 be 85 acres of sand bottom in Lower South Bay and on the 

 basis of this area and of the averages for mollusks and asso- 

 ciated animals, there are 550,169,334 mollusks and 590,024,120 

 associated animals, or a total of 1,140,193,454 individuals on 

 the bottom of this area.* A comparison with the rocky bottom 

 shows that life is more than twice as abundant on the sand as 

 upon the gravel and boulder bottoms combined and almost 

 twice as abundant as on the gravel area alone. (See figures 

 25-30 for illustrations of the animal life of sand bottoms.) 



A study of Table No. 18 shows that the mollusks (2,361) 

 total but little less than the associated animals (2,532). Seven 



* The computations for the sand bottom are as follows : 43,560 X 

 144 = 6,272,640 square inches in one acre; X 85 = 533,174,400 square 

 inches in 85 acres; -^16^33,323400 unit areas in 85 acres; X 16.51 

 mollusks per unit area = 550,169,334 mollusks. 33,323,400 X 17.7 asso- 

 ciated animals per unit area = 590,024,120 associated animals -|- 

 550,169.334 mollusks ^ 1,140,193,454 total animal population on 85 acres 

 of sand bottom. 



