OiiitJa Lake Pishes 261 



testimony of jicrsoiis aci|uaintf<l with local species, and such of this testimony as 

 was in accord with known facts, has Ixicn incoriK)ratcd in this report. In the 

 summer of 1916 we found the following fishes breeding: Hlunt-noscd Minnow, 

 Long-eared Sunlish, Common Sunfish and the Tessellated Darters. In April, 1920, 

 I visited t'onstantia and made observations on the spawning <jf the Pike Perch. 



The literature has been scanned for facts pertaining to the breeding habits and 

 life histories (jf the different species represented in the lake; and it has been 

 found that there is still much unkninvn in these important jjhases of fish study. 

 We found, for e.xample, very few or no jiublished data on the breeding habits of 

 the following: Silvery, HIack-chinneil, Straw-colored, Gilbert's, Black-nosed, 

 Bridled, Spot-tailed, Silverfin, ICmerald and Rosy-faced Minnows: Black-nosed 

 and Long-nosed Dace. Short-headed Redhorse, Variegated Stonecat, Barred Killi- 

 fish, Black-sided Darter, and Striped liass. Only a fair amount of information 

 appears to be available on the breeding habits of the following: .\lewife. Tullil>ee, 

 Eel, Golden Shiner. Lut-lijjs, thub Sucker, Hog Sucker, Yellow Bullhead, SjKJtted 

 Catfish, .Stonecat. Trout Perch, Mud Miiniow, Brook .Silversides, Calico Bass, 

 Fan-tailed, Manitou and Iowa Darters and Burlnjt. The breeding habits and life 

 histories <»f the following may l>e considered well known: Lake lamprey, Bowfin, 

 Atlantic .Salmon, Blunt-nosed Minnow, Common .Shiner. Horned Dace, Fallfish, 

 Carp. Common Redhorse, Common Sucker, Common .Sunlish. Large-mouth and 

 Small-mouth Black B:i<s. Pike Perch, Perch, Tessellated Darters, aiul Common 

 Sculpin. 



Breeding Conditions. The iliversified ct)nditions in ' )neida I-ake furnish 

 bree<ling |)l.ices for many kinds of fish; an<l this undoubtedly accounts in a large 

 measure for the many s]>ecies and individuals there ftiund. That suitable breeding 

 places are very im]¥)rtant in determining the i)resence or absence of fish, ]>erhaps 

 more so than is the character of the food present, is the opinion of Keighard 

 ('14, p. f/;) who says: "In order that fishes may thrive in any natural water it 

 is necessary that there Ik- sufficient food and that there be available breeding 

 groiuuls suiteil to each s|R'cies. .Most fishes are ni>t narrowly limited in their 

 choice of fixnl. They are capable, with few exceptions, of utilizing the available 

 animal ffXKl. Their choice of bree<ling grounds is more limiteil. ^'et in attempting 

 to determine the suitability of a j)articular water for a given fish, far more attention 

 has Uen |»aid to fcMKi than to breeding groun<ls. ( )f the twn factors the latter 

 is ]irobalily the more im|)ortant." .Shelford (<|Uoted by Pearse, '18. p. .;Si) 

 recognizes this im|Mirtance when he says: ".\n animal should l»e associated, first, 

 with breeding conditions; secon<l, with the feeding cotulitions; third, with con- 

 diiiiins furnishing shelter." 



( >bviously a sjKcies of fish must have suitable places to breed as well as to 

 feed, and if must Ik- able to fiiul protection from enenues as welt as from other 

 destructive or antagonistic agencies; but the relative values of these are c|if)icult 

 and [K-rhaps im]Hissible to determine, since all are nccesstry to the life of a fish 

 in a given habitat (Pearse. 'iS. j). .'81). 



The abundance of I.ake I-ini|)reys. Pike Perch. Common .Stickers. Fallfish 

 and Tronl Perch in Dneida I-ikc is undouhtolly iluc. in large measure, to goo«l 



