304 Roosevelt Wild Life Annals 



nently in the unevenness in size of its scales, which are largest near the tail and 

 become nuticeal)ly .smaller forward. Common Suckers are food-fish of con- 

 siderable value on account of their abundance, general distribution, large size and 

 the readiness with which they are captured; but their numerous bones, an un- 

 pleasant flavor said to be present in individuals from shallow, warm waters, and 

 probably an impression that they are often filthy in food habits forbid their being 

 well liked. This sucker is seldom, if ever, caught by hook in Oneida Lake and is 

 of little interest to anglers. 



Breeding Habits and Life History. Early in the spring, soon after the ice 

 has gone out of lakes and streams and the water begins to grow warm, these 

 suckers "run", which means that they ascend streams to spawn. They move at 

 night to riffles (ir s\\iftl\- flowing water and prefer such places to quiet pools 

 (Forbes and Richardson. '09, p. 86). Reighard ('15, p. 225; '20, p. 4) finds 

 that they breed in streams where the water is swift and the bottom of gravel, but 

 he considers it possible that the essential requirements for breeding are suitable 

 bottom and running water, that theV mav breed in the lake, and that the young 

 suckers dccurring in the sli;illoW' water there are still on their breeding grounds 

 (I.e., p. 22^). After spawning, Common Suckers return to the lakes (Bean. 

 '03, p. 102). Breeding fish are commonly large, weighing two or three ]wunds, 

 but Fowler ('12, p. 474) found individuals 3 inches long with well developed 

 milt and roe, like those nearly two feet in length, and males four inches long with 

 tubercles on the caudal and anal fins. He says : "I have every reason to believe 

 these small fish were also spawning with the large ones, as I captured specimens 

 of similar disparity in size in the same waters in the spawning season." Breeding 

 males have tubercles or pearl organs commonly on the anal and on the lower half of 

 the caudal fins, and sometimes on the other fins and on the upper half of the body. 

 Fowler (I.e.) discovered this last condition in fish about a foot in length. One 

 of our large Oneida Lake specimens (No. 351), about sixteen inches long, has 

 tubercles on all of the fins and on the upper part of the body. Males possibly spawn 

 without these organs (I.e., p. 475). Fowler found no tuberculate females in the 

 species. 



In s|iriwning, two of tisualh' many males ]iresent on the spawning bed crowd 

 alongside a female (Culbertson, 04, p. O5 ; Reighard, '20, p. 10: Hankilison, 

 '19, p. 136). The breeding fish are very shy at such times (Reighard, '20, ]). 5), 

 and their markings are peculiar (I.e., p. 6; and Hankinson, '19, p. 135), with a 

 prominent light stripe alidve a dark one on each side of the body. The sexual 

 difl'erence as to color is slight. The male has pearl organs, which very rarely 

 occur in the female (I.e., ]). 136). The pearl organs enable males to keep their 

 positions with reference to the female in spawning (Reighard, '20, ]i. 12). 



On .\])ril 8, 1921, Hankinson watched suckers spawning in C'hiltenango Creek, 

 from the bridge at Bridgeport (Fig. 223). All of the fish were of the same size, 

 about 17 inches long (No. 4206), and in the water the markings apjieared similar 

 to those noted by Reighard. A light stripe bordered a distinct dark one along 

 each side of the body. Two fish were dften seen pressiiiL; nn each side of a third 

 one, and soiuetimes even more would i-rowil intn this gvdup. 'i'he spawning act 

 was like that described by Reighard ('20. p. 13). .\d distiiictiun of sex cduld 

 be noted. 



