Omida Lake I-islus 371 



versicolor Wilson, Achtheres pimclodi Kroyer. and Argulus appcndictdosus 

 \\ iLsuii, iriMii the gills or outer surfaces of the bo<ly. Uf 1O8 siK-cimens examined 

 for gUxhidia by Surber ('13, j). 1 14), none was found infested. Ward ( '94. ]>. 54) 

 mentions a few trematodes and cestodes in fishes from I^ke St. Clair but the si)ecies 

 were not determined. Howard ('13) found the glochidia of the valuable jKrarl- 

 button mussel, Qmidnda foslulosa. infesting this fish, and e.xperimentally proved 

 that it could be infested artificially. Kvermann and Clark ( '20. \ol. J, p. 80) 

 notes that Enjasdus versicolor Wilson has been obtained from the Channel Cat. 

 W'etmore ('24. ]>. 20) found remains of Iclalurus f>iinctatus in the stomach of a 

 riedbilled GrelM;. 



Economic Relations. Jordan ('85) early recognized the importance of this 

 as a food fi.sh. He says: "The skin is thin and translucent, much less thick and 

 leathery than in our conunon catfishes {.Inteiurus). The head is small, the mouth 

 small, and the body slender. There is much less waste in the Ixxly of the channel 

 cat than in other catfishes, as the latter lose more than half their weight by the 

 removal of the head, the entrails and the skin. . . . 



■The flesh of the channel cat, when fresh, is very superior: it is white, crisp, 

 and juicy, tender and of excellent flavor. It is much more delicate both in filx-r 

 and in flavor than that of our other catfishes. When well co<iked, I consider it 

 superior tfi that of the black bass, the wall eye, the yellow i>erch or any other of 

 our percoid fishes, .\mong our fresh-water fishes, it is inferior mily to the white- 

 fish, the trout, and other Salmonidac. 



"The Channel cat is much le.ss tenacious of life than the bull he.id" i^Aiueiunis 

 iiehidosiis) ami f)ther Anieitiri." 



'.\s a food fish, the Channel cat is certainly more wurthy of attention than 

 any other .\merican catfish. ... In the streams of western luimiR-. which 

 are not cold enough nor clear enough for the trout, the channel cat ought to 

 thrive, and there is no fish native to those waters which is as valuable for f(Hxl." 



Kendall ('04, '10) has published two papers summarizing our knowledge of 

 the economic im[>ortance of this and other catfishes. I\vidently this is a fish whose 

 merits have ln-en >u-glected and which deserves greater enctiuragemcnt from the 

 fish culturists. 



.\n imexpected economic value has reiently luen <liscovered in this fish in its 

 ■icting as a nurse or host for a river nuissel valuable in the i)carl-button industry, 

 as Howard ('13) has shown. "'I'he results," he says, "would seem to demonstrate 

 Iclalurus fuiiclalus as a natural host for Quadrula f'uslulosa. ami the ex|HTiments 

 so far as they have gone would indicate that other spwies of catfish may Ik- also. 

 The j)ossibilities offered by the catfish as a ntedium for artificial pro|tngation arc 

 nbviously almrtst ideal. This fish, valuable for fiHHi. is abtmdant and can Ik* 

 transporte<l ami handled with less mortality perhaps than any oilier s|iccics. 'Hiose 

 conditions make the exiK-nse of propagation less and the chances of successful 

 distribution in every case greater." 



.huiliiitj notes. The Channel Cat also ranks higli as a game fish. Kendall 

 ("04. p. 405: '10, pp. 14-15) clescril)cs it tluis: "In their fcc<ling habits all species 

 of catfish seem to \\c n>orc or less nocturnal. They lake a luxik niost rratlily from 

 about twilight on into the night. M<ist set-line fishing is carrie<l tm at night. 



