Omitlit Laki- I'islus 399 



little earlier than the Chain I'ickerel, but the two s]K'cies may l>e spawning on the 

 same area at the same time. Wrifjht and Allen ('13, p. 5) give the hreeding time 

 as March to May. Hankinson ('08, \). joy) found them spawning in southern 

 Michigan in early April. In Illinois F(»rlK.*s and Richardson ( '09, p. 20S) note its 

 breeding in March. 



.\t Oneida Lake the fish very ])rol)ably sjjawn in situations similar to those 

 used by the Chain I'ickerel. Forbes and Kichar<Isi>n (I.e.) .say they use shallow- 

 places upon meadows and banks which have l)een overflowed. Wright and .Mien 

 ( ■3' P- 5) consider swampy streams, shallow overflows, and ditches to l)e the 

 breeding habitats. 



In s])awning tn-havior this s|J«cies is practically identical with the LTiain 

 I'icktrel, according to Kmbody ('18, p. .253). The eggs are about one-eighth inch 

 in diameter, and the period of hatching varies from fourteen to thirty days. The 

 li-malc is said to be larger than the male, an«l the fish breed at the age of three 

 years (Mean, '1)3, \>. 301 ). According to Forbes and Richardson ( 'ot>, p. 208), a 

 single female may deposit as many as a hundretl thousand eggs, and the young 

 hatch in about fourteen days and may reach a length of a fiwH by the end of the 

 first year, .\ccording to Hean ('03. p. 301 I. it will increase in weight from two to 

 three poimds yearly. This pickerel reaches a large si/e. the largest on reconl 

 iK'ing, according to Nichols and Heilner (jo. ]>. i ), thirty-two iKiunds and seven 

 otmces. Preble I '08. p. 513). however, says that it reaches a weight of thirty-five 

 pounds or more in the Mackenzie X'alley. < )ne weighing fourteen jxiunds and 

 having a length of thirty-eight inches was taken from ( )neida I-ake, Xovemlx-r 30, 

 HMs. .\ photograj)h of this was obtained. l-'mlnKly ("15. p. 22") records the 

 following data on the growth of the I'ike: at age of five months, five to six inches 

 long: one year, eight to eleven inches; two years, fourteen to si.xteen inches. 



Iftihltiit. The fourteen I^ike Pickerel caught by us in Oneida I^ike were all 

 taken fron) among water vegetation near shore, in water imder four feet deep and 

 in the summer. Margitial cat-tail and other ]>lant patches are very proliably favor- 

 able lurking jil.ices for this fish in Oneida I-ike, at least in summer. Kendall 

 ( "17. p. Kj) notes such a summer habit and habitat when he says: "The j)ike chooses 

 its spring and summer haunts by preference in shallow inlets with weedy Ixittoms 

 an<! shores overgrown with reeds and rushes." lie says that towards autumn this 

 fish iK-takes itself to precipitous, stony shores, which it again fors.ikes when winter 

 is at hand and most of the fish then return to their summer stations, but the larger 

 ones seem to go to dee|i water since they are seldom caught ilnring the winter in 

 sliallow water, l-'orln-s and Richardson ('(n), |). 208). writing of the sjK-cies in 

 Illinois, say tliat it prefers clean, clear cih>1 water with a sluggish current. In 

 this it remains generally «|uiel by day. I'reble ('08, p. 513 > writes o( its extreme 

 abundaticc and large sijre in the Mackenzie X'alley and says it is nuich less common 

 in the muildy rivers than in the clear lakes and that its favorite haunts arc the 

 pools ;,t the fi«>t of falls or rapids, llensley ('13. p. 34) says that this fish 

 inhabits weedy swamjis and channels, where it hirks among the wec«ls, darting 

 forth fron» time to lime to capture small fishes. Reigliard ('15. p. 22«>» rwords 

 its capture at all depths In-tween four and forty-five fr«*t in I^niglas I^ikc, Miclii- 

 gan. and sjiys that it ap|K-ars tuit to go Ik-Iow the thermocline in midsummer, but 

 at other seasons it is |Missible tliat it g h-s to ileejK-r water 



