Oiiiida Lake ]-islics 4^5 



throiiKh h(jles in the ice, and on mild winter days I'erch fishinjj; is attended with 

 consiflerablc sport. Its numbers do not seem to lie reduced by extensive fishing in 

 Oneida Lake or similar large biKlies of water. The species holds its own by being 

 verv prolific and a<la])table, through a lack of s|K-cialization as to food and habitat 

 (Jordan. '-'5. j). 5_'-' : Pearse and .\chtenberg, ".'o, p. 335;. 



The reason why people generally are so well acciuainted with the Perch lies 

 not only in its table and game qualities but in the ease with which it can be identified. 

 Its distinctive features are prominent, such as its sulxrylindrical form, spiny fins, 

 and peculiar ringed color pattern. There are seven broad dusky bars over its brassy 

 sides and its iK-lly is white, with re<ldish lower fins. When seen in the water of 

 its habitat the markings are prominent, and make the Perch easily recognizable. 

 The banded apjH-arancc also identifies the young when two inches or more in 

 length. 



Krccd'niii Habits and Life History. Perch do not construct nests of any kind 

 but lay their eggs emliedded in long gelatinous strings in shallow water, apparently 

 with little reference to the Ixutom. Reighard ('15, p. 244) found the eggs attached 

 to submerged parts of water plants. Kmbody ('15, p. 226) says the strings are 

 woven among plants, submerged branches and logs, and he descrilies ('22, p. 13) 

 the principal breeding ground of the species in Cayuga Lake as the southwest 

 corner, part of which is margined by cat-tails and water willows while another part 

 has rocky or gravel shores. The egg masses have l)ecn foun<l floating in this place, 

 resting on gravel or mudfly Inittoni, or, as is more commonly the case, entwined 

 liM»sely alKtut the submerged stems and rtMits of the willows an<l aipiatic ]>lants. 

 MnilMnly notes that the sjiawn is sometimes liMjsened from such situations and cast 

 u|)on .shore and destroye<l. (ioode (03, p. 4) also notes the adherence of egg 

 strings to stones, twigs, etc. 



Spawning occurs in early spring in Oneida I.ake. On .\pril 20. ii;2o, Mr. C 

 K. Hunter found nets taken up by game protirtors. "plastered with eggs of Perch." 

 Mean ("02, p. 404) considers the spawning time of the Perch to extend from 

 l)eceml)er to .\pril. .Surlier ( '20, p. 74 ) gives May as the s|>awnijig time in Minne- 

 sota and says that it takes place at night, the season lasting from two to four weeks. 

 Reed and Wright give the first of .\\>r\\ as the time for the Ithaca region, .\pril 

 an<l May is the time acconling to KorU-s and Richardson ("aj. p. 277*, and at a 

 temiK-ralure of 44' -4</ V . Meehan gives ('13, j). igi ) tlic time as February to 

 May and the temperature of the w.iter as 52°-34°. Tilcomb {'22, p. 75) gives 

 4-1' F as the favorable ten)iK-rature in I.ake (ieorge. Pearse and .\chtcnlx-rg 

 ('20, p. 327) say Perch in Wisconsin I -ikes s|>awn near shore at 43''-5o'' F. 



The structure of the elongate<l egg mass has Iteen descrilwd by Worth ( ■<>2, 

 p. 3.V). It is a gelatinous substance. a«ihesivc and transparent. The individual 

 eggs measure almut 1 3 inch. accor»ling to Jordan and Fvennann (03, p. 3'>7 i. and 

 there may l>e many thousan<ls of them in one string; Worth noting from aliout 

 2.o<x> to <xi.o(io ( 'tj2. p. 333). The strings are zig-zag in form and variable in 

 length. Worth (I.e.. p. },\,2^ found one s|iawned in an a(|uarium. which was 7 

 ft. 4 in. long, and 4 in. wide at one emi. 2 at the other, and weighed 2ji jiouiids. 

 .\ ]M^>rtion of his detailed description is here given: "The arrangement of the trans- 

 verse folds corresponds in sirticture to the leather sides of a l>ellows or accordion. 



