438 Roosevelt Wild Life Annals 



catch was in i8gg, of 3,315,000 pounds. The latest figures for 1922 show 

 2,969,000 pounds for Lake Erie (American waters). In Lake Ontarit) (p. 603) 

 there is shown a decided falHng off in the numbers of Perch taken. The maximum 

 catch recorded here is 407,000 pounds in 1899, with only 30,000 pounds in 1922. 



The present commercial value of the Perch in Oneida Lake is not known, 

 but Cobb ('05, p. 239) gives for 1902, 13,400 pounds valued at $670. 



The value of Perch to New York State in 1925 is given by Alacdonald ('27, 

 pp. 92-95) as follows: 



Lake Erie 47,428 lbs.; value $4,218.14. 



Lake Ontario 8,674 lbs. ; value 994.42. 



Hudson River 26,834 lbs.; value 2,999.32. 

 The recreational value of the Perch in Oneida Lake and other waters can 

 not be reduced to figures, but everyone who is familiar with fishing by lines in 

 our small lakes and larger rivers knows that large numbers of Perch are caught, 

 and often they prevent disappointment for they frequently bite when other fish 

 do not. They are more easily c;uiL;ht than any of our other fishes sought by 

 anglers. They are acceptable fur the t.ihle at all times, and furnish much amuse- 

 ment for persons unskilled in fishiiii; and without expensive special equipment for 

 line fishing. 



The Perch is of some economic importance through its destruction of other 

 fishes useful to man, or through its competition with these fishes. It has been 

 noted that young Perch destroy the spawn of other fish, including Pike Perch. 

 Embody ('22, p. 5) says they are notorious spawn eaters, and often in the late 

 fall or early winter visit gravel or rocky shoals to feed upon whitefi.sh eggs. 

 Bean ('11, p. 142) says they eat eggs of Lake Trout. While Perch eat other 

 fishes, judging from food studies made they are evidently not of serious importance 

 in this respect, at least in many regions. 



In regard to the Perch as a competitor with other fishes with which it is 

 associated, Pearse and Achtenberg ('20. |), ,^35 ) say: "The Perch has rivals in 

 each of the habitats where it seeks fund, but it is an able competitor of them all. 

 In shallow waters it may capture mollusca as well as the pumpkinseed, littoral 

 plankton as well as the silversides or bream, insects and their larvae as well as 

 the bass, crawfishes as well as the dogfish, small minnows as well as the gar. 

 In the open lake the Perch's chief competitors for food are the cisco and the 

 white bass, but neither of these fishes excels it in ability to strain plankton from 

 the water. Tn the deeper regions of lakes, the Perch must contend with the 

 vegetarian ,-ind buttom-feeding sucker, cottid, and carp, and with the predacious 

 pickerel and lota. The sucker, cottid, and carp are real rivals when it comes to 

 bottom feeding, for they are especially able to take advantage of the nourishment 

 in the bottom mud. They are also better protected, by reason of their size, from 

 the attacks of the predacious deeji-water fishes; but their large size, on the other 

 hand, limits their numbers, and they can never compare with the jiercli in this 

 respect." In Oneida Lake the Perch compotes for food with most of the other 

 species there, but it does not srciii lik(l\ lli.ii it scriouNlv interferes with the growth 

 and numbers of any one si)ecics. unless it be the Wall-eyed Pike by devouring 



