Tlie Relation of Shellfish to Fish in Oneida Lake !> 



let, when the Great Lakes emptied into the Hudson river by 

 way of the Mohawk river. 



PLAXT AXD AXIMAL HABITATS 



To support a large plant and animal population a body of 

 water must provide varied and suitable conditions, and these 

 are found in Oneida Lake in abundance. Detailed studies 

 of the lake indicate that there are three primary types or 

 kinds of these habitats which are more or less distinct. The 

 first includes the points or headlands (Fig. 2) and some 

 portions of the shore which are shallow and have been swept 

 clean of the fine sand and clay, leaving the stones and small 

 boulders as a stony pavement, the stones ranging in size 

 from large gravel to huge boulders several feet hi diameter. 

 This type of habitat affords lodgement for many mussels, 

 which live in the sand between the stones, for a multitude 

 of snails which live on the rocks, and for crawfish, insect 

 larvse and leeches which live on, under and between the 

 rocks. The vegetation of such habitats consists of Water 

 Willow and Bulrush. 



The second kind of habitat is found in sheltered bays and 

 in other partly protected spots where the force of the \vaves 

 is somewhat arrested. (Fig. 3.) The bottom is composed 

 of fine sand; the vegetation is abundant, consisting of 

 Pickerel-weed, Bulrush, Swamp Loosestrife, Bur-reed, the 

 Water Lilies, and a few Pond-weeds (Potamogeton). Many - 

 mussels live here, but the most important life is made up o__ 

 small clams, snails, insects, and small animal life which form 

 such a large proportion of the food of fish. 



The third kind of habitat (Fig. 4) is found in the well 

 protected bays, where there is a mass of vegetation consist- 

 ing of submerged plants such as Pond-weeds, ITornworts, 

 Milfoils, Water Lilies, Pickerel-weed, Cat-tails, and Bur- 

 reed. The bottom is usually of fine clay or mud. Many 

 fragile snails as well as insect larvse inhabit this kind of a 

 habitat, which provides excellent food for fish and other 

 aquatic animals. 



