SYNOPSIS OF THE FISHES OF THE GREAT LAKES OF 



NICARAGUA. 



BY SETH EUGENE MEEK. 



The following synopsis is based on a collection of fishes made by 

 the writer in March, 1906. As the collection contains quite large series 

 of several species hitherto known from one or a very few individuals, it 

 seems advisable to re-describe these and give a somewhat complete 

 account of the other species. In the present paper are given keys 

 and descriptions which will enable one to identify quite easily any or 

 all species known to inhabit these lakes. Lake Nicaragua, the largest 

 of the lakes in Nicaragua, is about 1 10 miles in length with an average 

 width of about 40 miles, and a maximum depth of about 25 fathoms. 

 Lake Managua is much smaller, having a length of about 40 miles, a 

 maximum width of about 25 miles, and a maximum depth of about 

 15 fathoms. In the spring of 1906 the water in the lakes was much 

 lower than usual for this time of year. Captain Tooth, who has been 

 a sailor on Lake Managua for more than a decade, told me he never 

 saw the lake so low as then. The shore of this lake near Managua, 

 Momotomba, and San Franrisco is rocky or sandy. Aquatic vegeta- 

 tion, which is reported to be very abundant along the shores in time 

 of high water, had disappeared, the lake being at this time about 

 2 fathoms below high- water mark. The water in this lake was reddish 

 in color and contained in suspension a considerable amount of fine silt. 

 It was only with much difficulty that the water would pass through a 

 net used for collecting plankton. The temperature of the lake, taken 

 at several places at a depth of 2 fathoms, was 83° F. The tempera- 

 ture of a bucket of water drawn from a well in Managua from a depth 

 of 100 feet was 83° F. This temperature was found at about 5 fath- 

 oms in Lake Tiscapa, a small volcanic lake near Managua, and at 

 same altitude as Lake Managua. The same temperature was 

 observed in Lake Nicaragua in 3 fathoms of water off the steamboat 

 pier. Only the northern end of Lake Nicaragua was visited. Its 

 shores, in the vicinity of Granada, are sandy and with a very limited 

 quantity of aquatic vegetation in extreme low water. 



The collections of fishes were made at the following places: Lake 

 Managua, at Managua and Momotomba; Lagoon, at San Francisco; 

 Lake Tiscapa, near Managua; Lake Managua, near Granada; Lagoon 



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