FISHES OF NEW YORK 15 



The lamprey is considered a good food fish in some localities^ 

 but in other places it is rarely eaten. In Connecticut and 

 Massachusetts the species is highly esteemed. It is preserved 

 by salting for several weeeks before using. The 'fish is some- 

 times caught with the hands or by means of a pole armed with 

 a hook in the end. As it is found in shallow water and will 

 not usually relinquish its hold on the bottom, its capture is 

 easily effected. 



The sea lamprey has been obtained in Gravesend bay in small 

 numbers in March, April and June. It is not adapted to cap- 

 tivity because of the impracticability of furnishing it with 

 proper food. 



2 Petromyzon marinus unicolor (DeKay) 



Lahe Lamprey 



Ammocoetes unicolor De Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 383, pi. 79, fig. 250, 1842. 

 Petromyzon marinus subsp, dorsatus Wilder in Joedan & Gilbert, Bull. 



16, U. S. Nat Mus. 869, 1882. 

 Petromyzon marinus unicolor Meek, Ann. N. Y. Ac. Sci. 284, 1886; Jordan 



& Evermann, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 10, 1896. 



De Kay described this lamprey under the name Ammocoe- 

 tes unicolor in Zoology of New York; or the New York Faunae 

 pt 4, Fishes, p. 383, pi. 79, fig. 250. His description was made 

 from a specimen 4 inches long and -ro of an inch in depth. 

 The plate represents it as having the dorsal scarcely percept- 

 ible, beginning to rise at about the middle of its length, but 

 at no point exceeding to of an inch in hight. The anal is sim- 

 ilar to the dorsal and like the latter continuous with the caudaL 

 Dr De Kay received specimens from the Eev. Zadock Thompson, 

 who obtained them from Lake Champlain. 



This variety is distinguished from the common marine lam- 

 prey only by its size, its uniform dark coloration, more pro- 

 nounced dorsal ridge, and the less degree of separation of the 

 dorsal fins. It inhabits the lakes of northern and central New 

 York and is not anadromous. 



Prof. Seth E. Meek has published in the Annals of the New 

 York Academy of Sciences 4:299, thel following notes on the 

 species. 



