2IO REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF 



the sluggish habits of the fish, which render it an easy victim, but it is more likely due 

 to the fact that this fish has no scales and the lamprey has nothing to do but to pierce 

 the thick skin and find its feast of blood ready for it. There is no doubt of the 

 excellency of the bullhead as a food fish and of its increasing favor with mankind. It 

 is at present the most important food and market fish in the central part of the State, 

 being caught by bushels in the early part of June when preparing to spawn. As we 

 have observed at times more than ninety per cent, of the catch attacked by lampreys, 

 it can readily be seen how very serious are the attacks of this terrible parasite which 

 is surely devastating our lakes and streams. 



The white sucker (Catostomns commcrsonii) is surely next in line in order of 

 lamprey attacks. We have seen nearly eighty per cent, of the catch of fishes of this 

 species attacked by lampreys, and although we would not consider them desirable fish, 

 there is always a ready sale for them at a fair price. However, we must admit that 

 we believe the removal of the suckers and carp from all waters of the State would be 

 attended with very general good results for fishes of other species, on account of the 

 great number of eggs of better fishes destroyed by the Catostomids and Cyprinids. 



The lake trout {Cristivomcr namaycusli) is one of our very best food and game fishes 

 very seriously attacked by lampreys. We have rarely seen a lake trout that did not 

 bear two or more marks of this fish foe, and we have seen several with as many as 

 eight or ten of these characteristic scars. Last October we counted twenty-three 

 lamprey scars upon the body of one lake trout, of which several were fresh. Where 

 such attacks do not prove fatal the drain upon the system of the fish must greatly 

 impair its vitality and limit or reduce its reproductive ability. We feel certain that if 

 it were not for the ravages of lampreys the lake trout would be much more abundant 

 in this lake than it is, as its natural food — the ale-wife or saw-belly (Chtpea pseudo- 

 harengus) — is here in such great abundance that in the spring time when they 

 come from the deep cold water into that which is shallow and warm the increased 

 temperature and consequent lessened supply of dissolved air kill them by thousands 

 and thousands. 



Of course our fresh-water American fish with heaviest armor is the gar or bill-fish, 

 and the only place where we have seen a lamprey able to successfully attack this 

 obnoxious ganoid is just behind one of the paired fins. It might be added that this is 

 a favorite spot for attacking many fishes, as the parasite seems to realize that here the 

 scales are thinnest. Fortunately the gar is very rare in Cayuga Lake, although it seems 

 to be increasing in numbers. It is the curse of Chautauqua and Black lakes, being 

 there the destructive fish foe equal to the lamprey here. We have demonstrated that 

 it is possible to remove gars and not injure other fishes by stretching gill nets of one 

 inch square mesh across their spawning places in May and June. 



