Biological Survey — Oswego Watershed 71 



were temporarily held in the seine. Just as soon as possible these 

 fish were released and returned to the lake. 



All sportsmen and protectionists are anxious to have the detailed 

 facts in regard to the effect of carp seining on the other fish. 



Fish other than carp taken in the seines from May 25 to Sep- 

 tember 22 were : 



Catfish 1,216 



Bullheads 505 



Silver bass 401 



Pike 322 



Large-mouthed bass 260 



Sunfish • 248 



Rock bass 67 



Suckers 38 



Pickerel 29 



Small-mouthed bass 20 



Ling 1 



Strawberry bass 1 



3,108 



From this list one would judge that not more than 1,000 game 

 fish were caught during this entire period, all of which were re- 

 turned unless injured by becoming enmeshed in the seine. 



Beginning June 18 and continuing from time to time until 

 August 19 we made accurate measurements of 1,643 adult carp. 

 Each fish was weighed and the length from snout to notch in 

 caudal fin taken in inches. Scales from the side of the body dorsal 

 to the lateral line and below the dorsal fin were removed and 

 placed in an envelope. On the envelope was recorded the weight 

 and length. The average weight of these 1,643 adult carp taken 

 with no selection was 8% pounds. The length of these same fish 

 was 22.12 inches. Scales were taken of the first 25 weighed or the 

 first 50 or the entire lot. Three hundred and thirty-one sets of 

 scales were examined with the microscope. The lines of growth 

 are best seen when the scale is covered with water. The average 

 age of the six sample lots was 5.89 years. 



The age of those taken as shown by the study of the lines of 

 growth on the scales ranged from 2 to 13 years with the larger 

 number of specimens four or five years old. But relatively few 

 specimens were taken less than four, actually 13 ; while the num- 

 bers above these dominant age groups gradually decreased. It 

 might be inferred that carp after they became nine years old, either 

 died or ceased to travel in schools. Practically no dead carp 

 were found by us during the summer. What becomes of the older 

 members and what their habits are remain problems still to be 

 worked out. 



The habits of the young carp of one, two and three years, 

 especially of the one-year-old carp are mostly unknown. The very 

 few taken during the summer indicate either that they escaped 

 through the meshes of the seine or that they live somewhat apart 



