Biological Survey — Oswego Watershed 75 



Lakes may be influenced by the fact that the shallowness of Oneida 

 lake causes the temperature of the water to rise more rapidly in 

 the spring. More information is necessary before it will be pos- 

 sible to state what percentage of the carp spawn in the streams 

 flowing into the lake or the canal. From observations "made dur- 

 ing the last half of May it is certain that some carp breed in the 

 bulrushes growing in sheltered bays and on the south side of 

 Frenchman's island. Judging from the relatively small number 

 of young carp caught in the lake it seems likely that the majority 

 of the carp may breed in the streams. This idea is further sub- 

 stantiated by the statement of fishermen who say that they find 

 many young carp in the small streams when they are catching 

 minnows for bait. Our observations began June 15 so that we 

 were not able to verify these reports nor to observe personally 

 the spawning habits. Further investigations should be started 

 early enough to permit work on this phase of the breeding habits. 



Migration. — In April and May there is a general tendency for 

 the carp to move up the creeks and the canal. In the large creeks 

 such as Chittenango they migrate ten or fifteen miles, often leaving 

 the creek proper to scatter over tillable land inundated by spring 

 freshets. It is not known whether this migration is primarily for 

 breeding or simply foraging for food. By June first the carp 

 have returned to the lake, are very thin and languid and do not 

 move far from the feeding grounds. At this season of the year 

 the carp are gregarious, living in schools of five hundred or more 

 individuals, which migrate from deep water to feed or rest in the 

 shallows. By the middle of July the carp have regained their 

 normal vigor together with a greater feeding range. In October 

 when the water begins to grow cold the large schools are broken 

 up and the carp become sluggish and migrate but little. 



Food habits. — Carp are considered bottom feeders, rooting up 

 their food from the bases of pondweed and other aquatic flora. 

 This agitates the sand and mud producing the characteristic carp 

 roil. Contrary to an existing belief that carp eat everything that 

 comes in their way, our observations show that they exercise a 

 preference. As it feeds the fish will every so often eject a mouth- 

 ful of undesirable material and then continue its feeding. Close 

 observation shows that they also nose along the stems and leaves 

 of plants sucking in a large number of crustaceans and insect 

 larvae. On one occasion carp were seen scooping along the surface 

 of the water in quest of mayflies. 



Carp have been accused of driving game fish away from their 

 feeding grounds. In contradiction of this belief we found that 

 catfish, pike and pickerel were frequently taken in the same haul 

 with carp indicating that these game fishes were occupving the 

 feeding grounds together with the carp. In Three Mile bay small- 

 mouthed bass were observed feeding among the bulrushes witli 

 carp, neither species seeming to take any notice of the other. 



Sunrise and sunset seem to be the preferred hours for feeding. 

 Carp taken during the middle of the day showed their stomachs 



