Biological Survey — Oswego Watershed 95 



Annotated List of Fishes Occurring in the Oswego River 



Drainage* 



Petromyzonidae Lampreys 



1. Petromyzon marinus Linnaeus. — Lake lamprey. Rather common. Lakes 

 and rivers, ascending the streams to spawn. Its distribution, habitats and 

 economics are discussed in detail by Prof. S. H. Gage (see p. 158). 



2. Entosphenus appendix (DeKay). — Brook lamprey. Pare. Has been 

 found in the inlets of Cayuga and Seneca lakes. 



Acipenseridae Sturgeons 



3. Acipeivser fulvescens Rafinesque. — Lake sturgeon. Rare. There are 

 specimen records from Cayuga lake and from the Seneca and Cayuga canal 

 near Montezuma (Reed and Wright 1916). Sturgeon sometimes ascend the 

 lower part of the Oswego river according to Mr. Earl Brown of Oswego. 



Lepisosteidae Garpikes 



4. Lepisosteus 'ossevs Linnaeus. — Long-nosed gar, billnsh. Uncommon. 

 Lakes and rivers. Specimens were taken in the Seneca and Oswego rivers. 

 Seems to have declined in numbers along with the bowfin for it was said to 

 have been very common in Cayuga lake and the Seneca river many years ago. 



Amiidae Bow fins 

 5: Amia calva Linnaeus. — Bowfin, dogfish. Uncommon. Lakes and rivers. 

 Occurs in the Seneca river, Cayuga. Neahtawanta and Oneida lakes and other 

 large bodies of water. Formerly it was very common in Cayuga lake and 

 the Seneca river but now nearly exterminated, probably due to the draining 

 of the marsh areas where it spawned. It is used for food to some extent now 

 though during the time of its abundance, it was generally regarded as worth- 

 less. It is sometimes called ling by fishermen on the Seneca river but 

 elsewhere this name is more often used for the eel-pout. 



Cltjpeidae Herrings 



6. Pomolobus pseudo-liar en gus (Wilson). — Sawbelly, alewife. Common. 

 Deep lakes and rivers. Occurs in the Finger lakes. Specimens were taken 

 in the Oswego river at Three Rivers point. 



7. Dorosoma cepedianum (LeSueur). — 'Gizzard shad. Rare. Lakes and 

 rivers. A series of about 20 specimens was seined November 11, 1916 from 

 Cayuga lake near Ithaca by Dr. A. A. Allen, (No. 7224 Cornell Univ. Mus.). 

 Mr. Tver T. Johnson of Seneca Falls, who is employed at the canal locks at 

 Mays point, says that a great number of fishes which, according to his 

 description, must have been of this species, came through the canal one 

 winter, a few years ago, many dying under the ice. 



Osmeridae Smelts 



8. Osmerus mordax (Mitchell). — Rare. Deep lakes. Successfully intro- 

 duced into Owasco and Canandaigua lakes. Specimens were taken in both 

 places by Dr. Eaton's party. 



Coregonidae Whitefishes 



9. Leucichthys artedi (LeSueur). — Cisco, smelt. Moderately common 

 Deep lakes. Dr. Eaton's party collected ciscoes in all of the Finger lakes. 

 Some of them, at least, are referable to this species, although it is probable 

 that some others are not. 



* The nomenclature followed is in general that given by Hubbs and Greene 

 (Hubbs, C. L. and Greene, C. W. Further notes on the fishes of the Great 

 Lakes and tributary waters. Manuscript, 1927). For the members of. the 

 family Esocidae the names used by Weed are followed (Weed, A. C. Pike, 

 pickerel and muskalonge. Field Museum Nat. Hist. Zool. Leaflet 9. 1927). 



