GREAT LAKES COREGONIDS 



433 



1923, in 30 fathoms off Macdiarmid (records 19 and 2). The relative abundance 

 of this and other species of Leucichthys in these two lifts is given on page 409. In 

 the lift made on July 28, 1922, in 56 fathoms, 2 x /i miles south of Livingston Point, 

 only three specimens were taken, though the same kind and about half the quantity 

 of netting was used as on the other two dates (record 6). 



John Mclver, Mr. Walsh, and Mr. McKay, who have fished on the lake for 

 several years, state that the species is taken in their 43^-inch whitefish nets most 

 commonly in 20 to 40 fathoms throughout the fishing season. The moon-eye, as 

 the fishermen term the fish, evidently is common in Lake Nipigon, but no nets 

 designed to take it for commercial purposes are employed. 



BREEDING HABITS 



It is not known when or where the species spawns. None of the specimens 

 obtained on October 26, 1922, at the close of the commercial fishing season on the 

 lake (record 24) showed mature sex organs. The spawning time is probably in 

 winter. 



Leucichthys nigripinnis prognathus Smith, of Lake Ontario 



I have been able to find no other specimen, either by search in museums or by 

 exploration in Lake Ontario, than the type specimen of Smith 297 millimeters long 

 (No. 45568, U. S. National Museum). The catalogue gives no date or locality other 

 than "Lake Ontario." 



The specimen is figured in Figure 21, and certain proportions and counts of 

 multiple parts are given in Table 45. In body shape it agrees closely with the typical 

 blackfin. It is much less pigmented throughout than any known race of blackfin. 

 The abdominal fins are immaculate, or nearly so, and the caudal has only an indica- 

 tion of black on the tips of the rays. The maxillary is pigmented. The mandible 

 is about equal in length to the upper jaw. 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 



Only the statements of the fishermen give any clue to the former distribution of 

 the species in the waters of Lake Ontario. It is inferred from their accounts of a 

 fish attaining large size, inhabiting deep water, and spawning in early winter that 

 this fish was prognathus. From this testimony it appears that the fish was taken 

 commonly out of various ports on the south and west shores of the lake. The 

 species probably was distributed throughout the deep waters. 



BATHYMETRIC DISTRIBUTION 



The fishermen say that the best bloater fishing was at depths of 60 fathoms and 

 more, though at times, at least, smaller quantities could be taken near shore. 



ABUNDANCE 



I quote Koelz (1926, p. 606) on the history of the species: 



The first fishery for bloaters was carried on out of Oswego about 1875. A fisherman operating 

 out of that port found a few individuals in the outer ends of his whitefish gangs and conceived the 

 tdea that it might be profitable to fish them. The fish were sold fresh and were so much in demand 

 that at one time there were several boats engaged exclusively in bloater fishing out of that port. 



