GREAT LAKES COREGONIDS 



463 



Records 8, 22, 32, and 33 were made from these nets in 1917 and 1919. I also lifted 

 a 13^-inch net set at other depths on three occasions with the chub gangs — off Che- 

 boygan, Mich., on October 15, 1919, on the spawning grounds of zenithicus in 35 

 to 50 fathoms (record 4) ; off Alpena on September 13, 1919, in 60 fathoms (record 21); 

 and in Colpoy Bay on December 3, 1919, in 15 fathoms on the spawning grounds 

 of alpense (record 41). Bloaters were taken in all sets. 



2. The 2% to 3 inch chub nets. — Bloaters were taken in the chub nets in Lake 

 Huron in 35 to 50 fathoms from off Cheboygan on July 21, September 29, and October 



1, 1917 (records 1, 2, and 3); from off Rogers, Mich., in 35 fathoms on October 14, 

 1917 (record 5); from off Alpena in 60 to 100 fathoms on August 13 and September 

 12, 14, 18, 19, 20, and 21, 1917, and September 13 and 18, 1919, June 30 and July 



2, 5, and 7, 1923 (records 6, 10, 11, 14-18, 21, and 24-28); from off Harbor Beach, 

 Mich., in 50 fathoms on October 27, 1917 (record 31); and in Georgian Bay in 52 to 

 70 fathoms off Lions Head on July 30 and October 6, 1919 (records 36 and 37), off 

 Wiarton on July 28 and 30, 1919, and in 10 to 25 fathoms on November 28, 1919 

 {records 38, 39, and 40). 



3. The 4%-inch trout and whitefish nets. — The records for the 4^-inch nets 

 made from boats fishing off Alpena, Mich., show bloaters at depths of 15 to 24 

 fathoms in 1917 on September 7, 12, 14, 17, 22, and 26; in 20 to 30 fathoms on 

 September 16, 1919; and in 14 to 20 fathoms in 1923 on July 10 (records 7, 9, 

 12, 13, 19, 20, 23, and 29). They are also reported from off Alpena, Mich., in 24 

 to 30 fathoms in the 4)^-inch nets in November (record 30); from off Tobermory, 

 Ontario, in 30 fathoms in June (record 34) ; and from off Gore Bay Light in the North 

 Channel in August in 20 to 25 fathoms (record 35). 



4. Seines. — The University of Michigan collection contains two small speci- 

 mens that were seined in the spring of 1926 off Port Huron, Mich., with Notropis 

 atherinoides . 



These data thus show that bloaters become ensnarled in the chub and trout 

 nets in water as shallow as these nets usually are set, namely, 14 fathoms, and in 

 the chub nets as deep as these usually are set (100 fathoms), and that they also may 

 occur in seine hauls made on the beaches. The species probably occurs in depths 

 of more than 100 fathoms. 



RELATIVE ABUNDANCE 



The hook fishermen have found that at only about 30 fathoms can bloaters be 

 taken in numbers sufficient for their purposes. John Hollander, a hook fisherman 

 at Harbor Beach, tells me that from August 1 until the middle of October, when 

 the bait nets are pulled in, bait is scarce anywhere. It is particularly rare during 

 the first half of this period. He says he is unable to find the fish by moving the 

 nets into deeper water or into shallower water. When the nets are put back on 

 November 1 the bloaters are abundant until March. Then for a month they are 

 scarce. There is no explanation for this scarcity except by assuming that the fish 

 are swimming off the bottom, or that they have migrated to distant grounds, or 

 that for some reason they avoid the netting. 



I have stated already that bloaters are caught only by accident in the nets of 

 mesh coarser than 1J^ inches, but that, nevertheless, great numbers are often caught 

 in the 2% and 43^ inch nets. I have pointed out before that nothing is known 

 94995—29 12 



