484 



BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



September 1 herring fishing began out of Dunkirk, N. Y., the extreme eastern port. 

 Out of most of the ports, except those on the east hole, herring fishing was light 

 during the latter part of September and October, but in November again heavy 

 catches were made from Pelee Island on the west to the east end of the lake, with 

 the greatest production in the east. In the summer months bull nets were used as 

 a rule, floated at various depths according as the fish were high or low, though in the 

 early days the fish are said to have been most abundant on the bottom in July and 

 August. At other times narrow nets were fished on the bottom. 



BREEDING HABITS 



The herring formerly spawned out of virtually every port on the lake. The spawn- 

 ing grounds most frequented in late years were situated from 4 to 10 miles or more 

 offshore, in depths, in the east end of the lake, of 15 to 25 fathoms, and in the west 

 of about 10 fathoms. The bottom in these areas usually is clay, though there are 

 stretches of gravel. A few, of course, also spawned in shallower water. 



The time of spawning, according to all the fishermen, fell in late November to 

 early December, being earlier or later, according to the season. Those in the east 

 usually spawned latest. According to the records of A. Crewe, of Ridgetown, Ontario, 

 the fish taken in his pounds were through spawning on November 26, 1917. As late 

 as December 6 in 1920 they were just beginning to spawn. On November 24, 1924, 

 I found the fish in these nets just beginning to ripen. 



VALUE AS FOOD 



The Erie herring is superior in quality to the herring of any of the other lakes,, 

 except possibly those from the deep water of western Lake Ontario. They are very 

 much in demand as fresh fish, and the large examples frequently are sold as whitefish. 

 They have also competed strongly with the chubs of the deeper lakes in the smoked- 

 fish trade. While they are not quite so rich in oil as the latter, they are larger and 

 more uniform in size. Until the collapse of the herring fisheries in 1925, there was- 

 no market for chubs in New York City. 



Leucichthys artedi artedi of Lake Michigan 



The Michigan form resembles the slender blueback of Lake Erie (typical artedi) 

 rather than the common albus. A comparison of the principal taxonomic characters, 

 of the two forms follows: 



Gill rakers on the first branchial arch: 

 Erie, albus, (41) 44-48 (53) ." 7 

 artedi, (44) 46-50 (51). 48 

 Michigan, (41) 46-50 (55) . 49 

 Lateral-line scales: 



Erie, albus, (64) 71-81 (89). 



artedi, 76—86. 

 Michigan, (68) 77-87 (94) . 49 



L/H: 



Erie, albus, (4.1) 4.4-4.7 (5.2). 



artedi, 4.5-5 (5.2). 

 Michigan, (4.1) 4.3-4.5 (5). 

 H/E: 



Erie, albus, (3.8) 4.2-4.5 (4.9). 



artedi, 4.1-4.5 (4.7). 

 Michigan, (3.6) 4-4.2 (4.7). 



<? Figures of Lake Erie albus for proportions are given for 148 specimens ranging in length from 225 to 402 millimeters. Those for 

 gill rakers are given for 298 specimens; for lateral-line scales, for 735. 

 « Figures for Lake Erie artedi are given for 15 specimens ranging in length from 229 to 341 millimeters. 



*> Figures for Lake Michigan so designated are based on an examination of some 391 specimens ranging in length from 127 to 367 

 millimeters. Those figures dealing with proportions are based on an examination of 148 individuals ranging in length from 225 to- 

 367 millimeters. 



