Fishes of the Lake Champlain watershed

Greeley, J. R.

Data are given on distribution of species, relative numbers and economic importance of each, life histories, commercial fishes, bait fishes. Tables give native species with date of first recording, introduced species, and species found by survey. A chart shows details of distribution of both native and artificially planted fishes. The author discusses the causes of the remarkable differences between the native fish fauna of various parts of the watershed, probably due to: (1) diverse conditions of environment; (2) existing barriers; (3) prehistoric barriers and water connections (footnote, p. 56, refers to accounts of post-glacial history of the region) ; (4) influence of sea invasion (responsible for landlock-ing e.g., Osmerus and Petromyzon) ; (5) the greater uplift at the north, which brought about the close of the marine stage, acting as a dam to the lake and sending its waters back into river valleys. There is danger of destroying the natural balance in these waters by unwise artificial stocking and by over-destruction of the three "vermin fish" (the ling, gar, and bowfin) of the region. The author suggests advisable measures of fish protection, particularly by safeguarding natural reproduction by protection of spawning grounds, and by special stocking policy. Annotated list of 78 spp, in 33 fams. is given.