The Life History of the Round Whitefish, Prosopium Cylindraceum (Pallas) of Newfound Lake, New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Doctoral Dissertations Student Scholarship Spring 1963 THE LIFE HISTORY OF THE ROUND WHITEFISH, PROSOPIUM CYLINDRACEUM (PALLAS) OF NEWFOUND LAKE, NEW HAMPSHIRE DONALD ARTHUR NORMANDEAU Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation Recommended Citation NORMANDEAU, DONALD ARTHUR, "THE LIFE HISTORY OF THE ROUND WHITEFISH, PROSOPIUM CYLINDRACEUM (PALLAS) OF NEWFOUND LAKE, NEW HAMPSHIRE" (1963). Doctoral Dissertations. 789. https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation/789 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This dissertation has been 64-206 microfilmed exactly as received NORMANDEAU, Donald Arthur, 1935- THE UFE HISTORY OF THE ROUND WHITEFISH, PROSOPIUM CYLINDRACEUM (PALLAS) OF NEWFOUND LAKE, N. H. University of New Hampshire, Ph.D., 1963 Zoology University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. n . Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. THE LIFE HISTORY OF THE ROUND WHITEFISH PROSOPIUM CYLINDRACEUM (PALLAS) OF NEWFOUND LAKE, N .H . BY DONALD Ai NORMANDEAU B. S., St. Anselm's College, 19$7 M. S., University of New Hampshire, 1961 A THESIS Submitted to the University of New Hampshire In Partial Fulfillment of Ihe Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate School Department of Zoology June, 1963 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. This thesis has been examined and approved. .Ç æoa^ . Û. Ù. -Ci-CHTl- (^xÂ Û -Co. Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT The life history and ecology of the round whlteflsh, Prosoplum cyllndraceum (Pallas), of Newfound Lake, Bristol, New Hampshire, has been studied. Field studies began In the summer of 1959 and continued through December, 1962. The round whlteflsh of Newfound Lake are morphologi cally similar to other populations of this species located In the Great Lakes, Canada,'and Siberia, but differ In having significantly fewer pyloric caeca. In Newfound Lake, these fish attain sexual maturity In th eir fourth or f if th year. Spawning, which occurred during the first three weeks of December, took place on a shallow, rocky reef located between Pike's Point and Msyhew Island. Fecundity studies Indicated that female round whitefish averaged approximately 5,CCC eggs, but a range of 2,0CC to 1C,0CC was found. The number of eggs produced depended, for the most part, on the age and size of the fish. The peak of hatching occurred during the last week of April. This was approximately 140 days from the time of fe rtiliz a tio n . These eggs were Incubated at a temperature of 36°F. Larval descriptions were made from fry reared at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, Powder Mill Rearing Station. Several stages from newly hatched fry to juveniles 59.0 mm to ta l length were described. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. The food,of the round whlteflsh consisted mainly of Dapnla pulex. These fish did feed heavily on Ohaoborus during the month of Agust, 1959» but only at the time these l:;£^0 cts were p le n tifu l. In December, at the time of the spawning run, these fish were noted to feed upon th e ir own eggs. Although predominantly a plankton feeder, these fish were often observed feeding off the bottom and In shallow water. The age and growth of these fish was described. The length-welght relationship, the body-scale relationship, calculated growth In length, and conversion for total length to standard and fork lengths were determined. The only helminth parasite found In the round .whlte flsh was Azygla sebago Ward. This Is a dlgenetlc trematode which occurred In the stomachs of these fish. The Incidence of Infection was very light. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWIEDGMENTS it would be Impossible to personally mention all of those who have contributed in one way or another to the sue- * cess of th is study. There are many persons who have un selfishly given both time and effort so that certain phases of this Investigation could be accomplished. However, special acknowledgment Is extended to Professor Philip J. Sawyer, Zoology Department, University of New Hampshire, under whose supervision th is en tire program was conducted, and without whose advice and recommendations progress would have been most d iffic u lt, If not impossible. Special g ra ti tude is also extended to Professor George M. Moore, Chairman, Zoology Department, University of New Hampshire, for his co operation and for the use of the facilities of that depart ment. Thanks are also due to Professors Albion R. Hodgdon, Arthur E. Teerl, and Paul A. Wright, for their guidance and review of th is work. To Mr. Prank Perron,Jr. of B risto l, New Hampshire, I am especially Indebted and grateful. His assistance In the field was Invaluable, and much .of this work could not have been accomplished without him. I am also greatful to Mr. Robert MacWatters for his help In Identifying some of the food items found In the stomachs of the round whlteflsh collected In the summer i of 1959. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. I ara greatly indebted to the staff of the New Hamp shire Fish and Game Department for their aid and advice, and i - especially to Mr. Ralph G. Carpenter, 2nd, Director, and Mr, Bernard W, Corson, Chief, Fisheries Division, Special thanks are also due to Mr, Henry Mulse, of the Fisheries Division, for the loan of nets and other equipment that was necessary for this study, and to Mr, Hilaire V, Gagnon, Fish Culturlst, Powder Mill Rearing Station, for his assistance ‘ v in hatching and rearing whlteflsh fry, I also wish to ex tend ray thanks to Mr, Hilbert R, Slegler, Chief, Management and Research Division and Mr, Arthur E, Newell, Supervisor of Fisheries, Management and Research Division, for their co operation throughout this entire study. To Mr, Ronald E, Towne, of Bridgewater, New Hampshire, I am sincerely grateful. His assistance during the early phases of this Investigation was especially valuable, and he remained a constant source of Inspiration throughout this study, I also wish to thank Mr, Robert B, Dinwoodie, of Manchester, New Han^shlre, for his assistance In the field operations during various stages of this Investigation, Finally, ray sincere thanks to the staff of the Zo ology Department of the University of New Hampshire and to those fellow students who, in many ways, contributed to this investigation. i i Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OP CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS....................................................... i LIST OP TABLES............................................................... V LIST OP ILLUSTRATIONS.................................................................. vl INTRODUCTION................................................................. 1 MATERIALS AND METHODS............................................. k Netting Procedures ................................................... L Methods of Physical and Chemical Survey ................................ o Methods Used In Collecting Eggs ........................................ 6 Methods Used in Determining Fecundity ............................ 7 Methods of Food Studies ............... * ...................................... 6 Methods Used In Age and Growth ......................... 10 HISTORY OF THE ROUND WHITEFISH ................................... 12 Systematic Position of the Species... ................................... 12 Geographic Distribution ......................................................... Economic Importance .............................................. 16 PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF NEWFOUND LAKE l8 HISTORY OF THE SPORT FISHERIES OF NEWFOUND LAKE 21; General .......................................................................... 21; New Hampshire Fishing Regulations ......................................... 28 DESCRIPTION OF THE ROUND WHITEFISH OP NEWFOUND LAKE.. 30 General........................................................... 30 Color and Odor ........................................................ 31; Size......................................... ; ....................... 36 Sexual Dimorphism.... .................................................................. 3& Pearl Organs ............................................. 3o REPRODUCTION........................................................... 39 General................................................................. 39 Spawning H abitat ............... kO Observations on the Spawning Activity of P. cyllndraceum............................................................... |;1 Predation at the “Time of Spawning....

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