ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY sio.s -^*, 'X KJ J J,»J c Printed by Authority of the State of Illinois A Biological Investigation of the Fishes of Lake Chautauqua, Illinois WILLIAM C. STARRETT ARNOLD W. FRITZ juri STATE OF ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY DIVISION Urbono, Illinois ^jy„^^ Hjjjjgy ^^^^^ SEP 29 1965 mmt STATE OF ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION BOARD OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION John C. Watson. Chairman; Thomas Pauk, Ph.D., Biohiy; L. L. Si-oss, Ph.D., Geology; Rocek Adams, Ph.D., D.Sc. Ckimiitry: Robert H. Ande«son, B.S.C.E., Ensinciring; Charles E. Olmsted, Ph.D., Fortstry; W. L. EvERiTT, E.E.,Ph.D., Riprticnting the President oj the University of Illinois; Delvte W. Morris. Ph.D., President of Southern Illinois University NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY DIVISION, Urbana, Illinois SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL STAFF Harlow B. Mills, Ph.D.. Chuf Hejibert H. Ross, Pli.D., Assistant Chief Robert O. Watson, B.S., Assistant to the Chief Section of Economic Entomology SecHon of Faunistic Surveys and George C. Decker, Ph.D., Principal Scientist and Head Insect Identification J. H. Bigger, M.S., Entomologist H. H. Ross, Ph.D.. Assistant Chief and Head W. H. Luckmann. Ph.D., Entomologist Milton W. Sanderson, Ph.D., Taxonomist Ph.D., Entomologist Willis N. Bruce, Llwis J. Stannard, Jr., Ph.D., Taxonomist John P. Kramer, Ph.D.. Associate Entomologist Philip W. Smith. Ph.D., Taxonomist Entomologist Richard J. Dysart, Ph.D.. Associate Leonora K. Glovd, M.S., Assistant Taxonomist Ronald H. Meyer, Ph.D., Assistant Entomologist H. B. Cunningham, Ph.D., Assistant Taxonomist Robert D. Pausch, Ph.D., Assistant Entomologist Robert T. Allen, M.S., Technical Assistant Entomologist James E. Appledy, Ph.D., Assistant George L. Rotramel, B.S., Technical Assistant Entomologist Ralph E. Sechriest, Ph.D.. Assistant Bernice Sweeney, Technical Assistant Joseph V. Maddox. M.S., Technical Assistant Bess White, A.B., Technical Assistant Assistant Augustine Okonkwo. M.S., Technical Marvin E. Braasch, B.S., Laboratory Assistant Dannel McCollum, B.A.. Technical Assistant Gerald L. Nordin, Laboratory Assistant Assistant John T. Shaw, B.S., Technical John D. Unzicker. M.S., Research Assistant* Assistant Gregory P. Marsh, B.S., Technical TosHio Yamamoto. M.S., Research Assistant* David Kennedy. Technical Assistant Sue E. Watkins. Junior Scientific Assistant H. B. Petty, Ph.D.. Entomologist in Extension* Section of Wildlife Research Stevenson Moore, 111. Ph.D., Associate Entomologist in Glen C. Sandlrson. Ph.D.. Wildlife Specialist and Head Extension" F. C. Bellrose, B.S., Wildlife Specialist Roscoe Randall, M.S., Technical Assistant in Exten- H. C. Hanson. Ph.D.. Wildlife Specialist sion* Richard R. Grader. Ph.D., Wildlife Specialist Clarence E. White, B.S.. Technical Assistant in Exten- Ronald F. Labisky. M.S., Associate Wildlife Specialist sion* William R. Edwards, M.S., Associate Wildlife Specialist Amal C. Banerjee. M.S.. Research Assistant* William W. Cochran. Jr., Assistant Wildlife Specialist Jean G. Wilson, B.A., Research Assistant* Keun Shil Shin, M.S., Technical Assistant Ayten Hatigoolu. B.S., Research Assistant* Ethelyn L. Kirk, M.A., Technical Assistant Helen C. Schultz, B.S., Technical Assistant Section of Applied Botany and Plant Pathology Nancy Kott, B.A., Technical Assistant Howard Crum, Jr., Field Assistant J. Cedric Carter. Ph.D., Plant Pathologist and Head Jack A. Ellis, M.S., Research Associate* J. L. Forsberg. Ph.D., Plant Pathologist G. H. Boewe, M.S., Associate Plant Pathologist Bobbie Jo Verts. M.S.. Research Associate* Robert A. Evers, Ph.D., Associate Botanist Ralph J. Ellis, M.S.. Research Associate* Robert Dan Neely, Ph.D., Associate Plant Pathologist Gerald G. Montgomery, M.S., Research Associate* Anderson, M.A., Research Associate* E. B. Himelick, Ph.D., Associate Plant Pathologist William L. Walter Hartstirn. Ph.D., Assistant Plant Pathologist George B. Joselyn, M.S., Research Associate* Field Ecologist* D. F. Schoeneweiss, Ph.D., Assistant Plant Pathologist Gerald L. Storm. M.S., Peggy Rath. Technical Assistant Stanley L. Eiter. M.S.. Research Assistant* Ronald L. Westemeier, B.S., Research Assistant* Roger Siglin, B.S., Research Assistant* Section of Aquatic Biology J. Steven L. Wunderle. B.S.. Techniccl Assistant* George W. Bennett, Ph.D., Aquatic Biologist and Head Keith P. Dauphin, Project Assistant* William C. Starrett, Ph.D., Aquatic Biologist R. W. Larimore, Ph.D., Aquatic Biologist David H. Buck, Ph.D., Associate Aquatic Biologist Section of Publications and Robert C. Hiltibran, Ph.D., Associate Biochemist Public Relations Donald F. Hansen, Ph.D., Associate Aquatic Biologist Tames S. Avars. B.S.. Technical Editor and Head William F. Childers, M.S., Assistant Aquatic Biologist Blanche P. Young. B.A., Associate Technical Editor Charles E. Birkeland, B.S., Research Assistant Artha Sue Lev, M.A.. Assistant Technical Editor Martin. Technical Assistant Mary FRAN WiLMER D. Zehr. Assistant Technical Photographer Robert D. Crompton, Field Assistant Claude Russell Rose. Field Assistant Charles F. Thoits, III, B.A., Research Associate* Technical Library John A. Holdrook. II. B.S., Research Assistant* Doris F. Dodds, B.A., M.S.L.S.. Technical Librarian David L. Thomas, B.S.. Research Assistant* Patricia F. Stenstrom. B.A., M.S.L.S., Assistant Tech- Dennis Lee Dooley, Field Assistant* nical Librarian CONSULTANTS: Herpetolocy. Hobart M. Smith, Ph.D.. Professor of Zoology . University of ///tnoi/.- Parasitology, Norman D. Levine, Ph.D., Professor of Veterinary Parasitology and of Veterinary Research, University of Illinois; Wildlife Research, Willard D. Klimstra. Ph.D.. Professor of Zoology and Director of Co-operative Wildlife Re- search. Southern Illinois University: Statistics, Horace W. Norton, Ph.D., Professor of Statistical Design and Analysis. University of Illinois. •Employed on co-operative project? with one of several agencies: University of lUinoia, lUlnois Agricultural Exten- sion Service, Illinois Department of Conservation. National Science Foundation, United States Department of Agri- culture, United States Fish and Wildlife Service. United States Public Health Service, and others. ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY Bulletin Volume 29, Article 1 . Printed by Authority of I Ar\£.c March, 1965 the state of Illinois A Biolosical Investigation of the Fishes of Lake Chautauqua, Illinois WILLIAM C. STARRETT ARNOLD W. FRITZ STATE OF ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY DIVISION Urbana, Illinois CONTENTS Materials and Methods 3 Kinds of Fishes (continued) Collection of Data 3 Family Esocidae 20 Creel Censusing 3 Grass Pickerel 20 Trotline Fishing by Sportsmen 3 Northern Pike 20 Commercial Wing-Net Fishing 3 Family Cyprinidae 21 Commercial Trotline Fishing 4 Carp 21 Commercial Seining 4 Goldfish 21 Test-Net Fishing 5 Creek Chub 21 Minnow Seining 5 Golden Shiner 21 Use of Rotenone 5 Suckermouth Minnow 21 Electrofishing 5 Emerald Shiner 21 Department of Conservation Spottail Shiner 22 F"ishing 5 Bigmouth Shiner 22 Tagging 5 Red Shiner 22 Classification of Fishes 5 Sand Shiner 22 Measurements and Aging Materials 5 Silvery Minnow 22 Calculations 7 Bullhead Minnow 22 Length-Weight Relationships 7 Bluntnose Minnow 22 Average Indices of Condition, C 7 Fathead Minnow 22 Growth Indices 7 Stoneroller 22 Statistics 8 Family Catostomidae 22 Records of Water Levels 8 Bigmouth Buffalo 22 Fish Removal 9 Smallmouth Buffalo 23 Removal by Commercial Wing-Net Black Buffalo 23 Fishing 9 Quillback 23 Removal by Commercial Seining .11 River Carpsucker 23 Removal by Angling 11 Northern Redhorse 23 Removal by Trotline Fishing 11 White Sucker 23 Removal by Department of Conser- Spotted Sucker 24 vation 12 Western Lake Chubsucker 24 Total Removal 12 Family Ictaluridae 24 Description of Lake Chautauqua 12 Blue Catfish 24 Historical Background of the Lake 12 Channel Catfish 24 Present Status of the Lake 13 Yellow Bullhead 24 Water Levels 16 Brown Bullhead 24 Vegetation 16 Black Bullhead 25 Sedimentation and Turbidity 16 Flathead Catfish 25 Water and Soil Chemistry 16 Tadpole Madtom 25 Bottom Fauna 17 Family Anguillidae 25 Sport Fishery 17 American Eel 25 Commercial Fishery 18 Family Cyprinodontidae 25 Kinds of Fishes in the Lake 18 Blackstripe Topminnow 25 Family Petromyzontidae 19 Family Poeciliidae 25 Chestnut Lamprey 19 Family Percopsidae 25 Family Polyodontidae 19 Trout-Perch 25 Paddlefish 19 Family Aphredoderidae 26 Family Lepisosteidae 19 Pirate Perch 26 Shortnose Gar 19 Family Serranidae 26 Longnose Gar 20 White Bass 26 Family Amiidae 20 Yellow Bass 26 Bowfin 20 Family Centrarchidae 26 Family Clupeidae 20 Smallmouth Bass 26 Skipjack Herring 20 Largemouth Bass 26 Gizzard Shad 20 Warmouth 27 Family Hiodontidae 20 Green Sunfish 27 Goldeye 20 Pumpkinseed 27 Mooneye 20 Bluegill 27 Kinds—Centrarchidae (continued) Population Dynamics 53 Orangespotted Sunfish 27 Sampling Techniques 53 White Crappie 27 Commercial Seining as a Sampling Black Crappie 27 Technique 54 Family Percidae 27 Tagging and Test-Netting as Sauger 27 Sampling Techniques 59 Yellow Perch 28 Standing Crop 60 River Darter 28 Population Changes 62 Logperch 28 Freshwater Drum: Population Bluntnose Darter 28 Changes 62 Mud Darter 28 Channel Catfish: Population Family Sciaenidae 28 Changes 63 Freshwater Drum 28 Bigmouth Buffalo: Population Family Atherinidae 29 Changes 65 Brook Silverside 29 Gizzard Shad: Population Growth and Age of Fishes 29 Changes 66 Growth Rates of Species 29 Caip: Population