Bulletin


STATE OF ILLINOIS

DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION

DIVISION OF THE

NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY
THEODORE H. PRISON, Chiej

Vol. XX BULLETIN Article II

A Survey of the Fishery

of the Kaskaskia

River

WILBUR M. LUCE

I'KIXTED BY AI'THORITY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS

URBANA, ILLINOIS

AUGUST, 1933



STATE OF ILLINOIS

DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION

John J. Hallihan^ Director

BOARD OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION

John J. Hallihan, Chairman

William Trelease, Biology John W. Alvord, Engineering

Henry C. Cowles, Forestry

Edson S. Bastin, Geology

William A. Noyes, Chemistry

Charles M. Thompson, Represent-

ing the President of the Univer-

sity of Illinois.

STATE NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY DIVISION

Theodore H. Frison, Chief

Carroll Chouinard, Editor

ILLINOIS PRINTING CO.. DANVILLE, ILL.

8710



CONTENTS

PAGE

Introduction 71

Hydrography 74

Personnel 80

Methods and Equipment 80

The Value of the Fishery 83

Kinds and Numbers of Mussels 86

Kinds of Fishes Caught with Various Tackle 87

Factors Affecting the Abundance of Fishes

in the Kaskaskia 89

The Rate of Growth in Fishes 93

The Fishes of the Kaskaskia 94

Large Fishes 95

Small Fishes 114

Literature Cited 121

111.





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ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

VOLUME XX ARTICLE II

A Survey of the Fishery

of the Kaskaskia River

WILBUR M. LUCE

INTRODUCTION

In the smaller streams and rivers of Illinois the principal value of

the fishes and other aquatic products is attached to hook and line fishinji

and to the recreation and sport of taking fishes, with secondary importance

attending commercial fishing. The Kaskaskia, or Okaw, River' is a fair

representative of the secondary streams of Illinois. In this survey we have

determined what kinds of fishes are present. A comparison with the collec-

tions of fishes made in this stream 30 or more years ago by the late Pro-

fessor S. A. Forbes and his associates shows that there has been very little

alteration in the variety of kinds present.

Statistics gathered by the United States Bureau of Fisheries for 1922

(Sette, 1925)- on the commercial fishery of the Kaskaskia present to the

hook and line fisherman a very imperfect picture of the kinds and abund-

ances of fishes in this stream. Accordingly, special efforts were made in

this survey to collect those kinds which are most attractive to the sports-

man, and to form some conception of their sizes and relative abundances,

with any additional information readily obtained concerning their life

history, growth or other features of their welfare.

An attempt has been made to analyze the effect of some of the more

obvious environmental factors and conditions which are known to affect

the distribution and abundance of fishes. The Kaskaskia River is one of

the cleaner streams of Illinois and there is little reason to believe that

pollution has made any extensive inroads on the fish yield. However, at

intermittent periods and at certain places, pollutional conditions do exist

which either destroy fishes or force them to abandon certain regions, and

destroy a large part of their food resources over wide areas.

1. See map facing this page.
2. References are to literature citations, page 121, follnwiiig.

[71]



72 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORV SURVEY BULLETIN

In the course of tliis survey, 587 of the more important fishes were

tagged and released in order to learn whether or not any considerable

migrations take place among these useful kinds. While no extremely large

migrations have come to our notice from fishes tagged in the Kaskaskiu

or any other Illinois waters, we were surprised to learn that the catfishes,

and in particular the black bullhead, make rather extensive migrations

covering distances 10, 20 or even 40 miles upstream within a few days or

Fig. 2.—Kaskaskia River near Bondville, October, 1929.

weeks. Migrations of a similar order but somewhat smaller have been

found to prevail among others of our more common fishes either in the

Kaskaskia or in other waters of the state. This fact leads us to believe that

following such catastrophes as pollution, extreme drouth or other condi-

tions which may drive the fishes out of wide areas, the reestablishment of

suitable conditions is followed by rapid recovery. Within a year sufficient

breeding stock will have entered the area as migrants and within two or

three years the fish population will have assumed its normal aspects. This

is of considerable consequence as a practical matter of conservation since it

shows that restocking of our waters by such natural means goes on rapidly

and under ordinary conditions makes artificial propagation and distribution

of fishes in these waters unnecessary. No evidence has come to light in this

survey which indicates that the fish population of the Kaskaskia is in any,

sense seriously depleted, that the river is overfished, or that any of the

ordinary popular remedies will be reflected by increases in fish yield.



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 73

At various times in the past decade or two considerable portions of

the Kaskaskia have been open to commercial fishing. At present the

entire river is closed and fishes may be taken legally only with hook and

line. Indeed, it seems that the Kaskaskia as a whole is most useful as a

place in which to fish with hook and line, except for the lowermost part

of its course from Evansville to the mouth in Randolph county. There the

stream has a width and depth not found in its upper reaches and fishes

typical of the main channel of the Mississippi are found in great numbers.

5- .,*.'» ^.^'^

eo 30

MiiK Abpvc Mouth

Fig. 3.—Profile of the Kaskaskia River.

Spoonbill cat, channel cat, bullheads, the huge flathead cat and Fulton cat

are numerous, together with still greater numbers of carp and buffalo.

All of these are commercial fishes and are seldom or irregularly taken on

hook and line. It is commonly known that many commercial fishes of the

Mississippi River proper retreat into the mouth of the Kaskaskia during

the winter months and move out again in spring.

In this paper the fishes of the Kaskaskia have been taken up one by

one and in the case of the larger and better known kinds points of interest

and usefulness have been discussed, while the smaller, rarer and less im-

portant kinds are only mentioned. In the course of this survey quantitative

collections were made of the small bottom animals which are the most

important constituents of the food of all kinds of larger fishes. Detailed

analyses of this material and data will be presented in a later report.

Material was also collected for determining the rate of growth of all the

more important kinds of fishes, but this, too, can be presented more



74 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

effectively when material from other parts of the state is brought into

comparison. It may be mentioned here that such a study of the rate of

growth of the white crappie is being completed. Comparison of the total

lengths in inches of white crappies for different ages in the Kaskaskia and

Sangamon rivers is shown in the following tabulation.

White Crappie

River



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 75

that part of the profile represented by dotted lines were calculated from the

railroad elevations on the base map of Illinois prepared by the Illinois

State Geological Survey in cooperation with the United States Geological

Survey. If we consider the top of Yankee Ridge as our starting point, the

stream drops 140 feet during the first 2 miles of its course. Where it

leaves the Mahomet quadrangle, at a point about 12 miles from its source,

its elevation is about 670 feet—a fall of about 1^0 feet from the highest

point in the headwaters. From this point to the mouth of the river the fall

'f

»j1

«<> X

Am Temperature— Water TCmpcrature.

St IS
SuUtVAM l3HtLtYviut I Co^ti^ I I fuTl I Pout 1 Cwiyli I Ijn/y

i i 1 • » M II 12 1} H 19 Ifc 17 IS l> 20 Zl 22 a U a 24 i^ Z8 2?

V/EtilDV ,

IntwATmm
3li i i 4 i i 1 • » M II 12 1} H 19 14 17 IS \f 20 Zl 22 Zi i^ H 24 2T 28 2? }0 }l i~? i A 3

-AUGUST SEPT.

Fig. 4.—Air and water temperatures on the Kaskaskia in the

summer of 1929.

is much less, varying from a maximum of 55 feet in 18 miles through

Moultrie county to the low gradient found in St. Clair county where the

fall is only 10 feet in 20 miles.

As a result of the stream's very low gradient and winding character,

its rate of flow is quite slow after emerging from the Shelbyville moraine.

Above Shelbyville, at least during periods of comparatively low water,

there are stretches of quiet pools and riffles alternating with comparatively

swift water, but below this point the stretches of rapid water occur less

often and the stream has a slower and more nearly uniform flow.

The graphs in Fig. 4 show the temperatures recorded while the field

party was working on the Kaskaskia during the summer of 1929. The

water temperatures were taken about 2 inches below the surface, well

out in the channel of the river. The air temperatures were taken in the

shade. The same thermometer was used for both. As one would expect, the

graphs show that there is less variation in the water than in the air. Thus

the water ranged from 69.8^^ to 86^ F. while the air ranged from 61° to



76 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

95° F. The general trend is the same in both, and variations in the water

are always in the same direction as, and doubtless a direct result of, varia-

tions in the air. x /;qc.

The water of the river is usually quite turbid, the rcolor of the sus-

pended matter depending upon the nature of the soil. Above Shelbyville,

where the river is draining the darker soils of the Wisconsin glaciation,

the water is grayish brown when turbid; below this point, where drainage

is from Illinoisan glaciation, the color is brownish yellow.

Fig. 5.—Kaskaskia River at Vandalia, July, 1930.

The bottom of the river is not worn down to bedrock except for

about 20 miles near Shelbyville, where the bed is limestone. Throughout

the first 10 miles from its source the stream has been dredged and the

bottom is muddy, with little sand and gravel and with cojisiderable aquatic

vegetation. For the rest of the river's length the bottom is primarily sand

and gravel with very little mud, and is almost devoid of aquatic and shore-

line vegetation. Wherever.riffl.es occur in Douglas, Coles, Moultrie and

Shelby counties, the bottom is composed of coarse pebbles and glacial

boulders of various sizes. Through St. Clair and Randolph counties during

periods of low water the bottom is often covered with a layer of fine silt

as much as a foot deep, which overlays a bed of hard packed sand and

gravel and which is frequently scoured away during periods of flood.

In Champaign and Douglas counties the river has developed no

extensive valley, and its bed is not much lower than the surrounding plain.



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 77

Through Moultrie and Shelby counties the valley varies in width from

1/8 rnile to 1 Yo miles, the topography being rather rough throughout this

region. Where the river emerges from the Shelbyville moraine its valley

widens to about 3 miles. This width is maintained as far as New Athens

in St. Clair county, except at Carlyle in Clinton county where the valley

narrows to about 1 mile for a short distance. From New Athens to the

mouth the valley has an average width of 1 mile.

Table I.

—

Monthly Discharge of the Kaskaskia River at Vandalia. Drain-
age Area 1,980 Square Miles.



78 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

that makes tile laying economically possible. Artificial drainage increases

the rapidity of the run-off. In the greater part of the basin, which consists

of Illinoisan and earlier drifts, the soil is made up of loams, silts and loess.

Here the subsoil is a compact clay, which condition also results in a very

quick run-ofiF. Consequently the river is subject to large and rapid varia-

Table II.

—

Monthly Discharge of the Kaskaskia River at New Athens.

Drainage Area 5,220 Square Miles.



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 79

sible of passage, e\'en by rowboat. In the spring of 1930 a flood washed out

this muddy delta.

The floodplain of the Kaskaskia, after the river has emerged from the

Shelbyville moraine, is dotted with small overflow lakes and sloughs. These

are especially numerous through Bond, Clinton, Washington and St. Clair

counties. None of them are extensive in area and their total combined area

is not large.

Fig. 6.—Kaskaskia River at Carlyle, July, 1930.

In the lower Kaskaskia basin there are numerous ponds on the sur-

rounding high lands. Individually, these are usually less than an acre in

extent but many are permanent, as they contained water throughout the

very dry summer of 1930.

The main tributaries of the Kaskaskia are Richland, Silver and Shoal

creeks to the westward, and Crooked Creek to the eastward. Other than

these, there are numerous smaller tributary creeks. Fig. 1.

Perhaps one of the most interesting facts in connection with the hydrog-

raphy of the Kaskaskia is the stealing of the lower part of the Kaskaskia

valley by the Mississippi. The old mouth of the Kaskaskia was near the

town of Chester, at the southern end of what is now Kaskaskia Island,

about 7 miles below the present mouth of the river. On April 18, 1881, the

Mississippi broke through the neck of land at the bend 2 miles above the old

town of Kaskaskia. There was at this point a difference of 8 feet in the

level of the two rivers, the Kaskaskia being the lower. The result was that

the diverted water of the Mississippi soon cut a channel into the Kaskaskia



80 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

and appropriated the lower 7 miles of its bed. This new channel was origin-

ally but 500 to 600 feet wide, so that at first it carried only a small part of

the volume of the Mississippi. Gradually the new channel became widened

and deepened until finally the old channel filled up, and at times of low

water it is now possible to walk dry-shod from Missouri to Kaskaskia

Island. Since the east bank of the Kaskaskia consists of the limestone cliffs

that form the bluffs of the Mississippi valley, in widening the new channel

the river cut away the softer alluvial west bank and approached the site of

the historic town of Kaskaskia. This town had been settled about the year

1700 and had played an important part in the early history of Illinois, as it

was the first capital of the state. The town was not destroyed immediately,

but the Mississippi in widening its new channel cut away the soil so that

Kaskaskia's buildings and improvements gradually disappeared in the bed

of the river during the years 1886-1909. Only a small corner of the original

town site now remains.

PERSONNEL

Field work on the Kaskaskia was done mainly during the summers of

1928 and 1929 and early in the spring of 1930. During the summer of 1928

Dr. David H. Thompson and Mr. Francis D. Hunt made a study of the

headwaters of the Kaskaskia as part of the field work for a report on the

fishes of Champaign county. During the summer of 1929 Dr. Willard F.

Stanley and the writer conducted field studies on the Kaskaskia from Sulli-

van to the mouth of the river. In the early spring of 1930 Mr. Hunt made

further field observations near the mouth of the river. Occasional observa-

tions were made at various points during the summer of 1930 by several

staff members. Identification of the minnow collections was made by Mr.

Hunt and checked by Mr. R. E. Richardson. The plankton identifications

and estimates were made by Dr. Samuel Eddy. The entire project has been

under the close supervision of Dr. Thompson and any value which it may
have is largely due to his guidance. The study was begun under the general

supervision of the late Professor S. A. Forbes, formerly chief of the State

Natural History Survey, and has been continued under Dr. T. H.

Frison, his successor.

METHODS AND EQUIPMENT

The general plan of the field work in the summer of 1929 was to

make collections and observations at intervals of 10 to 20 miles through-

out the course of the river. Temporary headquarters were established for

periods of three to five days at each of the following places: Sullivan,

Shelbyville, Cowden, Vandalia, Keyesport, Carlyle, Venedy Station, New
Athens and Reilly Lake.



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 81

For transportation the field party used a half-ton truck with a trailer

carrying a 16-foot flat-bottomed skiff. Where depth of the water allowed,

an outboard motor was used to propel the boat, but elsewhere oars were

used because the stage of water was so low and there were so many bars

and snags in the river that the outboard motor was of little use. The field

party carried the following equipment: a canvas tent, 6X8 feet; three 30-

inch, 1-inch-mesh hoop nets with 5-foot wings; a "common sense" minnow

Fig. 7.—Kaskaskia River at New Athens, July, 1930.

seine, 1/6-inch mesh, 4X12 feet; a 1-inch-mesh trammel net, 6X75 feet;

a bottom-sampling outfit consisting of a Peterson dredge, a circular sieve

(12 inches in diameter, with 40 meshes to the inch) and a water-tight

wooden box (20 inches square and 3 inches deep) ; a 14-quart galvanized

iron pail ; a galvanized iron washtub ; a plankton-sampling outfit consisting

of a piece of No. 20 silk bolting cloth, a 1 -liter dipper and a glass funnel;

an aquatic dip net with 5-foot handle ; two 250-foot trot-lines with

100 snells and 3/0 hooks; a thermometer in a wooden case; a dairy balance

with dial graduated to tenths of a pound ; a fish measuring board attached

to the balance ; Monel metal fish tags, sizes 2 and 3, each bearing a serial

number on one side and the initials INHS on the other; tongs for affixing

the tags; a supply of bottles and jars of assorted sizes, together with labels,

alcohol and formalin; and a leather notebook filled with 5 X 8-inch cards

bearing serial accession numbers.

The general procedure of work at each place was as follows. As soon



82 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

as a suitable place was found on the river bank, the equipment was un-

loaded, the tent pitched, the boat launched and the hoop nets set in likel}'

situations, since the main object was to catch as many fishes as possible.

Temperature of water and air were taken and recorded three times daily.

The hoop nets were raised twice daily and the fishes removed from them

into a tub of water and taken to the bank where the weighing and measur-

ing apparatus was set up. Each kind of fish, its length from tip of snout to

base of caudal fin and its weight to the nearest twentieth of a pound were

recorded in the notebook, together with length of time the net had been

set, date and description of environmental conditions. About ten scales were

taken from the left side between the lateral line and the dorsal fin of each

of the scaled fishes and were placed in a small manila envelope. On the out-

side of the envelope were recorded the notebook accession number, the tag

number, the name of the stream, the location, date, kind of fish, its length

and weight. The fish was then tagged near the base of the caudal fin, on the

dorsal edge, and returned to the stream. The catching, measuring and tag-

ging of the fishes taken in the hoop nets consumed the greater part of the

time at each stop along the river. A record was also kept of turtles and

other animals in the hoop nets.

Since certain kinds of fishes avoid small-meshed hoop nets, other

methods were also employed. A trammel net was occasionally dragged as a

seine, or set and the fishes driven into it. On account of the number of snags

and other obstructions in the Kaskaskia, its use as a seine was not satis-

factory, few fishes being caught. Trot-lines were also set across stream,

with about 50 hooks to the line. Crayfish, minnows or soaked corn were used

for bait. The trot-lines were quite satisfactory for catching carp, which

avoid hoop nets of small mesh during periods of clear water. Some catfish

were also caught by this method. Samples of small fishes were taken with a

minnow seine, dragged over an estimated area of 15 square yards to each

haul. The entire sample was killed in formalin, transferred to a cheesecloth

sack, labeled and stored in a keg of formalin. Identification of the minnows

was made later in the laboratory.

Samples of the bottom fauna were taken in as many different kinds

of bottom as could be found in each vicinity. A Petersen dredge was used

for taking samples in mud, gravel and sand bottoms. Where the bottom

consisted of pebbles or rocks and the dredge could not be used, the organ-

isms were rinsed and picked off the rocks by hand. The samples were pre-

served and sent to the laboratory for identification.

A plankton sample was taken at each stop along the river by straining

20 liters of water from midstream through No. 20 silk bolting cloth. These

collections were preserved in 80 per cent alcohol and examined later in the

laboratory.



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 83

A sample of the fresh-water mussels was taken at each place visited.

These usually were taken by hand, as all other methods were found to be

unsatisfactory, and the shells were preserved and taken to the laboratory

for identification.

THE VALUE OF THE FISHERY

Principal sources of information on the fishery of the Kaskaskia, or

Okaw, River are the survey made by Forbes and Richardson for "The

Fishes of Illinois," published in 1909; a local survey near Charleston, Illi-

nois, made by Hankinson (1913) ; statistics compiled by the United States

Bureau of Fisheries (Sette, 1925) ; and a detailed study of the distribution

and abundance of fishes in Champaign county (Thompson and Hunt

1930). The first two of these sources show the kinds of fishes found in the

Kaskaskia and give notes on their habitat relationships, life cycles and gen-

eral abundance, but afford little information for a comparison with other

streams of the state from the standpoint of fish yield. The statistics of the

United States Bureau of Fisheries show the value of the commercial fishery

supported by each stream s)'stem. The latest statistics, those for the year

1922, indicate in a general way the relative importance of the main rivers

of the state as follows.

River



84 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

According to this criterion the Kaskaskia ranks eighth among the

rivers of the state.

At the time this census was taken commercial fishing in the Kaskaskia

basin was limited to the main channel from Covington bridge to the mouth.

This includes the course of the stream across Randolph, St. Clair, and

about one-half of Washington, counties. Up to 1915 the entire river was

open to commercial fishing. The history of its status since that time is out-

lined in the following records obtained from the office of the State Depart-

ment of Conservation.

Record of Fish Preserve Orders Issued in Connection

WITH the Kaskaskia River.

Jan. 14, 1915 Kaskaskia River and tributaries made a fish

preserve.

Apr. 12, 1916 Kaskaskia River opened to commercial fishing

from Carlyle to confluence with the Mississippi

(but all tributaries remain closed).

May 31, 1921 Kaskaskia River and tributaries from Carlyle to

Covington bridge made a fish preserve.

Sept. 15, 1927 Kaskaskia River and tributaries opened to com-

mercial fishing in Fayette, Moultrie and Shelby

counties.

June 5, 1928 Main channel of Kaskaskia River opened to net

fishing, from the point where said river crosses the

dividing line between Fayette and Clinton coun-

ties, south and southwest to the Covington bridge

between Clinton and Washington counties,— all

tributaries in said section of the river to remain

preserves.

Oct. 1, 1930 Kaskaskia River and all tributaries made a fish

preserve,

As shown in Table III, the bulk of the catch of fish in 1922 was carp

and buffalo, together totalling 16,800 pounds and valued at $1,835. Catfish

and bullheads, weighing together 7,300 pounds, were valued at $1,245.

The drum, or sheepshead, contributed 5,200 pounds, worth $640. Mussel

shells and pearls, however, almost equalled fish in money value, compris-

ing 43.6 per cent of the total commercial fishery in that year.

Perhaps a greater asset of the Kaskaskia consists of those intangible

benefits accruing to health and enjoyment which result from use of the

stream as a place of recreation. Throughout most of its length the river is

large enough to afford ample opportunity for boating and swimming as

well as angling. Numbers of fishing clubs have camps along the middle



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 85

reaches of the stream. These camps are especially numerous on the flood-

bottom lakes in Clinton, Washington and St. Clair counties, but the river

is visited at other points also by many people.

At the time this survey was being made on the Kaskaskia the Natural
History Survey was also carrying on a similar survey of the Sangamon

River. Since the same methods of study were used in both systems, we

Table III.

—

The Commercial Fishery of the Kaskaskia River for 1922.*



86 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

KINDS AND NUMBERS OF MUSSELS

Five general collections of mussels were made by hand at well dis-

tributed points on the Kaskaskia, with the various kinds appearing in the

numbers shown in Table IV.

Table IV.

—

Kinds and Numbers of Mussels Taken in the Kaskaskia River

FROM July 30 to September 1, 1929.

UNIONINAE
^uadrula lachrymosa (Lea) Maple Leaf.

^uadrula pustulosa (Lea) Pimpleback.

.

Tritogonia tuberculata (Barnes) Buckhorn.. . .

Megalonais gigantea (Barnes) Washboard .

Amblema rariplicata (Lamarck) Three Ridge

Amblema costata (Rafinesque) Three Ridge

Fusconaia flava (Rafinesque) Pig Toe

Pleiirobema catillus (Conrad)

Elliptio dilatatus (Rafinesque) Ladyfinger.

.

ANODONTINAE
Strophitus j-ugosus (Swainson) Squawfoot. .

Anodonta grandis near var. plana (Lea).Papershell. .

Arcidens conjragosus (Say) Rockshell. .

.

Alasmidonta marginata (Say) Deerfoot . . .

Lasmigona costata (Rafinesque) Fluted Shell

,

Lasmigona complanata (Barnes) Heelsplitter .

LAMPSILINAE
Obliquaria reflexa Rafinesque

Truncilla truncata Rafinesque

Proptera alata (Say)

Leptodea fragilis (Rafinesque)

Actinonais carinata (Barnes) Mucket
Ligumia recta var. /aZ/jj/wa (Rafinesque) Butterfly

Lampsilis ventricosa (Barnes) Pocketbook

Lampsilis siliquoidea (Barnes) Fat Mucket
Lampsilis anodontoides (Lea)

Lampsilis fallacoisa (Smith) Slough Sandshell

Total

<
>

2

2

26

15

8

5

1

16

11

12

1

5

H
ei

O
b
CO

(d
>•

U

1

1

1

19

17

7

10

<

11

12

11

10

29

<
H
O

4

25

22

11

13

17

18

17

7

7

1

2

1

3

10

1

1

12

54

43

1

32

23

4

26

355



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 87

KINDS OF FISHES CAUGHT WITH VARIOUS TACKLE

Table V presents the hoop-net catches in the Kaskaskia River. The
percentages in the last column of the table are summarized in Table VI

and show that the hoop net catches consist predominantly of a few kinds

of fishes. Thus the catfishes and bullheads make up 61 per cent of the

entire catch, the sunfishes 28 per cent and all other kinds together the

remaining 1 1 per cent. The high percentage of catfishes may be due to

Table V.

—

Fishes Taken by Hoop Nets, Kaskaskia River, 1929-1930.



88 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

their seeking the hoop nets as places of concealment. Sunfish likewise seek

concealment in brush and around stones and may also enter the hoop nets

for the same reason. Suckers, carp and buffalo, being active and strong

swimmers and seeking open waters as a rule, are rarely caught in small-

mesh hoop nets. Table VI shows percentages of the different kinds of larger

fishes caught by various kinds of tackle. The second column of this table

shows the fishes caught by means of a trammel net. Though the total

number caught by this method was very small, the proportion of the various

kinds of fishes, even in such small numbers, indicates a marked contrast to

the catch by hoop nets. More than half the trammel-net catch consists of

suckers, carp and buffalo—the kinds that ordinarily avoid hoop nets. Sun-

fishes make up a much smaller percentage, and catfishes, which represented

the largest percentage of the hoop-net catch, were not taken at all in the

trammel net. Trot-line catches were so small as to lack significance except

for the 13 carp, which were taken on soaked corn.

Table VI.

—

Comparison of Numbers and Kinds of Larger Fishes Taken with

Different Kinds of Tackle.



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 89

FACTORS AFFECTING THE ABUNDANCE OF FISHES
IN THE KASKASKIA

Since one of the aims of this reconnaissance of the Kaskaskia River

was to obtain information on its fitness for the production of fishes, some

general observations were made on the conditions in the stream as a basis

for comparisons with other streams in Illinois.

Bottom.—The small bottom animals constitute the most important

source of food fishes in this stream as well as in most of the other, larger

Illinois streams. Rather extensive collections of bottom fauna are being

worked over and a full account of their kinds and amounts will be included

in a later report. Superficial inspection of the organisms found in the

samples indicates that they occur in amounts common to Illinois streams

uf this size. The prevailing kind of bottom in the Kaskaskia is sand and

Table VI.

—

Contd. Comparison of Numbers and Kinds of Larger Fishes

Taken with Different Kinds of Tackle.

CARP and SUCKERS
pAiropean carp

Red-mouth buffalo

Mongrel buffalo



90 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

2;ravel. Exhaustive studies of the amounts of small bottom animals avail-

able as fish food on rock, gravel, sand, and mud bottoms have shown that

sand is least productive, while gravel may be of intermediate or of superior

productivity.

Plankton.—The few plankton collections taken in July and August,

1929, seem to show that plankton is of very slight importance as a source

of fish food in the main stream. Practically no plankton organisms were

found in the collections except in the one taken just above the mouth

Fig. 8.—Kaskaskia River at Evansville, July, 1930.

of the river, and even this collection contained only 1 1 species, none of

which was very abundant.

Vegetation.—Streams which have considerable amounts of submerged

aquatic vegetation are quite commonly found to be our heaviest producers of

fish. Such vegetation, besides serving directly as food for fish, provides

favorable situations for the production of large amounts of small animal

life which serve as fish food. Such vegetation also provides cover and pro-

tection for many kinds of young fishes. Other studies of the Illinois

Natural History Survey have shown that the high fish productivity of

the Illinois River is intimately associated with the wide areas of connecting

bottomland lakes and sloughs. Along the course of the Kaskaskia through

Bond, Clinton, Washington and St. Clair counties there are numerous
floodplain lakes and sloughs, but the total area of these is so small that it is

not likely that they materially affect the yield of fishes. The submerged



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 91

aquatic vegetation of the Kaskaskia system is limited to the smaller head-

water streams. The factors which seem to determine the presence or absence

of submerged aquatic vegetation in Illinois streams are (1) turbidity, (2)

nutritive substances brought in from the soils of the drainage basin and (3)

constancy of flow. The turbidity of the Kaskaskia throughout most of its

length is so great that light probably cannot penetrate the water sufficiently

to allow the growth of submerged vegetation. Scarcity of nutritive sub-

stances for plants from the less fertile soils of the area covered by the

lUinoisan glaciation may have something to do with the lack of vegetation.

The water level in the Kaskaskia is subject to such variations that plants

are either drowned or left stranded.

Enemies.—All game fishes feed for the most part upon minnows and

other small fishes. Our minnow-seine collections show that there is a plenti-

ful supply of this kind of food throughout the Kaskaskia River and that in

number of minnows per square yard of water it compares favorably with

other rivers of the state.

Natural enemies of fishes in the Kaskaskia appear to be of the same

kinds and numbers as in other streams of the state, except for sporadic

depredations of the lamprey, which will be described later. Thirty-two

turtles were taken in the hoop nets during this survey, a number of which

were large snapping turtles which commonly devour several fishes each

day. Herons, kingfishers and other water birds which feed almost ex-

clusively on fishes were noticed at many places. Minks, otters, muskrats

and raccoons also take their toll of fish life.

Fishing.—From 1916 to 1930 commercial fishing was permitted in the

lower reaches of the Kaskaskia. As shown by the reports of the United

States Bureau of Fisheries (Sette, 1925), the important commercial kinds

taken were carp, buffalo, catfish and sheepshead. Since buffalo and certain

other suckers are rarely caught with hook and line their removal with nets

and seines does not materially affect hook and line fishing. Commercial

fishing may, however, reduce the numbers of carp, catfish and sheepshead

available to hook and line fishermen. While bass, crappie and sunfish are

supposed to be returned to the water when taken with commercial tackle,

the temptation to keep these game fishes is very often too great. Continued

operation of trot-lines may have some effect in lowering the numbers of

certain kinds of fishes in the stream. During our survey we encountered

several men who were making their living by catching sheepshead and

catfish with trot-lines. One of these fishermen reported catches of 120

channel cat in a single night as not uncommon with the amount of tackle

that he alone used.

Disease.—Practically all of the fishes taken in the course of this study

appeared to be clean and healthy. This does not indicate, however, that



92 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

disease is not an important factor affecting the abundance of fishes in the

Kaskaskia, just as in other streams, since there is a wide variety of diseases

which probably take a small but steady toll of fishes, with only an occasional

outbreak which may kill off large enough numbers to be noticed. Dead

fishes are quickly devoured by scavengers both in water and on land, and

diseased or injured fishes with slow or erratic movements are easily caught

by predators.

Fig. 9.—Kaskaskia River 2 miles above the mouth, July, 1930.

Pollution.—Finally, abundance of fishes is influenced by the amount

and kind of pollution which a stream has to bear. The sewage load of the

Kaskaskia, or Okaw, is small and has little effect except during periods of

low water, when some stretches, especially in summer, may become heavily

polluted. For example, a septic condition existed below Carlyle in July and

August of 1930. The untreated domestic sewage which goes into the river

at Carlyle is augmented by wastes from a strawboard factory and a milk

plant. As a result of this pollution, for a distance of at least 25 miles down-

stream there was no dissolved oxygen in the water. Thousands of fishes

were killed, and all the bottom animals, such as mussels and snails, must

have perished also. The water was black, a layer of black sludge several

inches thick covered the bottom and a strongly putrescent odor was ap-

parent, even at some distance from the stream. Normally this, section of the

river is a very productive one^- -^snart ':a zc

About 100,000 people live in the Kaskaskia basin in towns and cities



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 93

8

7

6
-

of more than 500 population. The river receives untreated sewage from

about 17,000 of these people and effluent from treatment plants in cities

representing a population of 65,000. A remainder of some 20,000 persons

resides in cities and towns with no sewer systems (Buswell, 1927).

Since the Kaskaskia basin con-

sists predominantly of agricultural

lands, without large industrial

centers, the chief industrial wastes

received by the river are such as

result from treatment of agricul-

tural products, particularly wastes

from milk products plants and

strawboard factories. In the south-

ern part of the river basin there is

considerable coal mining and a few

limited areas which produce oil, but

pumpage from these mines and

wells is believed to have negligible

effect on the river.

i
-

fi 5 ft 6 it
Lenqth. in inch*s

Fig. 10.—Age groups of rock bass.

THE RATE OF GROWTH IN FISHES

11

a

a-

»

a-

u-

a-

Ltnqfh in Inehu

-Age groups of channel cat.Fig. 11

tinctly and are presented in Figs. 10, 11 and 12

Since most fishes spawn in a

certain restricted season of the year

and since the young grow at

approximately the same rate, the

different age groups can often be

recognized. If the lengths of a con-

siderable number of individuals of

the same species taken from one

area in a short period of time are

plotted in the form of a frequency

curve, these groups appear as humps

in the curve. During the course of

our study, data on the lengths of

several species of fishes were ob-

tained. These measurements were

made from the tip of the snout to

the base of the caudal fin. The data

for rock bass, channel cat and mud
cat show these age groups most dis-



94 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

Figure 10 presents graphically the lengths of 19 rock bass. These

measurements fall into two well separated groups, each representing a year

class. One group, probably two years old, varies from 4^^ to 514 inches

with a mode at 5 inches, while the other group varies from 6 to 714

inches with a mode at 6I/2 inches and is made up presumably of three-year

old fish.

In Fig. 11, which summarizes the data for 88 channel cat, three fairly

well defined groups appear, presumably representing fishes two, three and

19 ZO Tl H Z9 «4 ZS ZS

Length in inche<s

Fig. 12.—Age groups of mud cat.

four years old. Fishes of the first group vary from 6 to 9 inches with a

mode at 7 inches; the second group, from 9 to 13 inches with a mode at 11

inches. Those of the third group appear to vary around 15 inches as a

mode.

The data for mud cat are arranged graphically in Fig. 12, which shows

modes at 8, 11, 14 and 17 inches. The three individuals 20, 23 and 26

inches in length may represent three additional year groups.

A better method of age determination is by examination of scales,

spines and bones, which show annulations indicating the age and past his-

tory of individuals in much the same way as do the annual rings in the

trunk of a tree. During the course of this study spines or scales were

taken from most of the fishes caught, and an analysis of these data will

form the subject matter of later reports.

THE FISHES OF THE KASKASKIA

In this section are presented some of the more obvious distinguishing

characteristics of each of the larger fishes, a summary of known informa-



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 95

tion concerning the life history of the more important ones, their food, their

interrelation with other fishes, their usefulness, sizes, weights, distribution,

etc. Those fishes which are rare or are so small as to be insignificant in the

fishery have been treated very briefly, while the more important hook and

line and commercial fishes have been treated more fully.

LARGE FISHES

Silvery Lamprey

Ichthyomyzon concolor (Kirtland)

The lamper eel is an elongate scaleless fish-like animal without paired

fins, which reaches a length of 16 inches. It is also called lamper, river

lamprey or silvery lamprey. By means of its mouth, which is expanded into

a round sucking disc furnished with teeth for rasping, it attaches itself

to larger fishes and rasps through the scales and into the flesh to feed on

the blood.

Our records indicate that lampreys have their most serious effect

during winter. In the study made on the lower Kaskaskia in the late

summer of 1929 no lampreys were taken, and none of the large fishes

upon which they commonly prey showed lamprey marks. In the field work

on the lower Kaskaskia and in the Mississippi River near the mouth of

the Kaskaskia in the late winter and early spring of 1930, numbers of

lampreys were taken attached to carp, buffalo, spoonbill, catfishes and

suckers. Mr. Barber, a commercial fisherman of Chester, said that in some

winters the lampreys have destroyed nearly all of the carp in the lower

Kaskaskia. Such an outbreak occurred during the winter of 1927-1928, and

many tons of carp were destroyed and washed up dead along the banks.

Less serious depredations occur nearly every winter. It is supposed that

carp, being more sluggish than other fish in winter, fall an eajy prey to

lampreys.

While the important facts of the life history of the lake lamprey,

Petromyzon tnariuus dorsatus Wilder, and of the brook lamprey, Lethett-

teron appendix (DeKay), have been well established, very little is known

concerning the silvery lamprey. While our numbers and measurements of

this lamprey were inadequate, members of the field party record the dis-

tinct impression of two or three size groups only in the lampreys caught,

which would indicate that this species lives only a few years. The larger

specimens appear to be especially voracious, and this increased consumption

of food may be in preparation for sexual maturity and the production of

eggs and milt. In all other lampreys, and probably in this one also, the

production of the new generation causes such a drain upon the resources



96 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

of the adults that they die soon afterward. We have noticed that the

largest individuals are taken in late winter and spring and only medium

sized ones in summer. This seems to indicate that the large adults die in

spring.

Spoonbill Cat; Paddlefish

Polyodon spathula (Walbaum)

The spoonbill cat may be readily recognized by its large paddle-shaped

snout. It is the most primitive of the bony fishes, and its nearest living

relative is found in the large rivers of China. The paddle is considered to be

a greatly enlarged sense organ, by means of which the fish detects the pres-

ence of those small organisms in the water which are its principal source of

food. The paddle is waved back and forth as the fish swims along, with its

mouth agape, straining the organisms from the water by means of its greatly

elongated and numerous gill rakers. The spoonbill is usually held as an

example of a fish that feeds exclusively upon plankton, but large numbers

taken in the spring of 1930 in the Mississippi River at Chester contained

nymphs of the mayfly, Hexagenia, and a few small fishes.

This is a highly prized market fish, selling (under the name of "bone-

less cat" or "spoonbill cat") when fresh at about the same price as channel

cat or blue cat, and when smoked at about the same price as smoked

sturgeon. Its roe is used for making caviar. Considerable numbers are regu-

larly taken by commercial fishermen in the lower Kaskaskia and in the

Mississippi near Chester.

Very little is known concerning the spawning habits and life history

of this fish, in spite of the fact that many investigators have worked on the

problem. Because of this we were especially interested to hear the fishermen

report the presence of very small paddlefish in the Kaskaskia. Mr. H. C.

Moore, a commercial fisherman of Chester, stated that he had seen spoon-

bill fry not more than 3 inches long in late summer in the lower reaches of

the river. Both he and his partner were of the opinion that spoonbills

spawn near the mouth of the Kaskaskia. Mr. Barber, another fisherman

at Chester, said that he had seen young spoonbills about 4 inches long, also

in late summer. The smallest specimen taken by us measured 71/2 inches,

including paddle and tail, and we have numerous specimens varying from

this length to 12 inches over all, taken in the late winter and early spring

of 1930. Since the spoonbills caught in the Kaskaskia rarely weigh more

than 4 pounds and do not contain roe, it is difficult to see how any spawn-

ing occurs there unless the gravid adults visit the river only long enough

to spawn, departing before the seining season opens.



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 97

Gars

Lepisosteus osseus (Linnaeus)

Cylindrosteus platostomus (Rafinesque)

Lepisosteus platostomus Rafinesque^

The gar-pikes may be recognized by their elongate cylindrical bodies,

their beak-like jaws and the bony rhombic plates or scales that cover their

bodies. In the long-nosed gar, Lepisosteus osseus, the beak is much longer

and more slender than in the short-nosed gar, Cylindrosteus platostomus.

Thus in the former the length of the beak is about 20 times the width near

the tip, but in the latter only five or six times the width.

These alert and voracious fishes are very destructive, feeding on nearly

all kinds of fishes, and competing with game fishes for food, so that they

are capable of decreasing seriously the productiveness of streams where

they are numerous. They are of no use whatever to man. For these reasons

it is customary to destroy all gars caught. While common in the Kaskas-

kia, especially from Shelbyville to the mouth, they are not plentiful enough

to have any very serious effect upon the fish life of the stream.

In the summer months, particularly in the more sluggish parts of the

river, the gars may be seen "breaking" at the surface of the water, to

renew the supply of air in their lung-like swim bladders—sticking out their

beaks and opening and closing their jaws with a snapping sound. The

swim bladder of these fishes is unique in that it is equipped with an abun-

dance of small blood vessels and functions efficiently as a lung. Indeed, gars

have been taken often in polluted waters with no dissolved oxygen, where

they drown within a few minutes if held beneath the surface. The gills

are small and seemingly inadequate, because the gars die sooner than other

fishes if held in oxygen-deficient water.

Alligator Gar

Atractosteus tristoechus (Schneider)

Lepisosteus tristoechus (Block & Schneider)

No specimen of the alligator gar was taken by us in the Kaskaskia,

though fishermen state that this fish is common at certain times near the

mouth of the river. It has a shorter beak than either of the aforementioned

gars, and it grows to a much greater size, individuals measuring 10 feet in

length and weighing 300 pounds having been seen in this vicinity. It also

differs from the other gars in that the large teeth of its upper jaw are in

two rows on each side instead of being in a single row.

^Xomenclature follows Jordan, "Manual of the Vertebrate Animals of the North-
eastern United States." 1929, 13th edition. Names in small type are those of Forbes
and Richardson in 'The Fishes of Illinois," 1909.



98 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

The following information regarding the alligator gar comes from

Mr. Leslie Crow, of Chester, who fishes in the lower Kaskaskia,

About the first week in June, 1930, 75 to 100 gars entered an

overflow pond on the river bottom about 2 miles above the mouth

of the river. The pond was connected to the river by a cut in the

bank, through which the fishes entered. The water was 2 to 4 feet

deep in this pond, which consisted of a number of acres of wooded

bottomland with considerable underbrush. May of these gars

were judged to weigh 100 pounds, but a few of them were 10 feet

long and may have weighed 300 pounds. The gars were spawning

in this place, so that the shrubs, bushes, and other objects in the

water were covered with eggs.

A special harpoon was made of a i^g-inch rake tooth. This was

pointed and heavily barbed at one end. A loop in the middle of

the shaft formed an attachment for a heavy line. The upper end

was straight and blunt and fitted into a hole in the end of a long

pole which served as a handle. When a hit was made, the pole was

withdrawn, leaving the harpoon point. The line attached to the

harpoon was 30 to 40 feet long and at its other end was attached

a 10-gallon can that was tightly sealed. Carrying this buoy and

line, the fish finally exhausted itself and was taken.

Another method of catching alligator gar in this part ot the

river is by means of a large hook and a long line of quarter-inch

rope. A special hook is made of quarter-inch spring steel and is

baited with fish heads and the like. When a fish is hooked it is

played from the bank until it is worn out, and then killed.

A number of people have stated that the eggs of these gars are

poisonous. One man reported that roe from one alligator gar killed 90

chickens.

During the first week in August, 1930, several of these gars were seen

about the piling at the mouth of the Kaskaskia. Another one was seen

"rolling" on the surface of the water near Chester.

Such huge and voracious animals must levy a heavy tax upon the fish

life of an area, and the number of fish destroyed by a single alligator gar

during its lifetime must be very large.

Dogfish; Bowfin

Amia calva Linnaeus

This fish is known by many names, the more common of which

are dogfish, bowfin, grindle and grinnel, the last being the name com-

monly used by fishermen of the Kaskaskia. It is of little importance in this

river, for it is comparatively rare and is not used to any extent as food. In

our survey only one specimen was seen, and that was taken at Vandalia.

Fishermen, however, vouched for the occurrence of the dogfish in other



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 99

parts of the stream. It preys upon other fishes, crustaceans and moUusks.

Toothed Herring ; Moon Eye

Hiodon tergisus Le Sueur

The toothed herring or moon eye was taken by us at three places, one

specimen 2 miles south of Parkville near the headwaters of the Kaskaskia,

one at Venedy Station about 50 miles from the mouth of the stream, and six

young individuals 3 inches long about 11/^ miles above the mouth. Though

widely distributed in the stream, it is nowhere abundant and is of little

importance to the fishery.

Gizzard Shad

Dorosorna cepedianuni (Le Sueur)

The gizzard shad is abundant in the lower course of the Kaskaskia

at certain seasons but is comparatively rare in the upper reaches. Two
adults and eight fingerlings were taken in minnow-seine collections be-

tween Shelbyville and Venedy Station. This fish feeds on organic detritus

on the bottom and on minute plant and animal life suspended in the water.

Its preference for muddy bottom probably explains its rarity except near

the mouth. Though not used by man for food, the gizzard shad in many

streams and lakes of Illinois serves as the most important supply of animal

food for game fishes. Gizzard shad fingerlings are often taken in quantities

in the lower Kaskaskia and salted down for trot-line bait.

This species may be separated from the moon eye, which it super-

ficially resembles, by the comparatively greater depth of the body, the

great extension of the last rays of the dorsal fin and absence of a lateral

line and of teeth.

Eel

Anguilla bostoniensis Le Sueur

Jnguilla chrysypa Rafinesque

The eel is represented in our survey of the Kaskaskia by five specunens,

four of which were tagged and released. One of these was recaptured a few

hours later in a net about 50 yards upstream. One of the specimens taken

at New Athens was 36 inches long and weighed 4 pounds. Reports from

fishermen along the river indicate that eels are not uncommon from Shelby-

ville on down, although they are nowhere plentiful.

The eel feeds almost exclusively on fishes and is very voracious. The

flesh contains somewhat more fat than most of our native fishes and is

regarded as a delicacy by many people. On the market it brings about the



100 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

same price as catfish. Considerable interest in its life history has been

aroused in recent years following the discovery of its spawning grounds in

the Sargasso Sea.

Buffalo

Megastomatobus cyprinella (Cuvier & Valenciennes)

Ictiobus cyprinella (Cuvier & Valenciennes)

Jctiobus urus (Agassiz)

Ictiobus bubalus (Rafinesque)

There are three species of buffalo fish, all of which are found in the

Kaskaskia. Twelve specimens were collected from nine localities between

Sullivan and the mouth of the river. Since eight of the 12 were the small-

mouth, Ictiobus bubalus, this species seems to be more common than the

other two in the Kaskaskia and to extend farther upstream. The com-

mercial catch of buffalo in 1922 was 8,200 pounds valued at $900 (Table

III). Thus buffalo holds second place in weight and third place in value

in the fishery of the Kaskaskia, being exceeded slightly in weight by carp

and in value by catfish and carp. Mr. Hanke, manager of the fish hatchery

at Carlyle, said that fishermen were catching buffalo in considerable num-

bers near Carlyle in August, 1930. The greater part of the catch was made

with fyke nets and the rest with seines and set-lines.

The buffalo commonly attains a length of 3 feet and a weight of 50

pounds (Forbes and Richardson, 1909). The flesh is readily marketable at

a price somewhat higher than that for carp. In Illinois it is usually preferred

to carp in flavor and texture. Spawning occurs early in the spring, usually

in April, and enormous numbers of eggs are shed around the margins of

backwaters and sloughs. About a third of the food consists of vegetable

material, and the rest is made up mainly of insects, entomostracans and

mollusks.

According to Sette (1925), the buffalo is one of the few fishes that

Year Pounds

1894 ....15,924,810

1899 14,215,975

1903 11,491,663

1908 15,040,000

1922 15,488,765



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 101

has maintained itself in undiminished numbers in the Mississippi River

and its tributaries. The foregoing table shows the annual yield of buffalo

fish in the Mississippi system for selected years from 1894 to 1922.

Carp Suckers

Carpiodes carpio (Rafinesque)

Carpiodes difformis Cope

Carpiodes cyprinus (Le Sueur)

Carpiodes velifer (Rafinesque)

Three species of carp suckers were found in the Kaskaskia. They are

also called native carp, river carp, silver carp, silvereens, quillback and

spearback. Twenty-one specimens of Carpiodes carpio were taken and ten

of these were tagged and released. Seven specimens of C. difformis were

taken and two of them were tagged and released. Seven specimens of

C. cyprinus were taken and three of them tagged and released.

The carp suckers are bottom feeders and are of little importance to

the life of the stream. They form a small part of the commercial catch

near the mouth of the river, but on account of their poor quality they are

much the least profitable part of the catch, although they compare favor-

ably with other fishes when smoked.

Common Sucker; Black Sucker

Catostomus conimerso)iii (Lacepede)

The common sucker, which is also called the fine-scaled or black

sucker, may be distinguished from the other suckers by the large number

and small size of the scales on the front half of its body. This sucker is

found in tributaries and headwaters of the Kaskaskia but rarely in the

main stream. Thus all but one of our 29 specimens were tak'^n in the

headwaters of the Kaskaskia in Champaign county.

The black sucker can be taken on worms in spring and makes up a

large part of the catch by small boys. It ascends creeks and spawns on

riffles in March and April. When caught in cold water, the flesh of this

fish is white and firm and of good flavor. It is quite bony, however, and

when taken from warm water the flesh is soft and unpalatable.

Hog Sucker

Hypentelium nigricans (Le Sueur)

Catostotnus nigricans Le Sueur

The hog sucker may be recognized by its peculiar protusile sucking



102 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

mouth and by its large broad square head. In the Kaskaskia it is confined

to the upper third of the basin, which is the clearer and swifter part of the

stream, where seven specimens were taken. This fish lives in the swifter

parts of creeks, where it feeds from the bottom by rolling over stones and

sucking up the material thus exposed. It maintains its position in swift

water by resting upon its fins, but when alarmed it darts away in a zigzag

course. In consequence of its feeding habits and its choice of habitat, it has

assumed those structural adaptations characteristic of the darter family.

It is occasionally taken on the hook but is not valued as food and is not

important.

Chub Sucker

Erimyzon sucetta oblongus (Mitchill)

The chub sucker or sweet sucker is representd in our minnow-seine

collections in the Kaskaskia by 93 specimens, all taken at Shelbyville or

above. Its preferred habitat is in small streams. Since it never becomes

very large it is not important commercially, but it is often used as bait in

lieu of large minnows.

Spotted Sucker

Minytremn melanops Rafinesque

One spotted sucker was taken near Parkville. Though now rare in the

Kaskaskia it was abundant there when Forbes and Richardson made their

collections for "The Fishes of Illinois."

Common Red Horse

Moxostoina aureolmn (Le Sueur)*

The 28 specimens taken in the course of this work show that this red

horse is a common fish in the Kaskaskia. Nine adults were taken in the

upper reaches of the river at Parkville and Sullivan, and 19 young were

taken between Shelbyville and Venedy Station. The red horse shows a

strong preference for the smaller clear rivers with sandy or rocky bottom.

Among the suckers this is one of the best for food, and it reaches a

weight of 5 or 6 pounds. It appears on the market under the name of white

mullet. It feeds mostly upon mollusks and aquatic insects and is readily

taken in spring on hooks baited with worms. Its breeding season is in May
and June, the adults ascending the smaller streams and spawning on the

riffles.

*This and the following- species of red horse, common throughout Illinois, do not
approximate closely any of the descriptions listed in Jordan (1929).



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 103

Short-headed Red Horse

Moxostoma breviceps (Cope)

The short-headed red horse is distinguished from the common red

horse by its tail fin, which is blood red instead of yellowish or pale orange,

and by its distinctly smaller head. Sixteen adults were taken from five

localities in the upper and middle reaches of the river, and 14 of these

were tagged and released, but we have had no returns up to the time of

writing. Its habits and table qualities are similar to those of the common
red horse.

Carp

Cypriniis carpio Linnaeus

The carp may be distinguished from all other Illinois fishes by the

four barbels found about its mouth and by the teeth on the spines of its anal

and dorsal fins. This species is a native of Asia and was introduced eight

or ten centuries ago into Europe, where it has been extensively cultivated.

Its first introduction into this country in sufficient numbers to become

established was in 1877. The first imports were distributed by the United

States Bureau of Fisheries to private individuals who reared them in ponds.

The fishes escaping from these ponds into public waters increased rapidl}

in number and became widespread.

Today the carp is one of the most important species in the inland

fisheries of the United States. It forms a larger part of the fish yield of the

Kaskaskia than any other species. Sette (1925) gives the catch of carp in

1922 in the Kaskaskia as 8,600 pounds valued at $955.

The mirror carp, which has a few greatly enlarged and irregularly

shaped scales as well as smaller scales around the bases of the fins, was

formerly very common in Illinois waters. In our work on the Kaskaskia

only one specimen of this variety was taken.

That the carp is common in the Kaskaskia from its mouth up as far

as Sullivan is indicated by our collections and by information from fisher-

men. We took 49 specimens in all, 34 of which were tagged and released

in an effort to gain more definite information about the growth and move-

ments of these fishes. The average weight and length of our specimens was

214 pounds and 1514 inches, respectively.

There are many moot questions concerning the food of the carp. Cole

(1904) concluded that a large proportion of the material in the alimentary

tract was of vegetable origin, and Tracy (1910) found the chief part of

the diet of carp to be made up normally of vegetable matter. Pearse (1918)

states that young carp feed at first on entomostracans and rotifers, and then



104 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

chiefly on insect larvae, but that adult carp are omnivorous, with vegeta-

tion forming a large part of their food. Forbes and Richardson (1909)

state that the adult carp are "omnivorous feeders, taking principally veg-

etable matter, but insect larvae, crustaceans and mollusks, and other small

aquatic animals as well." Smallwood and Struthers (1927) state that their

studies of the food of adult carp of Oneida Lake clearly indicate a prefer-

ence for animal food. Struthers (1928) examined the digestive tract of 42

adult carp from the barge canal and the Oswego canal, and his results

show that the food of these carp consisted of 31.4 per cent plant material

and 68.6 per cent animal matter. Struthers admits that carp show a se-

lective preference for certain plant food, such as corn and potoatoes, which

are much used for bait.

Since the carp is admittedly an omnivorous feeder, it seems probable

that its diet varies under different conditions. Where no water plants or

other vegetable materials are present the carp feeds almost exclusively upon

animal material; where much plant material and little animal material are

present the carp feeds upon the former ; and where both are present it

eats both. It is certain that in the main stream of the Kaskaskia carp depend

almost wholly upon animal food, as there is very little vegetation available.

It may be added that an examination of the stomach contents of more than

100 carp from Illinois waters has failed to show any fish eggs or fish of

any kind.

Carp usually lay their eggs in May and June, and less frequently

throughout the summer. These hatch in 4 to 12 days, depending primar-

ily upon the temperature of the water. The young carp grow very rapidly,

often reaching a length of 6 inches or more and the weight of 1/^ pound

during the first summer. In a slough at Vandalia on August 15, 1929, 16

young carp varying from 4.3 to 5.1 inches in length (measured from the

end of the snout to the base of the caudal fin) and weighing 2 to 3 ounces

were taken by seining. These undoubtedly were of that season's hatch and

indicate something of the rapidity of growth of young carp. At the end

of the first year carp usually weigh a pound and at the end of the second,

2 pounds.

In many places carp have been condemned because of the detrimental

effect they have upon game fishes, such as bass and crappie. Carp have been

accused of eating the spawn and young of more desirable fishes, but there

seems to be very little evidence to support this accusation. Since it appears

that carp feed to a considerable extent upon animal matter, they are com-

petitors of game fishes for food. On the other hand young carp probably

serve as an important item of food for the larger game fishes, particularly

black bass and wall-eyed pike. There seems to be some evidence, in other



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 105

Streams at least, that increase in the number of carp is accompanied by an

increase in the number of bass.

Another common objection to the carp is that, b\- their method of

feeding on the bottom and tearing up vegetation, they keep the water so

roiled that the sun is unable to penetrate the water and aquatic plants are

unable to grow. However, in a stream like the Kaskaskia, which is always

carrying a great amount of suspended matter, natural turbidity prevents

plant growth and the work of carp has negligible effect upon clearness

of the stream.

Though very little is known about the subject, carp are usually con-

sidered to be nomadic but not migratory fishes. They spend the colder

months in the deeper pools and ordinarily do not feed from October to

March. So far we have but two returns from the 34 tagged individuals

released in the Kaskaskia. One of these had traveled upstream I/2 ^^^^

when it was retaken 8 months and 22 days later, the other had traveled

downstream 20 miles and was taken 10 months and 6 days after its

release.

Blue Cat

Ictalurus furcatus (Cuvier & Valenciennes)

The blue cat or Fulton cat is the largest of the native catfishes, for it

may grow to exceed 150 pounds. It is the characteristic catfish of the

Mississippi River, and fishermen report that it is common in the Kaskaskia

as far upstream as Cowden, about 200 miles above the mouth. Our collec

tions, however, include only two small specimens 8 inches long, both taken

in unbaited hoop nets at New Athens.

At Chester on the Mississippi, blue cats are caught by seining,

by set lines and by "blocking," which is a perfected form of "jugging."

From 15 to 25 molasses pails, gallon jugs or wooden blocks are used as

floats and tied at intervals of about 10 feet along a stout line. To each

of these floats is tied a snell about 6 feet in length, with an 8/0 hook. The
large fresh-water shrimp, Palaeinon ohionis Smith, is the preferred bait,

although gizzard shad and other small fishes are often used. One end of

the cord carrying the floats is fastened to a boat, and the fisherman with

an occasional pull on the oars guides the line of blocks as it floats down-

stream. With this type of apparatus many large blue cats and mud cats

are caught, especially in the summer months.

Coker (1929), from observations by Stringham, reported that the

blue catfish breeds near Keokuk, Iowa, in June. In February and March,

1930, large numbers of blue cats 1 to 3 inches in length were taken in and



106 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

about the mouth of the Kaskaskia.

The blue cat is predominantly a fish-eating species, although the

successful use of large fresh-water shrimp for bait indicates that this

crustacean, which is present in the Mississippi in large numbers from

spring until autumn, may form a considerable part of the blue cat's food.

The blue cat is prized very highly as a food fish. Most anglers

place it sHghtly below the channel cat in flavor and firmness of flesh,

but it brings an equally high price. It may be separated from the channel

cat by its greater depth in the shoulder region, its light blue color instead

of slate tinged with bronze, and by the absence of dark spots which are

usually present in the channel cat.

Channel Cat

Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque)

The channel cat or fiddler is the most abundant and probably the

most important catfish of the Kaskaskia. Our collections included 131

specimens, of which 43 were young fry from 1 to 3 inches long, taken with

the minnow seine during August, 1929. That the fry were found from

Shelbyville to the mouth of the river indicates that this entire stretch of

stream may serve as a breeding ground. Coker (1929) reports observa-

tions which indicate that it spawns in June and July at Keokuk. Pond

culture experiments at Fairport were successful in that some fry were

produced, but the number of young was very small compared to the number

of breeding adults. Of the 88 adults taken in our collections 81 were

tagged and liberated, but we have not yet had any returns. These averaged

12 inches long and ^ pound in weight.

In some parts of the stream the channel cat is especially plentiful,

one fisherman near Shelbyville reporting catches up to 120 from set lines in

one night. Since this fish is a lover of swift water, the fishermen set their

lines preferably at the head of rapids. Crayfish, dead minnows, clam meats

and cheese are the usual baits. Forbes and Richardson's data, based on ex-

amination of 43 specimens from the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, indicate

that it is an omnivorous feeder, vegetable matter making up about

one-fourth of its food, and insects, mollusks and small fishes comprising the

remainder.

While it is reported to reach a weight of 25 pounds, the largest

channel cat taken in our smaller rivers like the Kaskaskia do not exceed 5

pounds. The flesh is white and firm and has a delightful flavor. It is the

most highly prized of the catfishes as food, and by many anglers it is given

first place among all fresh-water fishes.



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 107

Bullheads

Atneiurus imtalis (Le Sueur)

Ameiurus nebulosus (Le Sueur)

Ameiurus melas (Rafinesque)

The black bullhead, Ameiurus melas, is by far the most abundant

of the bullheads occurring in the Kaskaskia basin. The yellow bullhead,

A. natalisj and the speckled bullhead, A. nebulosus, occur rarely. Thus

366 specimens of A. melas were taken in our survey but only three speci-

mens of A. natalis and one of A. nebulosus. None of the bullheads is

abundant in the main stream during the summer months. Only four speci-

mens were taken during our work in August from Sullivan to the mouth

of the river, and these w^re taken at Vandalia just after a rise of several

feet following a shower.

Bullheads prefer sluggish and quiet waters, and this probably ac-

counts for their absence from the main stream of the river during the

summer. At this season they are in pools of creeks and in the lakes and

overflow ponds of the river bottom. A few overflow ponds were seined

and in each we found bullheads, usually adults and young.

In contrast to their scarcity in summer, bullheads were the fishes

taken most abundantly in hoop nets near the mouth of the Kaskaskia in

the early spring of 1930. This indication of a migratory habit among

them is borne out by our returns from bullheads that were tagged. We
have ten returns from the 281 black bullheads tagged in the spring of 1930,

all of which were originally taken near the mouth of the river (mostly

within 2 miles) and were evidently coming in from the Mississippi. Five

were retaken 1 day later at the same place at which they had been

tagged. One was retaken 2 miles upstream 2 days after it had been

released. Three were taken by a hook and line fisherman in a floodplain

lake about 15 miles upstream 18 days after they had been tagged. One was

retaken by another hook and line fisherman 28 miles upstream 63 days

after it had been tagged. While these returns are too meager to warrant

generalizations they do indicate that at this season bullheads are on the

move and that they may travel considerable distances.

Bullheads are very hardy and can live under conditions other fishes

cannot endure. They are omnivorous feeders. About one-fourth of their

food is vegetable matter and the remaining three-fourths is made up mostly

of aquatic insects, mollusks, crustaceans and other fishes. They spawn in

May, June and July. Upon hatching, the young gather in a school and

are guarded by the male.



108 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

Mud Cat; Goujon

Opladelus olivnris (Rafinesque)

Leptops olivaris (Rafinesque)

The mud cat or goujon is the second largest of our catfishes. Indi-

viduals weighing up to 60 pounds are reported by fishermen as not at all

uncommon. This fish probably ranks next to the channel cat in the com-

mercial catch of catfishes on this river. It is a good food fish, rated about

the same as bullheads but not quite as high as channel cat or blue cat.

The mud cat seems to be present in considerable numbers from Sulli-

van to the mouth. All of our 55 specimens were taken in hoop nets except

a single specimen, 4.5 inches long, taken in the minnow seine at Keyesport.

These averaged 15 inches long and 11,'2 pounds in weight. If the numbers

caught by our nets give a fair indication, mud cat is most abundant in the

central portion of the stream, from Sullivan to Carlyle. Absence of j-oung

from the minnow-seine collections indicates that the mud cat does not

breed extensively in this stream, unless it happens that the young are

normally found in situations which we did not sample.

This fish feeds almost entirely upon other fishes. One weighing about

a pound, taken in our hoop nets near Shelbyville, had in its mouth a

long-eared sunfish about 4 inches long.

While not as characteristic of rapid water as the channel cat, it

reaches its greatest abundance in the swifter Illinois streams. It moves

along the edge of banks and eddies in the current rather than in mid-

channel. During periods of low water some of the mud cats crawl into

hollow logs and holes in the bank, and fishermen often take them from

these holes with their hands or by hooking them through the jaw with

a short stout hook.

We tagged 37 of the mud cats which we caught in the Kaskaskia.

These varied from 7 to 26 inches in length and from .2 to 11 pounds in

weight. Up to the present we have no returns from these fishes, but

returns from other streams show rather extensive migrations.

Grass Pike.

Esox vermiculatus Le Sueur

The grass pike or little pickerel is the only representative of the

pike family found in the Kaskaskia. Sixteen specimens were taken in our

minnow-seine collections near the headwaters of the river. We have no

record of the presence of this fish below Champaign county, though

it probably occurs in tributaries entering farther down. It seems to be

entirely carnivorous, with fish forming the bulk of its diet. Since it is a



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 109

rather small fish, seldom growing to a length of 12 inches, it is not of

importance to the angler. It appears to be most abundant in quiet waters

with plenty of vegetation in which it can hide and from which it can

make dashes for its prey.

Wall-eyed Pike

Stizostedion vitreum (Mitchill)

Forbes and Richardson (1909) report the presence of wall-eyed pike,

or pike-perch, in the Kaskaskia about 1900, but none have been taken in

more recent collections. Fishermen along the middle reaches of the river

stated that it was rarely taken.

Sauger

Cynoperca canadensis (C. H. Smith)

Stizostedion canadense grisenm (DeKay)

Forbes and Richardson (1909) report the sauger as occurring in the

Kaskaskia in former years, but we failed to obtain it in our collections.

Large-mouth Black Bass

Huro salmoides (Lacepede)

Micropterus salmoides (Lacepede)

The large-mouth black bass was not found in the channel of the

Kaskaskia. It shows a preference for lakes, bayous and quiet waters, and

is common in the overflow ponds and floodplain lakes of the Kaskaskia

valley, since many of the brood fish in the Carlyle hatchery were obtained

there.

Its food consists mainly of fishes and crayfish, with a few mollusks and

insects. According to Evermann and Clark (1920) it feeds to some

extent all winter, being caught in considerable numbers through the

ice on Lake Maxinkuckec. It is a sportsman's fish and its propagation in

artificial ponds for liberation in public waters has reached a high degree

of development. Its flesh does not compare favorably with the best, such

as wall-eyed pike, bluegill and channel cat, but it is a fair food fish and

is highly esteemed by many. It reaches a maximum weight of 8 or 10

pounds in this latitude.

Small-mouth Black Bass

Micropterus dolomieu Lacepede

The small-mouth black bass is represented in our study by 15 young



110 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

specimens taken with the minnow seine in the vicinity of Shelbyville,

Cowden and Vandalia. While we failed to obtain adult individuals, fisher-

men report that during periods of clear water small-mouth bass are

caught in stretches of the river from Shelbyville to Sullivan and for

some distances above and below these points. This species shows a pref-

erence for clear swift water, in contrast to the large-mouth bass which

prefers quiet water. Its food consists for the most part of fish and crayfish,

with a few insects and mollusks.

This is a good food fish, slightly better than the large-mouth bass

but somewhat inferior to the best grades of fresh-water fishes. For gameness

it has a reputation even better than that of the large-mouth bass, and for

this reason it is a favorite of sportsmen. It reaches a length of 15 to 20

inches and a maximum weight of 6 pounds.

The small-mouth bass may be separated from the large-mouth by

the inferior size of its mouth and by the greater number of its scales.

The posterior end of the upper jaw usually does not extend beyond the

posterior border of the eye, while in the large-mouth bass it extends

beyond this point. The number of rows of scales on the cheek is about 17,

while in the large-mouth the number is only ten or 11.

Green Sunfish

Apomotis cyanellus (Rafinesque)

Lepomis cyanellus Rafinesque

The green sunfish is quite widely distributed in the Kaskaskia but

it is not very abundant in any one locality. Thus 33 specimens were taken

from 1 1 localities between Giblin near the headwaters and Nine Mile

Creek near the mouth of the river. This is an excellent pan fish when

large enough. It feeds mainly on insects, crustaceans and fishes.

Orange-spotted Sunfish

Allotis humilis (Girard)

Lepomis humilis (Girard)

This beautiful little fish is represented in our collections by 481

individuals, 464 of which came from one locality near Vandalia and the

rest from three other places. Thus it is likely to appear abundantly in

one situation and be entirely absent from the same sort of habitat a few

miles away. Seldom more than 31/^ inches long, it is too small to be valu-

able as a food fish, and it may be considered a "weed" since it consumes

food that may be useful to larger fishes.



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 11.1

Long-eared Sunfish

Xenotis megalotis (Rafinesque)

Lepomis ynegalotis (Rafinesque)

The long-eared sunfish occurs very abundantly in the clearer swifter

parts of the Kaskaskia in Douglas, Coles, Moultrie and Shelby counties.

We did not find it in the river below Shelbyville. Of the 164 specimens

taken 137 were adults, 23 of the largest of which were tagged before

being released. This species is especially abundant near Sullivan, where

we took 33 in one night in a 30-inch hoop net.

This species is a good pan fish but it is usually too small to be of

much use for food. Our largest individuals were slightly over 5 inches

long and weighed between 2 and 3 ounces.

Bluegill

Helioperca incisor (Cuvier & Valenciennes)

Lepomis pallidiis (Mitchill)

The bluegill was taken by us in but two localities. Three young indi-

viduals were taken with the minnow seine at Sullivan and one adult with

the hoop net near the mouth of the river. It is so rare in the Kaskaskia

that it is of very little importance.

Of all the sunfishes the bluegill is the largest and best from a food

standpoint. According to Forbes and Richardson (1909), it reaches a

length of 12 inches and a weight of 11/2 pounds. It has excellent table

qualities and in recent years has become a favorite with large numbers

of fly fishermen.

It prefers pond and lake waters but is common also in the larger

rivers. It is an omnivorous feeder, sometimes subsisting entirely on vege-

tation, sometimes on insects, mollusks and other available animal food.

Evermann and Clark (1920) state that it does not feed on other fishes,

but Forbes and Richardson (1909) found the body of one darter in the

stomach of a bluegill.

Warmouth Bass

Chaenobryttus gulosus (Cuvier & Valenciennes)

One specimen of the warmouth was taken while we were seining for

bait in a floodplain slough 3 miles below Carlyle. This species is most at

home in the turbid waters of muddy lakes and sloughs, in contrast to

the rock bass which prefers swift clear streams. It grows to a length of

10 inches and is a fair angler's fish, but its flesh often has a muddy flavor.



112 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN
j

Rock Bass

Jmbloplites rupestris (Rafinesque)
i

The rock bass is represented in our collections by 23 specimens taken

from four localities, of which 19 were adults taken at Sullivan and
;

Shelbyville. These adults averaged 71/4 inches long and weighed .4 of a j

pound (Fig. 10). Two young were taken at Vandalia and two at Venedy

Station. Seventeen adults were tagged and released.

This fish shows a preference for swifter parts of the stream where

the water is clear. It also occurs in clear, moderately deep lakes but is

not so abundant in shallow warm waters. Our data indicate that it is

limited to a rather restricted part of the Kaskaskia basin in Coles, Moultrie

and Shelby counties where the river is not yet large and where the current

is somewhat swifter than in the lower reaches.

The rock bass feeds mainly on insects, crustaceans and fishes. It is a

good pan fish and attains a length of 12 inches and a weight of 1^2 pounds,

though the average is about Yo pound. It usually spawns in May and

June. It will bite on almost any kind of animal substance, perhaps the

best baits being small minnows, white grubs, grasshoppers, hellgramites

and earthworms.

White Crappie

Pornoxis annularis Rafinesque

The white crappie is probably the most abundant game fish of the

Kaskaskia. We took 72 adults and 17 young from ten localities ranging

from Sullivan to the mouth of the river. All were caught in the main

channel. We found no young in the river above Vandalia. Forty of the

adults were tagged and released but no returns from them have been

received. The adults averaged 71/4 inches in length and weighed from

2 to 10 ounces.

Age determinations made on 61 white crappies taken at various

points on the Kaskaskia River and of sizes commonly taken on hook and

line were distributed as follows: one individual was in its second summer
of growth, 37 were in their third summer, 18 in their fourth summer and

five in their fifth summer. The lengths of crappies of different ages in the

Kaskaskia have been given in the Introduction to this report.

The white crappie, on account of its abundance and table qualities,

is one of the most important of the sunfishes. It is successfully propagated

in hatcheries and is one of the best of fishes for stocking artificial ponds,

especially those which fluctuate in level and tend to be "turbid. It has a

wide range of adaptability and occurs most abundantly in larger streams



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 113

and quiet waters such as lakes and ponds. Its food consists entirely of

animal material and is mostly insects, crustaceans and small fishes. It

takes the bait readily especially if small live minnows are used.

Black Crappie

Pomoxis sparoides (Lacepede)

The black crappie or calico bass is much less common in the Kaskaskia

than is the white crappie. Only ten specimens from six localities were

taken in our nets. These localities, however, were spread the length of

the river, from Sullivan to the mouth. Nine of these fishes were tagged

and released. Besides the difference in coloration this crappie may be

separated from the white crappie by its comparatively greater depth of

body and by the number of spines in its dorsal fin, which is usually seven

or eight instead of six as in the white crappie.

The general range of the black crappie extends farther northward

than that of the white crappie, but not as far south. In feeding habits

it is much like the white crappie, and for this reason is caught by the

same methods. Both white and black crappies usually spawn in May.

Sheepshead; Drum

Aplodinotus grunniens (Rafinesque)

The sheepshead, drum or white perch forms a considerable part of

the commercial catch of the fishery of the Kaskaskia. In 1922, according to

the United States Bureau of Fisheries (Sette, 1925), the catch of this

species was 5,200 pounds and was valued at $640. This was more than

one-sixth of the total commercial catch in that year.

Our five specimens were taken at three localities—Vandalia, Carlyle

and New Athens. Hook and line fishermen report that the sheepshead is

common as far up the river as Shelbyville.

The sheepshead is notable for its powerful pharyngeal jaws and

millstone-like teeth by means of which it is able to crush the shells of

many fresh-water moUusks. Because of its food relation to the mussels

it becomes heavily loaded with their glochidia, which, after a short period

of parasitic existence, drop to the river bed and develop into adult mussels.

Thus, in some measure, it pays for its food by nourishing the young of

the mussels and at the same time carrying them over wide areas and

finally dropping them where they may develop and in turn serve it as food.

This fish receives its common name, drum, from the peculiar drum-

ming sound it makes. This sound is believed to result from the rapid

contraction of two bands of muscles that set up vibrations in the wall

of the air bladder, u^hich thus acts as a resonator.



114 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

There are differences of opinion as to the quality of the flesh of

this fish for food. Large drums are said to be very inferior in quality,

becoming string}' and unpalatable with age, but the small drums have

a good flavor and a ready sale. The hook and line fishermen of the Kas-

kaskia consider the drum of that stream to be a fine pan fish. The flesh

is somewhat more oily than that of other Illinois game fishes. According to

Coker (1929), drums from the inland lakes of Minnesota and Wisconsin

are very inferior in quality and are of no value as food, while those of

Lake Keokuk, and Lake Pepin are usually considered good.

Little is definitely known concerning the breeding habits of this

fish. Fry '%,-inch to 2 inches long were taken in the Sangamon River, both

above and below the Decatur dam, between July 18 and July 30 in 1929.

Fry 1/2 to 11/9 inches long were seen on sand bars of the Mississippi along

the Chester water front August 1, 1930. The size of these fry would

indicate that in this latitude the breeding season is in June, perhaps

extending into July.

The drum grows to a large size, attaining a weight of 50 to 60

pounds. Such large individuals, however, are unusual and almost unknown

now, and most of those caught in the Kaskaskia weighed from 1/^ pound

to 3 pounds, with only occasional individuals weighing 10 pounds or

more.

It will take a wide variety of animal baits and will bite on spinners

and spoonhooks. It may be considered a game fish in the Kaskaskia.

SMALL FISHES

The Minnows

Native minnows of the Kaskaskia are small scaled fishes with a

single dorsal fin. A few kinds may occasionally reach an extreme length

of 8 or 10 inches, but we usually think of them as not exceeding a finger's

length. They are a staple in the diet of our large carnivorous game fishes

and are everywhere a favorite bait. Most kinds of minnows feed primarily

on insects and small crustaceans, with a few others feeding on plant

material, and still others feeding on organic detritus from the bottoms

of our ponds and streams. Of the 8,540 fishes of all kinds taken by

various methods in the course of this survey, 6,276 were minnows.

In the following list of species the number of collections in which

each kind occurred is given, as well as the total number of specimens of

each kind.



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 115

Notemigonus crysoleucas (Mitchill). [Abramis crysoleucas (Mitchill)].

—

Golden shiner. 13 colls. 120 spms.

This excellent bait minnow reaches a length of 6 to 8 inches. Most
of the specimens were taken in the headwaters of the Kaskaskia

with smaller numbers in the lower reaches of the main channel.

It is found most numerous where the water is quiet and about

aquatic vegetation or other cover. It spawns from May until

August. The golden shiner has come into prominence in recent

years as a forage fish in the propagation of bass, crappies and blue-

gills in ponds.

Opsopoeodus emiliae Hay.

—

Snub-nosed minnow. 2 colls. 3 spms.

Length, 2}/i inches.

Semoiilus airomaculatus (MitchiW).—Horned dace. 14 colls. 217 spms.

Common in the Kaskaskia basin. Most abundant in the smaller

tributaries. It grows to 6 or 8 inches in length and is a fine and

hardy bait fish. Ripe females and males were found in May, 1930,

and the eggs were readily stripped and fertilized by milt from the

males.

Notropis atherinoides Rafinesque.

—

River shiner. 6 colls. 285 spms.

This long slender minnow is found most abundantly in larger

rivers and lakes. In the Kaskaskia it occurs from Vandalia to the

mouth. It reaches a length of 2^/^ to 4^2 inches and is often used

as bait.

Lythrurus umbratilis cyanocephalus (Copeland). [Notropis umbratilis

atripes (Jordan)].

—

Blackfin minnow. 12 colls. 195 spms.

Common in the tributaries of the Kaskaskia and in the main

channel as far downstream as Shelbyville. Length, 3 inches.

Luxilus cornutus (Mitchill). [Notropis cornutus (Mitchill)].

—

Common
shiner. 17 colls. 516 spms.

Found in the creeks of the Kaskaskia basin, abundant in tributaries

in Champaign county. Length, 5 to 8 inches. It is our most im-

portant bait fish since it can be transported easily and is active

and lives well on the hook. It spawns in May and June, deposit-

ing its eggs in the nests of other nest-building fishes such as the

Kentucky chub and the horned dace.

Luxilus cornutus (Mitchill) X Nocomis biguttatus (Kirtland).

—

Hybrid.

2 colls. 7 spms.

Identified by Dr. Carl L. Hubbs. Formerly designated as Notropis

pilsbryi Fowler.



116 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

Luxilus cornutus (Mitchill) X Hybognathus nuchalis Agassiz.

—

Hybrid.

1 coll. 1 spm.

Identified by Dr. Carl L. Hubbs.

Cyprinella whipplii (Girard). [Notropis whipplii (Girard)].

—

Silverfin.

19 colls. 1041 spms.

Very abundant in the Kaskaskia from Parkville to the mouth.

This is characteristically a swift-water minnow and makes ex-

cellent bait. Length, 3 to 4 inches. Spawns in summer, May to

August.

Cyprinella lutrensis (Baird & Girard). [Notropis lutrensis (Baird &
Girard)].—Redfin.

Reported by Forbes and Richardson (1909) from the Kaskaskia.

Length, 2 to 3 inches.

Hybopsis hudsonius (De Witt Clinton). [Notropis hudsonius (DeWitt

Clinton)].

—

Spot-tailed minnow.

Reported by Hankinson (1913) from Crabapple Creek, in Coles

county. Length, 4 to 6 inches.

Hybopsis deliciosus (Girard). [Notropis blennius (Girard)].

—

Straw-

colored minnow. 16 colls. 248 spms.

Common throughout the Kaskaskia. Length, V/i inches.

Hybopsis blennius (Girard). [Notropis jejunus (Forbes)]. 1 coll. 50

spms.

Length, 2 to 23^ inches.

Hybopsis boops Gilbert. [Notropis illecebrosus (Girard)].

—

Big-eyed

minnow. 2 colls. 12 spms.

Taken near Sullivan. Length, 3 inches.

Platygobio gracilis (Richardson).

—

Flat-headed chub. 1 coll. 12

spms.

Found in lower reaches of the Kaskaskia. Length, 10 to 12 inches.

Nocomis biguttatus (Kirtland). [Hybopsis kentuckiensis (Rafinesque)].

Hornyhead; Kentucky chub. 13 colls. 446 spms.

Abundant in headwaters of the Kaskaskia in Champaign county.

Since the hornyhead grows to 8 or 10 inches in length fly fishermen

sometimes find good sport whipping for it on rifiles in clear creeks.

Spawning begins in late May and early June, and extends into

August.

Erinemus storerianus (Kirtland). [Hybopsis storerianus (Kirtland)].

—

Storer's chub. 5 colls. 71 spms.



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 117

One of the largest ot our native minnows found in larger rivers and
lakes. In the Kaskaskia it was found as far upstream as Cowden.
It grows to a length of 10 inches and spawns in June and July.

Erinemus hyalinus Cope. [Hybopsis amblops (Rafinesque)].

—

Big-eyed

chub. 6 colls. 45 spms.

Taken in the Kaskaskia at Sullivan and points further downstream.

Length, 2 to 3 inches.

Erimystax dissimilis (Kirtland). [Hybopsis dissimilis (Kirtland)].

—

Spotted shiner.

Reported from the Kaskaskia by Forbes and Richardson (1909).

Length, 3 inches.

Macrhybopsis gelidus (Girard). [Hybopsis gelidus (Girard)]. 1 coll.

1 spm.

Taken with beam trawl 2 miles above the mouth of the Kaskaskia.

Length, 3 inches. Jordan (1929) states that it is a species of large

river channels.

Extrarius hyostomus (Gilbert). [Hybopsis hyostomus (Gilbert)]. 1 colls.

39 spms.

All taken in a beam trawl at one locality IJ^ miles above the mouth

of the river. This species is very small, seldom reaching 1^^

inches in length.

Ericymba buccata (Cope).

—

Silver-mouthed minnow. 18 colls. 526

spms.

Taken in small numbers in the headwaters of the Kaskaskia and

in the lower reaches of the main channel usually over sand and

gravel bottom. It spawns in April and May. Length, 3 to 4 inches.

Phenacobius mirabilis (Girard).

—

Sucker-mouthed minnow. 8 colls.

81 spms.

A minnow which prefers creeks and small rivers where it is found

on the swiftest riffles. Length, ^Yi inches. It spawns in late May
and early June.

Hybognathus nuchalis Agassiz.

—

Silvery minnow. 22 colls. 785 spms.

A large pale minnow common in the Kaskaskia basin. It is so

soft and sensitive that it is unsuitable tor bait.

Ceratichthys vigilax Baird & Girard. [Cliola vigilax (Baird & Girard)].

—

Bullhead minnow. 13 colls. 428 spms.

Common in larger rivers, occurring between Sullivan and the mouth

in the main channel of the Kaskaskia. Length, 2 to 3 inches.

Breeding season in late May and early June.



118 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

Hyborhynchus notatus (Rafinesque). [Pimephales notatus (Rafinesque)].—Blunt-nosed minnow. 28 colls. 1069 spms.

The most widely distributed and abundant minnow of the Kas-

kaskia. Adults 2 to V/2 inches in length. A very common bait

minnow. It begins spawning in late May and early June, the

season extending into late summer.

Pimephales promelas Rafinesque.

—

Fathead minnow; black-head min-

now. 4 colls. 11 spms.

Found occasionally in the channel of the Kaskaskia. Length,

V/i inches. Spawning season extends throughout the summer.

This minnow is coming into use as a forage fish in the pond culture

of game fishes. It is also well adapted for laboratory use since a

few ripe eggs can be stripped from breeding females each day over

long periods and fertilized by milt stripped from males.

Campostoma anamolum (Rafinesque).

—

Stoneroller ; doughbelly. 2 colls.

24 spms.

An excellent bait minnow reaching a length of 6 inches. Breeds

from March until May. Breeding males covered with tubercles.

Common in creeks and small rivers with swift water and rocky or

gravelly bottom. Scarce in the Kaskaskia basin.

The Stonecats

These little catfishes present the same general appearance as their

larger relatives. They are unique, however, in that they are equipped

with poison glands and can inflict extremely painful wounds with their

spines.

Noturus flavus (Rafinesque).

—

Stonecat.

Reported from the Kaskaskia by Forbes and Richardson (1909).

Schilbeodes gyrinus (Mitchill).

—

Mad Tom; tadpole cat. 1 coll. 4

spms.

Taken at one locality near the mouth of the river. Forbes and

Richardson's data show that it formerly was common in this river.

Length, 3 to 5 inches.

Schilbeodes nocturnus (Jordan & Gilbert).

—

Freckled stonecat. 3 colls.

10 spms.

From Vandalia, Keyesport and Venedy Station in the middle

reaches of the river. Habitat characterized by very swift water

with rocky or sandy bottom. Length, not over 3 inches.



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 119

Rabida exilis (Nelson). [Schilbeodes exilis (Nelson)].

—

Slender stone-

cat. 1 coll. 1 spm.

Taken near Sullivan. Length, 3 to 4 inches.

Rabida yniurus (Jordan). [Schilbeodes miurus (Jordan)].

—

Brindled

stonecat.

Reported from the headwaters of the Kaskaskia by Forbes and

Richardson (1909). Length, V/i inches.

The Darters

The darters are small scaled fishes with two dorsal fins, and are

usually strikingly marked with bars and blotches. Breeding males are

very highly colored and exhibit brilliant greens, blues, reds and blacks.

They habitually rest on the bottom and move by crawling with their

fins, or by swift dashes. Most kinds are to be found hiding under and

among rocks and other cover on the riffles of brooks and creeks.

While they eat insects and other animal food almost exclusively

they are relatively insignificant in the economics of our waters, since

they are very small both in size and numbers.

Fercina caprodes (Rafinesque).

—

Log perch. 2 colls. 2 spms.

One taken near Bondville and another at Vandalia. Thirty or

more years ago Forbes and Richardson found it common in the

headwaters of the Kaskaskia. This is the largest of the darters,

occasionally exceeding 6 inches in length.

Alvordius phoxocephalus (Nelson). [Hadropterus phoxocephalus (Nel-

son)].

—

Sharp-nosed darter. 5 colls. 73 spms.

Common in the middle reaches of the Kaskaskia from Sullivan

to Carlyle. Length, 3 inches. Most numerous in swift waters of

larger creeks and small rivers with a sandy or rocky bottom.

Alvordius maculatus Girard. [Hadropterus aspro (Cope & Jordan)].

—

Black-sided darter. 7 colls. 11 spms.

From seven localities between Ivesdale and Vandalia. Length,

3 to 4 inches.

Ericosma evides (Jordan & Copeland). [Hadropterus evides (Jordan

& Copeland)]. 1 coll. 1 spm.

Collected near the mouth of the Kaskaskia. Length, 3 inches.

Imostoma shumardi (Girard). [Cottogaster shumardi (Girard)].

Reported by Forbes and Richardson (1909) from two localities

on the Kaskaskia.



120 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN
:

Boleosoma nigrum (Rafinesque)

—

Johnny darter. 21 colls. 136 spms.

:

Very widespread and abundant in the Kaskaskia basin, though

,

not found in the main course of the river below Vandalia. It shows
\

a preference for creeks and brooks. Length, 23^ inches. Breeding'

usually in May and June. i

Vaillantia camura (Forbes). [Boleosoma camurum (Forbes)].

—

Snub--

nosed darter. 7 colls. 83 spms.

Common in the channel of the Kaskaskia below Cowden. Length,

;

1^ inches.
'

Vigil pellucidus (Baird). [Ammocrypta pellucida (Baird)].

—

Sand darter,
i

9 colls. 47 spms.

Common in the main course of the river from Shelbyville to Venedy

;

Station. Has the habit of burying itself in sand with all but itSj

head covered. Length, 2]^ inches.
\

Oligocephalus coeruleus (Storer). \Etheostoma coeruleum Storer].—

;

Rainbow darter. 1 coll. 9 spms.
j

Taken only in Reilly Lake Creek which joins the Kaskaskia nearj

its mouth. Length, ly^ inches. The male of this species is very!

brilliantly colored in reds and blues. \

Oligocephalus jessiae (Jordan & Brayton). [Etheostoma jessiae (Jordan'

& Brayton)]. 2 colls. 2 spms.

One collected at Keyesport and another in Nine Mile Creek. Length,:

2 inches. ,

Catonotus flabellaris (Rafinesque). [Etheostoma flabellare Rafinesque.]—

I

Fantail darter.

Reported by Forbes and Richardson (1909) from the Kaskaskia]

near Cowden. Length, 23/^ inches.
\

j

Hololepis fusiformis {Girdivd). [Boleichthys fusi/ormis (Gimrd)]. 2 colls.'

14 spms.
!

Taken at two localities near the mouth of the river. Forbes and!

Richardson (1909) formerly reported it from several localities 'm\

the middle course of the Kaskaskia. Length, 2 to 2}^ inches.

Miscellaneous Small Fishes
|

i

Zygonectes notatus (Rafinesque). [Fundulus notatus (Rafinesque)].—

;

Top minnow. 1 1 colls. 58 spms.

Common throughout all parts of the Kaskaskia. Length, 2 to 3 i

inches. Probably spawns in June.
i



LUCE: SURVEY OF THE KASKASKIA RIVER FISHERY 121

Gambusia patruelis (Baird & Girard). [Gambusia affinis (Baird &
Girard)].

—

Viviparous top minnow, 5 colls. 60 spms.

Common in the Kaskaskia from Vandalia to Venedy Station.

Length, IJ^ to 2 inches. Males fewer than females. Eggs held

within body of female until young are well developed. Several

broods in a season.

Aphredoderus sayanus (Gilliams).

—

Pirate perch. 6 colls. 106 spms.

Abundant in the headwaters of the Kaskaskia in Champaign

county. Prefers streams with considerable aquatic'vegetation in

which to hide. Length, 4 inches. Anus at throat. Its food is

made up mainly of animal material, fishes forming a small propor-

tion, with insects making up the bulk. The breeding season is in

May.

Labidesthes sicculus Cope.

—

Brook silverside. 2 colls. 3 spms.

Two specimens were taken at Venedy Station and one 3 miles

south of Carlyle. Length, 3 inches.

LITERATURE CITED

BUSWELL, A. M.
1927 Pollution of streams in Illinois.

Illinois State Water Survey Bulletin, No. 24. .33 pp. 1 fig.,

21 pis.

CoKER, Robert E.

1929 Studies of common fishes of the Mississippi river at Keokuk.

Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Fisheries, Vol. XLV,
pp. 141-225. [Document No. 1072]. 30 figs.

Cole, Leon J.

1904 The German carp in the United States.

Report of the Bureau of Fisheries, pp. 523-641. 4 figs., 3 pis.

Evermann, Barton Warren
1899 Report on investigations by the United States fish commission

in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, in 1897.

Report of the Commissioner of the United States Commission

of Fish and Fisheries, for the year ending June 30, 1898,

pp. 285-310. pis. 8-36.

Evermann, Barton Warren, and H. Walton Clark

1920 Lake Maxinkuckee: a physical and biological survey.

Indiana State Department of Conservation, Vol. I. 660 pp. The

fishes, pp. 238-451.

Forbes, Stephen Alfred, and Robert Earl Richardson

1909 The fishes of Illinois.



122 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY BULLETIN

Literature Cited—Cont'd

Natural History Survey of Illinois, State Laboratory of

Natural History, cxxxi+ 357 pp. 76 figs., 55 pis. [2nd

ed. 1920, cxxxvi+ 357 pp. 76 figs., 69 pis.]

Greeley, J. R.

1926 Fishes of the Genesee region with annotated list.

A Biological Survey of the Genesee River System—Supple-

mental to Sixteenth Annual Report, 1926, State of New York
Conservation Department, Section IV, pp. 47-66. 9 pis.

1927 Fishes of the Oswego watershed.

A Biological Survey of the Oswego River System—Supple-

mental to Seventeenth Annual Report, 1927, State of New
York Conservation Department, Section IV, pp. 84-107.

12 pis.

1928 Fishes of the Erie-Niagara watershed.

A Biological Survey of the Erie-Niagara System—Supple-

mental to Eighteenth Annual Report, 1928, State of New
York Conservation Department, Section VI, pp. 150-179.

8 pis.

Hankinson, Thomas L.

1913 Distribution of fish in the streams about Charleston, Illinois.

Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science, Vol.

VI, p. 102. 1 fig.

1919 Notes on life-histories of Illinois fish.

Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science, Vol.

XII, p. 132. 6 figs.

Jordan, David Starr
1929 Manual of the Vertebrate Animals of the Northeastern United

States, Inclusive of Marine Species.

World Book Company, N. Y.

Jordan, David Starr, Barton Warren Evermann, and H. Walton Clark

1930 Check list of the fishes and fishlike vertebrates of North and
Middle America north of the northern boundary of Venezuela

and Colombia.

Report of the United States Commissioner of Fisheries for

the fiscal year 1928, Part II. 670 pp.

Pearse, a. S.

1918 The food of the shore fishes of certain Wisconsin lakes.

Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Fisheries, Vol. XXXV
(1915-1916), pp. 245-292.

Sette, Oscar E.

1925 Fisheries industries of the United States, 1923.

Report of the United States Commissioner of Fisheries for

the fiscal year 1924, Appendix IV. 219 pp. [Bureau of

Fisheries Document No. 976.]



luce: survey of the kaskaskia river fishery 123

Literature Cited—Concl'd

Smallwood, W. M., and P. H. Struthers

1927 Carp control studies in Oneida lake.
;

A Biological Survey of the Oswego River System—Supple- i

mental to Seventeenth Annual Report, 1927, State of New
I

York Conservation Department, Section III, pp. 67-83. 5 figs. i

Struthers, P. H.

1928 Carp control studies in the Erie canal. '.

A Biological Survey of the Erie-Niagara System—Supple- i

mental to Eighteenth Annual Report, 1928, State of New York
j

Conservation Department, Section X, pp. 208-219. 6 figs.
;

Thompson, David H., and Francis D. Hunt I

1930 The fishes of Champaign county: a study of the distribution and i

abundance of fishes in small streams.
j

Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin, Vol. XIX, Art.
j

I, pp. 1-101. 6 figs., 52 maps.
'

Tracy, H. C.
j

1910 Annotated list of fishes known to inhabit the waters of Rhode i

Island. ;!

Fortieth Annual Report of the Commissioners of Inland Fish- I

eries [made to the General Assembly of the State of Rhode
Island and Providence Plantations at its January Session,

;

1910]. pp. 35-176.
j