THE GROWTH OF THE WHITEFISH COREGONUS CLUPEAFORMIS (MITCHILL)

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Abstract
Rates of growth for whitefish from four localities in lake Ontario, from lake Nipigon and from Shakespeare Island lake have been studied by the scale method. Fish from the two northern lakes grow less rapidly than those from lake Ontario localities. The considerable variation among the latter can be explained in part by the selectivity of nets and overcrowding near much frequented spawning grounds. The weight is proportional to a power of the length, the power being in the neighbourhood of 3.4. A study of proportionate measurements shows that male fish have longer fins than females and that there is considerable change in the form of a fish with growth. This is related to the excess over the cube relationship between weight and length. Large fish have smaller heads and eyes and greater depth and interorbital width. It is suggested that races or types of fish may be produced by the character of the habitat in which they live. There is no change with growth in the proportion of total weight to weight of viscera.

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