OTSEGO BASS.
_Coregonus Otsego._--This fish must be carefully distinguished from the
Oswego Bass, there being no resemblance except in the stupidity of
confounding by name one of the perch family, to which the latter
belongs, with one of the salmon family, to which this belongs. The
Otsego Bass is closely allied to the white-fish, but has numerous dusky
longitudinal lines on the sides. Its mouth and scales are small, and it
appears to have no teeth except the bristles on the gill-arches. The
lateral line is nearly straight, and the tail is deeply forked. The back
is a rich blue, fading into green, the sides brilliant with mother of
pearl, and the belly gleaming like molten silver. The rays are as
follows:
Br. 9; D. 13; P. 17; V. 11; A. 11; C. 22.
The second back fin, as in all the salmon tribe, is adipose and rayless.
These fish have as yet only been found in Otsego Lake, where they are
rapidly diminishing in size and numbers. They are not known to take any
bait, and are presumed to feed on aquatic vegetation. Early in spring
they seek the shallow water for a few days, when they are taken in nets;
but shortly retiring to the deepest water, they remain till Autumn, when
they again seek the shores to spawn. They never exceed four pounds, and
rarely two, and though undesirable on table, are not a sportsman’s fish,
and have been described only that they may be distinguished from other
species.
The general opinion now is that the Otsego bass is the white-fish,
improved by purity of water. To test this, large numbers of the latter
have been deposited in Otsego Lake under the direction of certain public
spirited citizens.