THE FRESHWATER FISHES OF GRAND MANAN ISLAND

Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada

Arthur A. MacKay
(© 1999, Art MacKay. All rights reserved. Illustrations may not be used without written permission.)

The following list of fish species found in the freshwaters of Grand Manan is
based on specimens collected by the author and information supplied by
knowledgeable residents. Although it is possible that some species have been
missed, this list is believed to have been complete at the time of the original field
work in 1962, 1963 and 1964. New information has been added, and will be
added, as it becomes available.

Grand Manan Island has nine species of fishes which have been recorded in its
freshwaters (r= record, pc= personal communications):

• brown trout (pc)

• brook trout (r)
• American eel (r)
• eastern banded killifish (r)
• mummichog (r)
• northern lake chub (r)
• smallmouth bass (r)
• ninespine stickleback (r)
• three-spined stickleback (r)

0f these nine species, the presence of all but two can be accounted for. The
American eel, brook trout, sticklebacks, and mummichog are euryhaline species
which undoubtedly reached Grand Manan via saltwater. The smallmouth bass
and brown trout (if it is still present) were both introduced by man. The eastern
banded killifish and northern lake chub are true freshwater fish for which there is
no record of introduction. These species are common forage species for
smallmouth bass and it is possible that they were imported as food for this
introduced species.
 ACCOUNTS OF SPECIES

(Identifications were based on Hubbs and Lagler, Fishes of the Great Lakes
Region, 1959 and Bigelow and Schroeder, Fishes of the Gulf of Maine, 1953)

Brown trout
Salmo trutta L.

Distribution: Presence is hypothetical. A resident of Grand Manan, Wayne

Guptill, informed the author that he placed approximately six nine to ten inch
Brown Trout in Long Pond during the summer of 1959. The fish were part of
wildlife display at the Hospital Fair held at Grand Harbour. There have been no
further reports of these fish.

Brook Trout
Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill)

Local names: trout, brook trout, squaretail

Distribution: Present in all drainage systems

General: While many ponds on Grand Manan have been stocked with brook
trout, this species has always been present and many of the older residents have
been fishing them since childhood. Batty (1874) recorded Brook Trout on Grand
Manan in 1874.
Since the arrival of the beaver sometime after World War II, almost all of the
streams have been dammed, dramatically increasing the amount of habitat. (J.K.
Ingersoll, per. comm. 1962) reported poor catches of trout in Miller's Pond where
smallmouth bass had been introduced.

Island trout average small, but an occasional large one is caught. A 3.5 pound
out was taken at Miller's Pond in the summer of 1962 (Ingersoll, per.comm.
1962).

Specimens examined: Bradbury Brook, 1.

American eel
Anguilla rostrata (LeSueur)

Local names: eel

Distribution: Believed to be present in all drainage systems following directly into

the ocean.

General: While no specimens were collected, Gesner reported that very large
eels were abundant in Eel Lake during his visit in the1839.

Specimens examined: None.

Eastern banded killifish

Fundulus diaphanus (LeSueur)

Local names: minnow, chub.

Distribution: Miller's Pond, possibly other ponds and streams

General: The only specimens of this species were obtained from Miller's Pond.
As previously discussed this species may have been introduced as food for
smallmouth bass.

Specimens examined: Miller's Pond, 2 adults, 1 fry.

 Mummichog or killifish
Fundulus heteroclitus (Linnaeus)

Local names: Minnow.

Distribution: Great (Big) Pond, Long Pond, Whale Cove Pond, probably Castalia
Marsh and the lower reaches of some streams.

General: The Mummichog is generally distributed in the coastal waters of New

Brunswick (Scott and Crossman, 1959) and is abundant, were found, on Grand
Manan. They were common at Great and Long Ponds, but the largest
concentration of these fishes was at Whale Cove Pond (brackish water) where,
as one approached the shore of the pond, the water would "boil" as fish tried to
escape.

Males collected at Long Pond on June 24, 1962 were in breeding colors and
females collected the following day at Whale Cove Pond were filled with spawn.

Specimens examined: Long Pond, 6 males; Whale Cove Pond, 5 females and 6
fry.

Northern lake chub

Coesius plumbeus (Linnaeus)

Local names: Minnow.

Distribution: Miller's Pond

General: Probably introduced as forage fish for bass.

Specimens examined: Specimen lost.

 Smallmouth bass
Micropterus dolomieui Lacépède

Local names: bass.

Distribution: Miller's Pond, Eel Lake.

General: This species ws first introduced to Miller's Pond on an undetermined

date. Additional introductions were made into Eel Lake in the summer of 1962 in
an effort to rid this body of water of sticklebacks which were believed to have
reduced the brook trout population (Ingersoll, Sept. 13, 1962).

Specimens examined: Miller's Pond, 1.

Ninespine stickleback
Pungitius pungitius (Linnaeus)

Local names: Minnow, stickleback.

Distribution: Long Pond, Great (Big) Pond, Eel Lake, probably other lakes and
streams.

General: A single specimen from Long Pond was collected.

Specimens examined: Long Pond, 1.

 Threespine stickleback
Gasterosteus aculeatus Linnaeus

Local names: Minnow, stickleback.

Distribution: Common in salt ponds.

General: Observed but not collected.

Specimens examined: None.

DISTRIBUTION RECORDS FOR FRESHWATER FISH 0F GRAND MANAN

1. Eel Lake - brook trout, ninespine stickleback, smallmouth bass
2. Little Lake - brook trout
3. Eel Brook - brook trout
4. Money Cove Brook - brook trout
5. Stanley Brook - brook trout
6. Wilson Pond - brook trout
7. Dark Harbour Brook - brook trout
8. David Watt Pond - brook trout
9. Ohio Pond - brook trout
10. Dock Brook - brook trout
11. Mill Brook - brook trout
12. Bleumortier Brook - brook trout
13. Round Pond - brook trout
14. West Long Pond - brook trout
15. Seal Cove Brook - brook trout
16. Bradbury Brook - brook trout
17. Grand Brook - brook trout
18. Miller's Pond - brook trout , smallnouth bass, banded killifish.
19. East Brook - brook trout
20. Great (Big) pond - Mummichog, brook trout
21. Long Pond - brook trout, 9-spine Stickleback, brown trout (Wayne Guptill )
22. Dwelly's Pond - brook trout , {Landlocked salmon were stocked but never
developed)
23. Deep Cove Brook - brook trout
24. Bradford Cove Pond- brook trout
25. Whale Cove Pond - Mummichog