744 



BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



Fundulus majalis Continued. 



Common nearly everywhere throughout the year, 

 on sandy shores and among weeds; extremely 

 abundant in certain localities. Vineyard Ha- 

 ven (Lagoon Pond) is perhaps the most satis- 

 factory local collecting ground. Commonly 

 obtained with the seine. 



Begins spawning in June ; fertile spawn obtain- 

 able throughout July and early August. Prof. 

 Whitman (Marine Biological Laboratory card 

 catalogue) states that the eggs are laid in sand 

 3 or 4 inches deep. 



Parasites: Nematodes (Linton) Heterakis sp. 

 Copepods (C. B. Wilson) Argulus funduli, 

 A. megalops, Caligus rufimaculatus . 



Fundulus heteroclitus (Linnaeus). Common killi- 

 fish, mummichog, common minnow. 



Baird, 1873 (Fundulus pisculentus and F. multi- 

 fasciatus); Verrill and Smith, 1873, p. 520 

 (Fundulus pisculentus); Jordan and Ever- 

 mann, 1896, p. 640; H. M. Smith, 1898, p. 92; 

 Bumpus, 18983, p. 59; Bumpus, iSgSb, p. 852; 

 Linton, 1901, p. 441; Sharp and Fowler, 1904, 

 p. 507; Kendall, 1908, p. 54. 



Occurs everywhere and at all seasons in shallow 

 weedy waters and on sandy shores, even where 

 the sea water is considerably diluted; fre- 

 quently taken in great abundance. 



Spawns throughout June and July; ripe spawn 

 has been taken as early as the middle of May 

 and as late as early August. Cross fertilization 

 has been artificially effected between this spe- 

 cies and F. majalis. 



Food: A variety of vegetable matter, eelgrass, 

 etc., enormous numbers of diatoms and Fora- 

 minifera; shrimps and other Crustacea. Lin- 

 ton. Large numbers of Melampus bidenta- 

 tus. Verrill and Smith. In order of fre- 

 quency: Diatoms (mostly P leurosigma) , small 

 Crustacea (amphipods), algae, prawns, Mol- 

 gula, Nereis, eelgrass, small fishes (sp. ?), 

 Haminea, lady crabs, Mya arenaria, Solenya 

 velum. I. A. Field. 



Parasites: Acanthocephala (Linton) Echino- 

 rhynchus acus, E. clavceceps. Nematodes (Lin- 

 ton) Ascaris sp. (immature), Heterakis sp. 

 Cestodes (Linton) Otobothrium crenacolle, lar- 

 vae (Scolcx polymorphus). Trematodes (Lin- 

 ton) Diplostomum sp. (cyst in liver), Disto- 

 mum tornatum, D. sp. Copepods (C. B. Wil- 

 son) Argulus funduli, A. megalops, Caligus 

 rufimaculatus, Lernaeniscus radiatus. 



Locally this fish has for many years served as one 

 of the most important objects of biological 

 study and experimentation. 



Fundulus diaphanus (Le Sueur). Killifish, fresh- 

 water minnow. 



Jordan and Evermann, 1896, p. 645; H. M. 

 Smith, 1898, p. 92; Kendall, 1908, p. 55. 



Waquoit Bay, Great Pond, Hadley Harbor, Eel 

 Pond (rare), Tashmoo Pond (very abundant), 

 Tisbury Pond (abundant). A brackish and 

 fresh-water species, seldom or never found in 

 undiluted sea water. Mr. Edwards records the 

 unexpected presence of this fish in the small 

 streams flowing down the clay bank at Gay 

 Head. 



Parasites (Linton): Acanthocephala Echino- 

 rhynchus acus . Nematodes Heterakis sp. Ces- 

 todes T&nia sp. 



Lucania parva (Baird &Girard). Rain-water fish. 



Jordan and Evermann, 1896, p. 665; H. M. 

 Smith, 1898, p. 92; Kendall, 1908, p. 56. 



Waquoit Bay, and brackish ponds between latter 

 and Woods Hole, Eel Pond, Quisset Harbor, 

 Tashmoo Pond (few in 1904), Vineyard Haven, 

 Katama, Tisbury Pond (many in 1906). A 

 resident fish, fairly common in suitable locali- 

 ties (weedy shores in brackish waters), but 

 seldom taken in any abundance. 



Cyprinodon -variegatus Lacepede. Short minnow, 



variegated minnow. 

 Storer, 1867, p. 280; Baird, 1873; Gurley, 1893, 



1894; Jordan and Evermann, 1896, p. 671; 



Bumpus, iSgSb, p. 852; H. M. Smith, 1898, p. 



92; Linton, 1901, Kendall, 1908, p. 56. 

 Salt and brackish water ponds near Falmouth, 



occasionally a few in Woods Hole Harbor; lo- 



cally abundant on shallow, weedy shores; a 



resident fish. 

 Spawns in June. Smith. Ripe eggs recorded 



July 13. Osburn. 

 Parasites: Myxobolus lintoni. Gurley. 



Family 



Tylosurus marimis (Walbaum). Silver gar, bill- 



fish. 



Storer, 1867, p. 137 (Belonetruncata); Baird, 1873 

 (Belone longirostris); Bean, 1884; Jordan and 

 Evermann, 1896, p. 714; H. M. Smith, 1898, 

 p. 93; Linton, 1901, p. 442; Kendall, 1908, p. 



56. " 



Shores of Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay, 

 common. Especially common at Quisset Har- 

 bor. Edwards. Present from May to Octo- 

 ber. Smith. Taken in traps and seines. 



Food: Fish and shrimps. Linton. 



Parasites: Acanthocephala (Linton) Echino- 

 rhynchus clavaeceps. Cestodes (Linton) larvae 



