JULY, 1907. FISHES OF GREAT LAKES, NICARAGUA MEEK. 99 



The Roballo and the large Mojarras are excellent food fishes. The 

 smaller species, except the Melaniris sardina, known as Sardina, are 

 not seen in the markets; this species is taken during the breeding 

 season in large numbers. They are eaten fresh at this time, and 

 many are dried and marketed in this way. 



One of the peculiar Ichthic features of the lake is the red, or par- 

 tially red, Cichlids or Mojarras. They are very abundant in the 

 large lakes, and are reported to occur in some of the smaller ones. 

 In Lake Tiscapa there are no red forms, nor any red on any of the 

 fishes taken there. Red forms occur in Lakes Asososco, Masaya, and 

 Apoyo. I did not find any red fishes in Lagoon Jenicero, and the 

 fishermen there informed me that none were found in it. The cause 

 of this rubrism * is not known . I have never seen it among fishes 

 in any other body of water. Judging from the drawings of species 

 from Lake Peten, Guatemala, it appears to be present in some of 

 the Cichlids there. About 8 per cent of the fishes noticed in the 

 markets of Managua were red, or partially so, and were sold as 

 Mojarras Colorados. These red forms appeared to be the best sellers, 

 but for this I could learn no reason. The dark color on the fishes 

 only partially red was darker than on the fishes with normal colora- 

 tion. There was a slight tinge of red on the breast of many specimens 

 of apparently normal color. Rubrism was entirely absent in all 

 the fishes taken from Lake Tiscapa and Lagoon Jenicero. The pres- 

 ence of salt-water fishes in Lake Nicaragua is interesting. These, 

 no doubt, became stranded there at a time when the lake was more 

 intimately connected with the sea than it is now. It is hardly prob- 

 able that they have come up over the falls at the head of the Rio 

 San Juan in late years, for they have not entered Lake Managua, 

 and the falls between the lakes are not so difficult to pass, as those 

 in the Rio San Juan. All of these salt-water genera represented in 

 Lake Managua have representatives in brackish and fresh water, and 

 are found in company with species of Cichlids. So few fishes are 

 known from the eastern streams of Central America between the Rio 

 Montagua in Guatemala and Panama, that it is impossible to discuss 

 the relationship of the fish fauna of the lakes and that of the neigh- 

 boring rivers with much degree of certainty. 



I wish to acknowledge my indebtedness to Senor Don Dioclesiano 

 Chaves, taxidermist of the National Museum in Managua, and his 

 two assistants, also to Sr. Latino, student of the College in Managua, 

 for assistance in making the collections in Lakes Tiscapa and Managua. 



* Rubrism is known to occur in Cichlasoma citrinellum, Cichlasoma erythr&um 

 and Cichlasoma labiatum. 



