DeRyke and Scott ,°>9 



Etheostoma ca<pn~odes Raf. (Log Perch) — 'fable IV 



Etheostoma caprodes is apparently one of the most regular feeders of 

 all the species examined. There seems to be little or no change in the food 

 used as the fish increases in size. The chief foods used are small Crustacea, 

 principally amphipods and cladocera, Chironomus larvae, tricoptera larvae, 

 ephimerida larvae and small snails. 



Forbes ('88), after investigating foods of Etheostoma and Phenacobius 

 found Chironomus larvae, Corethra larvae and allied genera of remarkable 

 importance, making, in fact, nearly one-tenth of the food of all fishes studied 

 and most abundant in these species. While I can not say as to the exact per- 

 centage of Chironomus it is true that this is one of the chief foods of 

 Etheostoma caprodes. 



Labidesthes siccvlus Cope (Skipjack) — Table V 



Twenty-two Labidesthes siccrlus (skipjack) were examined during the 

 three summers. Of these, six wore found to contain nothing, while the other 

 sixteen contained chiefly insects and insect fragments. The majority of 

 these were taken in shallow water and usually in places free from heavy 

 vegetation. They seem to feed near the top of the water, jumping up to 

 get any winged insect which comes near the surface. This statement is borne 

 out by the fact that one specimen had taken a wasp, three had taken aphids 

 and eight had taken insects unidentified. Forbes ('83), referring to the 

 food of twenty-five specimens dissected, says: "Spiders and terrestrial in- 

 sects, accidentally washed or fallen into the water (the latter including 

 chalcididae, various diptera, plant lice, lettigonidae, thrips and Podura) 

 amounted to twelve per cent of the food." 



Eupomotis gibbosus L. (Sunfish) — Table VI 



Examination of the fourteen specimens of Eupomotis gobbosus showed 

 the principal food to consist of snails, Chironomus larvae and insects. Of 

 the fourteen examined, one was found empty while nine of the remaining 

 thirteen had eaten snails, seven had eaten Chironomus larvae and five con- 

 tained insect fragments. The amount of snails eaten greatly exceeds any 

 other food taken. 



The food of this particular fish in Winona Lake seems to differ con- 

 siderably from the food ascertained for the same species in Walnut Lake, 

 Michigan, by Hankinson ('07). Hankinson found the chief food to be may- 

 fly larvae, but also found cray-fishes, amphipods, snails, leeches, midge larvae 

 in small quantities and caddis-worms. 



The type of food taken by this fish indicates the habitat in which it was 

 taken, comparatively deep water, among the Potamogeton, eel grass and 

 Myriophyllum. Since this fish seems to depend for food principally upon 

 snails, it may be that this fact limits its numbers in the lake. There seems 

 to be very few Eupomotis gibbosus compared with perch, bluegills and bass. 



Catostomus nigricans Le Sueur (Hog-molly) — Table VII 



Catostomus nigricans (hog-molly) is usually found on mud bottom. The 

 downturned mouth and the fact that the fish usually lies near the bottom 

 would indicate the food to be found on or near the bottom. This fact is borne 

 out in the data collected from eleven specimens. Two of these were empty, 



