190 



FISHES OF ILLINOIS 



Smith and Harron (Bull. U. S. Fish Comm., 1902, p. 150) the 

 eggs hatched in 5 days, during which time both parents con- 

 stantly watched them, fanning them with their fins. At times 

 the male will take masses of eggs into his mouth, possibly to 

 clean them, as they are ordinarily soon ejected. The young are 

 watched by the male and are sometimes mouthed as are the eggs. 

 This species is of fair food quality, being perhaps somewhat infe- 

 rior to the yellow bullhead. It was successfully introduced about 

 twenty years ago into Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Eng- 

 land, and, in the continental countries especially, its flesh is much 

 esteemed. It has multiplied very rapidly since its introduction into 

 California, being in fact one of the readiest of fresh-water species to 

 undergo acclimatization. Separate statistics of the Illinois product 

 of this catfish are not available, though it may probably safely be 

 said that it forms by far the major part of the total bullhead catch, 

 which was 499,100 tb for the Illinois River in 1899. 



AMEIURUS MELAS (Rafinesque) 

 (black bullhead) 



Rafinesque, 1820, Q. J. Sci. Lit. Arts, Lond., 51 (Silurus). 



J. & G., 104 and 881 (Silurus xanthocephalus and A. brachyacanthus) ; M. V., 41; J. 



& E., I, 141; N., 50 (confinis, puUus); J., 67; F., S3 (Ictalurus nebulosus, part); 



L., 10. 



Body typically robust, shorter and deeper than in the preceding 

 species, but sometimes quite elongate, the depth 3.1 to 3 . 5 in length of 



body in adults ; profile slightly convex 

 and hardlv so long as in nebulosus; 

 top of head and occipital region cov- 

 ered with thick and rather loose skin ; 

 shoulders rather prominent on each 

 side of a median groove in well-nour- 

 ished adults; skin noticeably thicker 

 and tougher than in the last species, 

 that of belly consisting of a thick and 

 coarsely cellular epidermal layer over 

 a thin layer of pigmentless connective 

 tissue. Size rather small, not often 

 over 12 inches in length. Color as a 

 rule very dark brown or green to black 

 above, the sides with more or less 

 luster of green or gold ; under parts 

 of head and body greenish, plum- 

 beous, or yellowish as far back as anal fin, never satiny white; fin mem- 

 branes dusky to black, the rays usually much lighter, the contrast in color 



Fig. 53 



Caudal, anal, and pectoral fins of Amci 

 urns melas. 



