fins are whitish to straw colored. In the spring the male is bluish 

 black on the head and on the first dorsal, anal and ventral fins. 

 The body is clouded with the same colors. The fins are shaped much 

 like those of the Yellow Perch. 



Breeding male 



Adult female 



Size. About 63 mm. long. 



Habitat. The open bottom of clear streams and lakes, including 

 the Great Lakes. It lives on the open bottom, avoiding both thick 

 weeds and stream riffles, the usual habitat of darters. 



Breeding Habits. The male clasps the female with pelvic fins 

 astride as she spawns. During the intervals when eggs are emitted 

 the female raises a cloud of sand by vigorously beating with her 

 tail. Possibly this sand covers them; if so, it gives them the only 

 parental protection they get. Probably early May is the common 

 spawning period in Michigan. 



Food. In nature, C/jiroiwiniis larvae and various small mayfly 

 larvae. It will learn to eat dried shrimp, but in the aquarium seems 

 to require occasional meals of living material. 



This very hardy little darter of our quiet waters is most inter- 

 esting in an aquarium. It makes up in curious behavior what it 

 lacks in bright colors. No school aquarium should fail to have a 

 few sometime during the year. 



[29] 



