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NORTHERN FISHES 



Figure 52. Northern muddler, Cottus bmrdii bairdii, 3 inches long. 



about 12 soft rays. The pelvic fins each have 1 spine and 4 soft rays. 

 According to Hubbs and Lagler (1941) the pelvic spine is a slender 

 spHnt within the membrane of the first ray and must be dissected to be 

 observed. This species is usually small; it reaches a length of 3 to 7 

 inches. 



The northern muddler is found in the eastern United States from 

 southern Canada southward to the Ohio River and West Virginia, 

 and in the Atlantic drainage from Pennsylvania to Virginia. Other 

 subspecies occur south of this range. It is common in small streams 

 throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin. It prefers the riffles over gravel 

 bottoms. It is fairly common also in some of the northern lakes with 

 boulder-lined shores. This grotesque fish is rarely seen or caught, 

 partly because of its protective coloration, which matches closely that 

 of the bottom on which the fish always rests. Its habit of wriggling 

 under stones and pebbles further aids it in escaping minnow seines. 



The northern muddler commonly rests on the bottom on its enor- 

 mous, fanlike pectoral fins. It swims short distances with a darting 

 movement that resembles a hop. Although no extensive studies of its 

 food habits have been made in Minnesota, it is considered carnivorous. 

 It supposedly feeds on small fry and insects and is accused of gorging 

 on trout eggs, but since such eggs as may be eaten are probably loose 

 eggs that have no chance of hatching, the accusation that it is harm- 

 ful to trout is not supported by much tangible evidence. Surber (1920) 

 found no evidence of trout eggs in muddlers taken from trout spawning 

 beds, and his findings are supported by evidence obtained by Koster 

 (1937) in New York. The eggs are deposited in a cavity under a stone 

 in swift water and are guarded by the male. 



GREAT LAKES MUDDLER (Sculpin) 

 Cottus bairdii kumlieni (Hoy) 



This subspecies was reported in Wisconsin from Lake Superior and 

 Lake Michigan by Greene (1935). It is more slender than C. bairdii 



