MINNOWS 



To some the word "minnow" refers to any small fishes. In reality the name 

 should be used in reference to the largest family of fresh-water fishes both in 

 number and in species, the Cyprinidae. The largest minnow in Maine is the fall- 

 fish, (Semotilus corf oralis). 



Despite the large numbers of genera and species most of the North Amer- 

 ican forms are built on the same essential pattern and thus are very hard to tell 

 apart even with a thorough knowledge of the technical keys. 



The minnows as a group occupy a great variety of habitats occurring in all 

 types of waters whether lakes, ponds or streams. Some of their habitats include 

 clear waters, silty or even bog waters, quiet pools or rapidly flowing riffles over 

 sand, mud or gravel bottoms. They vary greatly in their food habits with some 

 as insect eaters, some algae feeders and others are omnivorous. 



Spawning migrations are limited with no species moving more than a short 

 distance upstream or beyond the shoals of a lake. All are spring or summer 

 spawners. Their incubation periods usually take less than 1 8 days. The breed- 

 ing males are often conspicuous for the tubercles on the top of the head and on 

 the fins. These are used in "butting" other males or intruders and for holding 

 the female during the spawning act. During the spawning season the males fre- 

 quently develop breeding colors which are greatly reduced or absent during the 

 remainder of the year. Some of their spawning habits include making their 

 nests under boards, stones and other objects with the male guarding the nest. 

 Others build nests which take the shape of depressions in the gravel, or of ridges 

 or piles of gravel on the stream bed. Others may scatter the eggs without the 

 preparation of any nest. In some the males guard the nests and in others they 

 leave the eggs immediately after spawning. 



Young minnows are usually more slender than the adults and often pos- 

 sess a black lateral stripe and tail spot not possessed by adults. 



Since the minnows are small they are rarely used as food by man. Their 

 great importance in fisheries comes from their position in the food chain as one 

 of the most efficient agents in the transformation of insignificant aquatic food 

 into sizeable food for larger game fishes. As forage fish they serve in many 

 cases as a buffer saving the small game fishes. Numbers of game species are 

 largely conditioned upon the permanent stock of minnows. 



38 



