FUSIFORM DARTER 



Hololefis fusiformis (Girard) 



This small darter, collected in the coastwise streams of Maine, has a general 

 distribution extending from Maine to Texas. Although most darters prefer 

 clear, running water the fusiform darter is taken in sluggish, lowland streams 

 and mudholes among the vegetation. 



The common name darter has been given this group of fishes because of 

 their habit of darting swiftly when pursuing their prey or escaping from their 

 predators. Normally they rest on the bottom poised on their large pectoral fins 

 ready to dart away at the slightest disturbance. 



Spawning takes place in the spring with the eggs left unguarded on the 

 bottom. Young and adults feed on entomostraca. 



YELLOW PIKEPERCH 



Stizostedion vitreum vitreum (Mitchill) 



The yellow pikeperch or walleye pike is distributed from southern Canada 

 to southern Alabama and Georgia ranging along the Atlantic coast to North 

 Carolina. It is found in the Great Lakes region where it reaches its greatest 

 abundance in Lake Erie. In Maine Great Pond of the Belgrade Lakes provides 

 the greatest abundance of this species. 



The yellow pikeperch is the largest member of the perch family being on 

 record at over three feet in length and up to 1 5 or 18 pounds. Average fish taken 

 by angling or spearing runs from 1 to 4 pounds. 



Best habitat for this species is apparently where it has a wide range in lakes 

 several miles in length. It is a fish of clean, cold water lakes entering larger 

 rivers in the northern part of its distribution. During the summer months of 

 the year it seeks the cold water and is taken at great depths. During the spring 

 and fall they are found in shallower water and are taken by still fishing with 

 live bait, by spearing, and by trolling or casting. 



They may be found on their spawning grounds as the ice is leaving the lakes 

 with a range of water temperature from 38 F. to 50 F. Spawning takes place in 

 tributary streams in the riffles or on shallow gravelly reefs of the lake itself. 

 Ordinarily the males precede the females to the spawning grounds. The females 

 carry up to from 200,000 to 300,000 eggs. No nests are built so that the adhe- 

 sive eggs are left to themselves uncovered and unguarded. Since the tempera- 

 ture of the water is low the young hatch in from two to three weeks. 



Young walleyes are very voracious feeding readily on each other or other 

 small fish. The diet of the adults is almost exclusively other fish although they 

 will take crayfish and aquatic insects. 



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