Biological Survey — Erie-Niagara Watershed 173 



adhered, individually, to the under side of a large, flat stone, and covered an 

 area 7 by 4I/2 inches. The total number, accurately estimated, was 11,812. 

 These were laid by more than one female, judging by the fact that some were 

 liatching when found, and others were far less advanced. The eggs were 

 guarded, when found, by a male fish approximately 3^4 inches long, whose 

 j)Osition was directly imder the stone. The water temperature was 82 

 degrees. It is interesting, in its bearing on the subject of the efficiency of 

 natural fertilization of fish eggs, to note that every one of these was fertile 

 with live embryo. 



60. Pimephales promelas promelas Rafinesque. — Fat-head minnow, black- 

 head minnow. (Plate 4.) Common. Much resembles the last species in 

 habits, but is less numerous. It reaches a high concentration of numbers in 

 several small ponds and reservoirs, but seems to be rare where there are 

 many other species in competition with it. A few were found at mouths of 

 several Lake Erie tributaries. It is knowni to continue spawning throughout 

 much of the summer, and young of several sizes were collected on the same 

 date, on a few occasions. A school of fry, each about M oi an inch was 

 taken July 5 at the reservoir on Silver creek. 



01. Campostoma anomalum Rafinesque. — Stone-roller minnow.2 Common. 

 This is a characteristic fish of shallow, warm creeks. It is not found at head 

 waters. In Lake Erie it is of stray occurrence. 



Ameiuridab Cat fishes 



62. Ictaliirus punctatus Rafinesque. — Spotted catfish, silver cat, channel cat. 

 Common in Lake Erie, and is found in the Niagara river and large streams. 

 It is an important commercial species in Lake Erie and is also sought by 

 anglers. This is the best of the catfishes as a food and game fish. The 

 greater number of those taken are caught in late spring when they are in 

 mouths of creeks to spawn. They are captured, commercially, by set line and 

 seine, and sport fishermen take them with hook and line and spear. Speci- 

 mens taken June 27 at Dunkirk contained ripe eggs. Young of this (possibly 

 of the next) species were found in sheltered bays and lagoons at creek mouths; 

 a specimen from Lake Erie near the mouth of Silver creek on August 23, was 

 \\% inches long. The next size obtained, 5-};! inches (same date), we think 

 is a yearling. This and similar ones are spotted like the adults; the smallest 

 size is not. 



63. ViUarius lacustris (Walbaum). Lake catfish, blue cat, lake lugger. 

 Uncommon. Occurs in Lake Erie, where it is less common than the spotted 

 cat hut averages larger. The means of capture are the same for both species. 

 The blue cat spawns in early summer; females shedding the last of their eggs 

 were seen July 8, having been speared near the mouth of Sister creek, at a 

 point where there are clay banks. Fishermen say that they spawn in such 

 places, guarding the eggs as does the common bullhead. Intensive fishing of 

 the catfishes, when they are in the creeks to spawn, cannot fail to result in 

 low production of young. 



04. Ameiuriis melns Rafinesque.* — Black bullhead. Rare. Several records 

 for Lake Erie are cited by Dymond. Fowlers reported it abundant and fre- 

 quently marketed at Erie, Pa. 



65. Ameiuriis nehulosus (Le Sueur). — Common bullhead, horned pout. 

 Common. A resident of the larger, more sluggish streams and the ponds and 

 lakes. In Lake Erie, the species is common only in sheltered areas. It is an 

 important anglers' fish in small lakes, as Java lake, and in large streams, as 

 lower Ellicott creek, but in Lake Erie it is not extensively fished in New 

 York waters. Some are marketed from Cattaraugus creek, being taken by 

 seine. Specimens in spawning condition were found at Dunkirk harbor, on 

 June 27. Youno; are usuallv in weed beds. 



1 Lord. R. F. Notes on the ITse of the Blackliead IMinnow as a Forage Fish. 

 Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 1927. 



' Illustrated in Genesee Survey Report, 1926. 



3 Fowler, H. W. A List of the Fishes of Pennsvlvania. Proc. Biol. Soc. 

 Washington, Vol. 32, 1919. 



