174 Conservation Department 



66. Ameiurus nutalis (Le Sueur) .—Rare. Taken only in Muddy and Little 

 Sister creeks, and in Lake Erie at Dunkirk bay. The species has little 

 economic value in the region, due to scarcity. It averages smaller than the 

 common bullhead. Young from Little Sister creek, July 18, averaged l^e 

 inches in length, being appreciably smaller than young of nehidosus found 



with them. , <• x , t^ • 



67. Leptops olivaris Rafinesque.*— Mud cat. The only record for Lake Lrie 

 is that quoted by Osburn.i Hubbs remarks that probably only stragglers of 

 the species have entered the lake through canals. No specimens are on record. 



68. Xoturus Jiavus Rafinesque. — ^Stonecat, mongrel bullhead, deep-water 

 bullhead. (Plate o ) . Common in Lake Erie; occurs, also, in many of the 

 larger tributaries. In streams, it is found among stones, usually in the riffles. 

 In the lake it is most common along rocky shores, and ranges out into water 

 of 30 feet or more in depth. Many are taken in gill nets set for perch and 

 pike, and they are considered a great nuisance by fishermen. Stonecats from 

 the lakes are large, often a foot long, and the flesh is excellent. They are not 

 marketed, however, as there is no demand for them, and they are trouble- 

 some to dress on account of their i)oisonous- spines. This species feeds upon 

 minnows and crayfish and competes with black bass for food; it is suspected, 

 also, of feeding on spawn of other species. Two egg masses of the stonecat 

 were found in lower Sister creek, on July 1.3, under flat stones. One of these 

 was guarded by two of the fish, probably the parents. In the other case, the 

 male only was located under the stone.' The eggs were yellow, opaque and 

 were cemented together by a jellylike substance to form a rounded mass, 

 about 2 inches in diameter and one inch thick. The eggs measured from S^j 

 to 4 millimeters in diameter, and numbered approximately 500. The water 

 temperature was 82 degrees. 



69. S'chilbeodes (jifrinus (Mitchill). — Tadpole stonecat. Rare. This dim- 

 inutive catfish inhabits weed beds. Our specimens came from the Barge 

 canal and tributaries. Records fiom Lake Erie are given by Dymond. 



70. Schilheodes minnis (Jordan).* — -Brindled stonecat. Rare. Recorded 

 from Sandusky bay by Osburn.^ 



L^MBRIDAE Mud ^f in nous 



71. Umbra limi (Kirtland). — Mud minnow. Common. A fish of sluggish. 

 weedy streams and ponds. Inhabits many streams of the northeastern area 

 of the watershed. In Lake Erie it is rare, being confined to weed beds. 



EvsociDAE Pickerels 



72. Eso.r americanus (Jmelin. — Grass pickerel, little pickerel. Common in 

 several sluggish creeks, and in the Niagara river. In Lake Erie it seems 

 limited to stream mouths. It has a preference for weedy places. This species 

 is like others of the family in habits, but is smaller than others, adults 

 seldom exceeding a foot in length. For this reason it is unimportant as a 

 game fish. 



73. Eaox niper Le Sueur. — Cliaiu j>ickerel, eastern ])ickerel. Rare. This 

 fish is found in Lime lake, where it is an important anglers' fish. It was 

 probably artificially introduced there. This reaches a larger size than the 

 preceding ])ickci"cl. This sj)ecies is listed by Fowler as introduced in Lake 

 Erie. 



74. Enox Juvius LinnacMis. — I'ickcrel, noitbcrn ]»ikc. Common in large, 

 weedy streams. It is an important angler's fish in the waters of the eastern 



'Osburn, R. C. The Fishes of Ohio. Ohio State Acad, of Science, Special 

 PafKMs No. 4, 1901. 



^Reed, H. D. The Morpludogy of the IVrmal Olands in Nematognathus 

 Fislies. Zeitschrift fur Morjdiologie und Anthropologic. Bd. XXIV 1024. 



