FOOD 41 



fishes such as the green sunfish, cichlids, and bull- 

 heads. 



In many situations small fishes constitute the best 

 food for large fishes and especially the more carnivo- 

 rous forms such as the grass pike. One can use com- 

 mercially available bait minnows, v^ild minnows, or 

 young fishes of almost any species. The latter two 

 groups are obtained by seining, and, if properly han- 

 dled, can be held for extended periods of time and 

 utilized as needed. 



For harvesting small fishes use a. % or }i inch min- 

 now seine ten feet or more in length if permitted by 

 state conservation laws. The captured fish should be 

 penned in the net at the end of a seine haul and then, 

 by use of a hand net, dipped into a transport faciHty 

 (See Transport of Fishes). In hot weather, after the 

 fish are in the water, a small amount of ice can be 

 added to keep the temperature around 60° to 70° F. 

 When the fish arrive at the laboratory, they should be 

 acclimated to the temperature of the holding tanks 

 (see special section below on acchmation). Frogs, 

 tadpoles, and crayfishes are eaten by many fishes but 

 are not necessarily any more desirable than small 

 fishes. On a year-around basis fishes are more avail- 

 able. 



To produce forage fishes, a pond should be freed 

 of all fish and other competition by draining or poison- 

 ing and then stocked with adult golden shiners, fat- 

 head minnows {Pimephales promelas), or goldfish. 



