LIFE HISTORY 



Figure 29. — Daphnia, a pond organism 

 used by bait fish as food ; greatly mag- 

 nified. (Photograph courtesy of the 

 Minnesota Department of Conserva- 

 tion.) 



SpaAvning requirements, like 

 feeding habits, differ for different 

 species. Some bait fish require 

 flowing waters; others do not. 

 Some lay their eggs on vegetation; 

 some lay their eggs on open gravel 

 shoals or under debris. Some have 



Figure 30. — Cyclops, another minute 

 crustacean used by bait fish ; greatly 

 magnified. (Photograph courtesy of 

 the Minnesota Department of Con- 

 servation.) 



extended spawning seasons and oth- 

 ers have short ones. Adequate fa- 

 cilities for spawning are a neces- 

 sity in good pond management. 



To comply with natural habitat 

 requirements is important. Those 

 normally living in bog streams or 

 swift currents might not readily 

 adapt to life in ponds or holding 







Figure 31. — The rotifler, Karatella; 

 greatly magnified. (Photograph cour- 

 tesy of the Minnesota Department of 

 Conservation.) 



tanks. In general, however, most 

 stream or lake minnows can be 

 reared in ponds, and with proper 

 food may grow faster than in their 

 natural environment. 



There are many species of bait 

 fishes, but the following pages in- 

 clude some of the more important 

 species. The culture of several 

 "minnow" species that are of wide 



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