FOOD OF BULLHEADS 



By LouELLA E. Cable 

 Laboratory Aid, U. S. Bureau of Fisheries 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction 27 



Historical 28 



Economic value 28 



Location of lakes 30 



Methods and materials 32 



Description of foods 33 



Alternative foods 38 



Pago 



Food habits 39 



Relation to size 39 



Depth of water 39 



Influence of environment 40 



Influence of season 40 



Summary 41 



Bibliography 41 



INTRODUCTION 



Three species of bullheads are found m most of the small streams 

 and lakes of the Mississippi River Valley. These are, according to 

 the classification of Forbes and Richardson (1920), Ameiurus natalis, 

 the yellow bullhead; A. nehulosus, the brown or spotted bullhead; 

 and A. melas, the black bullhead. While not ranked as a game 

 fish by sportsmen, the bullhead affords good fishing for a great num- 

 ber of people throughout this region and in actual monetary value is 

 of great economic importance. 



The two last-named species are those most commonly found in 

 the lakes of eastern South Dakota, and of these, A. melas was found 

 in much greater abundance than A. nehvlosus. The department of 

 game and fish of the State of South Dakota recognizes that the 

 bullhead has the greatest value in dollars and cents of any fish in 

 the State and has stocked certain of its waters with them. 



In spite of the fact that bullheads are of such economic importance 

 that lakes are being stocked with them, little is known of their food. 

 It is the purpose of this paper, therefore, to contribute something to 

 a field that hitherto has been given but scant attention. 



Work on this subject was begun in the fall of 1926 and continued 

 through the winter. Through the courtesy of the University of 

 South Dakota all investigations were made in the zoology laboratory 

 of that institution. 



I gratefully acknowledge my indebtedness to Dr. E. P. Churchill, 

 of the department of zoology of the University of South Dakota, 

 for many valuable suggestions and especially for the material that 

 he collected during the summer of 1926 and placed at my disposal. 

 I wish to express my appreciation to Dr. Howard C. Abbott, of the 

 department of botany of the University of South Dakota, and to 



1 Appendix II to the Report of the U. S. Commissioner of Fisheries for 1928. B. F. Document No. 1037 \ 



27 



