BLACK BASS CULTURE 185 



Another desirable feature in a forage fish is a late and protracted 

 spawning season. If a fish spawns earlier than bass or other game 

 fishes, the young are frequently too large to be devoured by the 

 fingerlings, at least until late in the season. The ideal fish in this 

 respect is one which does not spawn until after the game fishes, and 

 which produces a number of broods through the season. There will 

 then be a supply of young fish throughout the summer of the proper 

 size to be readily eaten by the growing fingerlings. Furthermore, 

 a good forage fish should be hardy, prolific, and readily adaptable 

 to pond conditions. It should also have a wide geographical range, 

 since such species are usually more tolerant of varied conditions than 

 those wdiich have a limited distribution. 



Barney and Anson (1922) have advocated the use of the orange- 

 spotted sunfish, Lepomis kimiilis^ as a forage fish in bass ponds. 

 While this species undoubtedly possesses desirable features for a 

 forage fish, its feeding habits are such as to make it of questionable 

 value for this purpose. According to Barney and Anson this sun- 

 fish feeds principally upon small Crustacea and insects and practically 

 never eats any vegetable food. Furthermore, it may on occasion 

 prey on small fish w^hich, of course, is a very objectionable feature 

 since there is danger that it might attack the young bass. 



The common goldfish has also been used to some extent as a forage 

 fish but in our experiments has not produced satisfactory results. 

 When forage fish are to be propagated in separate ponds and then 

 fed to large fingerlings or to brood fish the goldfish should prove 

 \evy satisfactory. It is more easily handled than most minnows, 

 is very productive, and is an omnivorous feeder, all of which are 

 desirable features in a fish that is to be used in this way. But as 

 a forage fish for stocking spawning and rearing ponds the goldfish 

 is not recommended. We have not determined definitely the reasons 

 for the poor results with this species under such conditions, but the 

 production of bass in ponds stocked with goldfish has not been equal 

 to that obtained with other forage fish. The early spawning season 

 is an objectionable feature and it is also possible that goldfish may 

 eat bass eggs and fry but we have no conclusive evidence that this 

 is the case. 



In our experimental work we have relied chiefly on the blackhead 

 or fathead minnow, Pimephcdes provielas^ and the golden shiner or 

 roach, Notemigonus crysoleucas^ for forage fish with uniformly good 

 results. The selection of these two species for use in our pond ex- 

 periments was largely owing to the fact that they happen to be the 

 only two minnows possessing the required characteristics which are 

 locally abundant. 



The blackhead minnow is a small species with a wide geographical 

 distribution, but is abundant only in certain localities. It is very 

 adaptable to pond culture and will thrive in almost any type of pond 

 if given a fair chance. It is a bottom feeder and is usually con- 

 sidered as belonging to the mud-eating group of minnows. Accord- 

 ing to Coyle (1930), the blackhead feeds largely on algae, the animal 

 food being proportionately less abundant than that derived from 

 plants. It apparently feeds quite indiscriminately on a large num- 

 ber of algae, and the writer concludes that "The algal species found 

 in the aliioentary canal of the fathead depend upon the habitat in 



