FISHES OF COLORADO 1 7 



Size small, length rarely more than 12 inches, average adults 9 or 10 inches. 

 Spawning season, latter part of May and month of June. 



Range, New York west into Colorado, south into Texas, very abundant in 

 parts of Michigan and west of the Mississippi. 



This little catfish is common in the ponds and lakes of eastern Colorado, 

 occurring native in the Platte, Republican and Arkansas drainages. It has been 

 introduced successfully into ponds both at Grand Junction and at Montrose. The 

 species is of considerable economic importance, as it is marketed regularly. 



Colorado specimens. — University Museum: Arkansas River (160 mm.), E. R. Warren, 

 No. 307; Wray, Republican River, October 26, 1912 (19 specimens, 35-45 mm.), A. G. Vestal 

 and M. M. Ellis, No. 308; State Teachers' College Museum: Ponds near Greeley, A. E. Beardsley; 

 Colorado State Historical and Natural History Museum: Sloans Lake, Denver County, July 30 

 and August i, 1900 (2 specimens, 90 and 200 mm.), W. C. Ferril; Cooper's Lake, Denver, 

 August 5, 1900 (100 mm.), W. C. Ferril. 



Ameiurus nebulosus (LeSueur) 

 Common Bullhead, Horned Pout (Fig. 4) 



Pimelodus nebulosus LeSueur, Mem. Mus., Vol. V, p. 149, 1819 (Lake Ontario). 



Very much like the preceding one, A. melas, from which it differs in the num- 

 ber of anal rays, these being 22 or 23 with one or two additional rudimentary ones, 

 and in the more elongate form of the body, the depth being contained 4 to 5 times 

 in the length to the base of the caudal in the adult and more than 5 in the young. 

 This species also grows to a larger size than A. melas, reaching the length of 20 

 inches. 



Range, United States generally, east of the Rocky Mountains, introduced 

 into the rivers of California. 



Included in the Colorado fauna as an introduced fish. It is raised in several 

 of the reservoirs in eastern Colorado. The specimens seen were from ponds in 

 Denver County. 



Genus ICTALURUS Rafinesque 



The Channel Cats 



Ictalurus Rafinesque, Ichthyologia Ohiensis, p. 61, 1820. 



Adipose fin distinct, separate from the caudal fin; caudal fin deeply forked; 

 barbels eight ; supraoccipital process produced posteriorly, joining the second inter- 

 spinal buckler, forming a continuous bony bridge from the skull to the base of 

 the dorsal spine. The species of this genus, which are known only from North 

 American streams, include some of the largest of the North American catfishes. 

 Four species are known at present. 



