442 PARENTAL CARE AMONG FRESH- WATER FISHES. 



ICTALURINES OR NORTH AMERICAN CATFISHES. 



All the North American catfishes are supposed to take care of their 

 eggs and young, but the belief may possibly not be realized, for 

 observation has confirmed the supposition only for two genera and 

 three species. The species observed are the common catfish of the 

 Middle States (Aniehirus catus or alhidus), the common Bullhead 

 or small catfish of the North {Ameiurus ne/ndosus) , and the channel 

 or blue catfish {Ictalurus punctatus). In view of the difference in 

 breeding habits between such closely related species as the wels of 

 central Europe and the Glanis of Greece, it is quite possible that 

 analogous differences may exist among the American catfishes. 



The three American species whose habits are known are much alike 

 in such respects. The normal mature fishes, some time after they 

 have awakened from their winter rest and become invigorated, and 

 when their sexual products have become fully developed, seek mates 

 and pair. The time naturally varies with the temperature and con- 



/ 



Fig. 28. — Channel eat (Ictuliinis puiictdtus), typical of Ictalurines. 



sequently the latitude, but in the neighborhood of Washington and 

 New York it may be in April, but apparently is mostly in June and 

 July. A subcircular or irregular area on a sandy or gravelly ground 

 is cleared in shallow water and more or less excavated. The cleared 

 or gravelly bed may serve as the place of deposit of eggs. 



The first time the present writer had an opportunity to observe cat- 

 fishes at close range during their breeding season was in July, 1883, 

 when Mr. (afterwards Prof.) John liyder informed him that a pair 

 had oviposited and recpiested him to go to the Fish Commission 

 ]al)oratory and examine them with him. The fishes proved to be of 

 the Ameiurus cati/s (then called alhidus) kind. On the morning of the 

 13th of July, a little after 10 o'clock, one of them had laid " a mass of 

 v/hitish eggs " and both parents were for a time near the eggs. Soon, 

 however, only "one of the individuals remained constantly over the 

 eggs, agitating the water over them with its anal, ventral, and pecto- 

 ral fins ; " the other, " after the eggs were laid, seemed to take no 



