VOLUME I 
Chrosomus Erythrogaster 
(Rafinesque) 
(Red-Bellied Dace 
Wo. Kopp 
Chicago 
(Based upon “Natural History Survey of Illinois’’) 
This beautiful species, one of the most 
showy in our waters, is found in northern 
Outside the State it has been re- 
ported from Maine and New Brunswick to 
North 
rom Michigan and the Ohio Valley gen- 
Illinois. 
Carolina and northern Alabama. 
erally to the streams of Kansas tributary 
to the Missouri. 
It is commonly found only in small clear 
streams. 
“The minute seales, 77 to 91, in the 
lateral line, and the two long longitudinal 
stripes of dark color upon the sides, will 
readily distinguish the present species from 
all other species of Cyprinide found within 
our range. Length, 2 to 3 inches; body ob- 
long, moderately compressd, tapering about 
equally each way from middle of body; 
color above brownish olive, with a broad 
vertebral streak of dusky and dark spots 
forming an indistinct row on upper part 
of each side; sides marked with two black 
stripes (faint in females), the upper and 
narrower one extending from upper corner 
of gill-cleft nearly straight backward 
fin, 
breaking up into spots of oblique bars 
to base of - caudal sometimes 
on caudal peduncle; the lower stripe 
broader, extending from snout through 
eye and along lower portion of sides 
to end of caudal penducle, followed 
by a black spot at base of caudal rays; 
the interspace between lateral bands 
a bright silvery or satiny cream, tinged 
THE AQUARIUM 
“JUNE, 1912 
19 
NuMBER 3 
with brassy to crimson in males; belly 
white, overlaid with silvery; females much 
more obscurely marked than males which in 
spring coloration have the _ belly, breast, 
and chin bright scarlet, and the fins a 
bright lemon yellow, the -dorsal with a 
blotch of bright at 
base and the body everywhere minutely 
large searlet its 
tuberculate. Head rather pointed, nose 
ewe 
chort, pointed, jaws about equal; scales 
very small.” 
Its food is evidently obtained by nib- 
bling or sucking the surface slime from 
stones and other objects on the bottom. 
It consists mainly of mud containing alge. 
In captivity the dace should be fed: once 
a day on fish food and small scraps of raw 
beef alternately; earth worms chopped up 
being really better than the beef. 
The breeding season falls in May and 
June, at which time the colors of the male 
reach their most gorgeous development. 
While not especially hardy, this species 
lives well in the aquarium, where it is in- 
deed a most beautiful object. 
Notr—This fish is not found in the Atlantic Coast drain- 
age, except in the headwaters of some of the 
rivers.—Epir. 
RED-BELLIED DACH 
Chrosomus Erythrog aster 
