28 FISHES OF THE CONNECTICUT LAKES. 
In this region when these investigations were begun, the chub was 
through spawning, but heaps of pebbles, some of them containing at 
least a bushel, were seen in various places along Indian Stream and 
Main Inlet of First Lake. 
5. Mup Cuus. Semotilus atromaculatus (Mitchill). 
Head, 3.7; depth, 4.1; eye 5; snout 2.85; maxiliary 2.5; mandble 2.85; teeth 
2. 5-4, 2; longest dorsal fin 1.42; longest anal 1.66; longest pectoral 1.66; scales 
10=55—: 
Body stout, dorsal outline slightly arched in front of dorsal, body tapering 
backward from a point considerably in advance of dorsal; head somewhat 
thicker than body, short, with an obtuse and moderately declivous snout, the 
later rather bluntly rounded ; mouth broad, oblique, lower jaw slightly included ; 
upper jaw just below lower level of pupil; maxillary not quite reaching front 
of eye; eye small, high up; scales small, much crowded anteriorly, about 30 in 
front of dorsal; origin of dorsal over twenty-seventh scale of lateral line; origin 
of anal slightly in advance of this, under twenty-fourth scale; dorsal and anal 
similar, the edges forming a straight line; caudal forked; ventrals small, not 
reaching vent; pectoral small, broadly falcate, reaching slightly more than half 
the distance from its posterior base to ventral fin; lateral line abruptly bent 
downward to tip of pectoral, thence straight and nearly median to base of 
caudal. 
Top of head and snout dull steel-blue, cheeks and opercles pale, dusted or 
sprinkled with olive, back and side olive, with dark margins to scales, most 
intense and broader posteriorly ; side of head, lower jaw, throat, sides of body 
below lateral line, and belly white or creamy, with dusky or dark grayish mar- 
gins on scales, same as those above lateral line; scales thus marked extending 
nearly to level of pectoral, ventral and anal fins; these fins pale with dusky 
rays; dorsal olive; with jet black spot at base in front; caudal olive, with 
darker rays; a dark lateral stripe from cheek along side, at first on, then just 
above, finally on, lateral line to caudal; shoulder girdle just under posterior 
margin of gillcovers black; a narrow jet black stripe along back from nape, 
passing each side of base of dorsal to upper base of caudal. 
Distinguished from the other chub by darker coloration, scales more crowded 
anteriorly, and the black dorsal spot; from all other cyprinids in this region by 
dorsal spot. 
This chub bears many local names, but the only one heard in this 
region is mud chub. The mud chub does not attain so large a size 
as the common chub, in New England reaching a length of not over 
10 inches so far as known, but averaging considerably smaller. The 
specimens in our collection run from 2.5 to 5.75 inches in length. 
The recorded range of this species is Maine to southern Missouri, 
Wyoming, and Canada. In the upper Connecticut region it was col- 
lected in Indian Stream, Mud Pond, and outlet of Third Lake just 
below the lake. It was not found in First Lake, in Main Inlet of 
First Lake, in Second Lake, or in East Inlet. 
The habitat of this species differs in some respects from the common 
chub, more often being found in brooks and streams, especially in 
quiet “ weedy ” places and muddy ponds, yet both not uncommonly 
occur together. 
