314 Roosevelt Wild Life .hinals 



Fowler ( 'cXj. p. 162) mentions its migratory habit, similar to that of tiie 

 Common Sucker: "It wanders up the streams in much the same way during the 

 spring, running in schools." Richardson ('13, p. 410) records that in Illinois 

 "The fry of this species, ^ to ij4 inch long, were abundant in River Marshes 

 in late May and early June of 1910 and 191 1. The fry swim in schools of fifty 

 to a hundred or less, at about the same level as bass fry, and their coloration, 

 owing particularly to the black side-stripe, is such that they are not always readily 

 distinguished at first glance from fry of large-mouthed bass." Bean ('92, p. 28) 

 states that the young are "often found in the shelter of water-lilies and other 

 aquatic plants close to brackish water." Hankinson ('08, p. 208) found in southern 

 Michigan young fish, less than an inch long, on June 16. 



The noise produced by the Chub Sucker has been described by Abbott ('90, 

 p. 441). "The mullet or chub sucker," he writes, "is another example of those 

 dull-colored, nocturnal fishes that frequent streams with muddy beds thickly over- 

 grown with water-plants, and which have the power of audibly forcing air from 

 their bodies. In April, with a noticeable deepening of their coloration, there is 

 increased activity in every movement, and, wholly unlike their actions by day, 

 at night they swim quite near the surface, and utter a single prolonged note, 

 accompanied by a discharge of air-bubbles. They appear to project their jaws 

 just above the water, and force the air from beneath their gill-covers immediately 

 liclow the surface, as there are two parallel streams of bubbles. When seen in the 

 moonlight, these bubbles appear like minute silver beads. Swimming in this way, 

 the mullet will often proceed a hundred yards, uttering their peculiar 'calls' four 

 or five times while passing over that distance." 



Habitat. Our specimens have been taken from both rapid and sluggish 

 streams and from shallow water in Oneida Lake; the source of our market speci- 

 mens is unknown. Bean ('92, p. 27) records this sucker from "slow muddy 

 streams" in Pennsylvania; and Hankinson ('13, p. 27) states that it prefers deep 

 ]iools in small creeks and is not often taken in the larger streams. Forbes and 

 Ricliardson ('09, p. 82) say: "It is essentially a creek species, occurring pro- 

 portionately five times as frequently in our collections from creeks as from rivers, 

 large or small, and eight times as frequently as from lakes and ponds." Evermann 

 ('01, p. 341) remarks, "It inhabits the smaller, quiet creeks and the smaller lakes, 

 ])referring cool water and muck bottom." "When young," according to Abbott 

 ('90, p. 424), "they associate with whatever cyprinoids happen to be wandering 

 in the same waters, their habits being essentially the same. Unlike the other four 

 'suckers' T have mentioned this fish, when young, thrives well in perfectly quiet 

 water, and seems to sufTer no inconvenience when the July sun warms the still 

 ponds to such a degree that all the other fishes leave in disgust, and seek the 

 babbling springs, or bury themselves in the mud. The adult mullet differ from 

 the young of one or two summers, in being strictly nocturnal. Throughout the 

 day they remain r|uietly at rest anmng the weeds in the iHiltnni of the diti-h. Im! 

 nil the apprnach of darkness they are lull nf aetivily, ami nnt ,.iily wandiM- t(i 

 and fro through the water, but come to the surface ;ind even Itap above it. The 

 change is very great. It is during this excited state, or throu.uhout the night, 

 that these fish utter audible sounds." 



