Oiuidii Lake I'ishcs 343 



Notropis bifrenatus 0>j)e. Hkiuleu Mixnuw. This very attractive little 

 fish is one uf the smallest species of minnow found in Oneida I^ke. It closely 

 resembles the Hlack-chinned Minnow and the Black-nosed Shiner. In fact these 

 three sjK-cies are readily confused with each other, since they are all of similar 

 si/e and are much alike in fonn. with a prominent lateral hand. The Hlack- 

 chinned Minnow is, however, easily distinjfui.shed by the considerable amuunt of 

 black pigment on the chin, which is nearly absent on the other two. The Hridled 

 and Cayuga Minnows have Ix-en very generally confused, and according tn Hubbs 

 ('26, p. 40), Xolrofis ciiyiKja descriljcd by Meek ( '8«;. ]>. 305) was .\'otrof<is 

 bifrenatus. Our collections revealed that the Bridled Minnow is the most abun- 

 dant of the.se little black-sided minnows. 



lireedimj Habits and Life History. Fowler ('09. p. 531 ) gives the s]>awning 

 time as May and June. He states that the se.xes are alike in coloratinn and that the 

 young are very similar to the adults. However, at breeding time gravid females 

 are easily distinguished fnjm the adult males by their (leei>er Ixxlies. The ma.xi- 

 nnim size of the fish is about two inches. .\11 of our ( )neida 1-ake specimens were 

 very uniform in length, near i ^4 inches. 



Habitat. In Oneida I^ike the Bridled Minnow seemed to prefer shalluw 

 water with abundant vegetatiim, and it was often found alxiut the water willow 

 { Diantltera} patches, over both sandy an<l muddy l«ittom. In streams close to the 

 lake, they were taken lK>th in quiet and in rumiing water, .\long the shore of 

 Frenchman's Island we found them very abundant alxHit the water willow growths, 

 and associated with Blunt-nosed Miimows. Barred Killitish, Johnny Darters, the 

 young of the Common Sucker, and young Rock Bass. Fowler {'»). j). 531 ) says 

 this si)ecies is found in clear, rather still water, in .schools of nuKlerate size and 

 associated with other small fish. The same author ('05, p. 140) says the species is 

 locally abundant in small creeks where there is deep water with gentle current. He 

 also says ('14I), p. 3) that it is found in ipiiet waters associated with (iolden 

 Shiners, Common Suckers, Chub Suckers, Common Sunfish, I.ong-eare<l Sunfish 

 {Lefoinis auritiis). and turtles and frogs. In the Palisades Inter>tate Park, 

 Hankinson found Bridled Minnows abundant only in places where there was an 

 abundant growth of water plants (Adams. Hankinson, and Keiulall, 'i«». p]). K)", 

 joi, -'oj ) and where the water was clear and tpiiet. 



Distribution Records. No. 5. South Bay: Xo. 7*^. Scrilw Creek; No. 7«). 

 JohuM.n's Bay: No. .S3, Philli|.'s I-inding: Nos. Si.' S7. S8. Hiittcnango Creek; 

 No. i-»i. Ice House Bay; Nos. IJ4, 48J, Fairchild Bay: Nos. 305. 314, 017, <>j<i. 

 Brewerton : No. 425, Dakin Bay: No. 475, Short Point Bay; No. 543, French- 

 ni,in's Island. 



l-.neniies and Disease, .\bliott (75. p 8341 foimd h'oeeus liiieatiis (""Rock 

 Fish"t feeding uiH>n Xotrof-is bifrenatus. Fowler ( "13. p. 15) rqxirts it taken hy 

 Kingfishers ami thinks titat vrrv proliablv it i> eaten also bv Pie<l-liillp<i Cirel»cs 

 (p. 8). 



F.conowie Xoles and .tniilimi. This little (ish wouM doubtless prove a suit- 

 able knit for Perch. RcKk Bass, or Crappie. since Hankinson has found sjxvics 

 similar to it to Ik- grce<lily taken by these fishes in Michigan lakes. Bean ("03. 

 p. 1.01 vays that it is a useful liait |wrticularly for Black Bass. 



