4i8 Rooscfclt Wild Life Annals 



Heron {Butoridcs vircsccns). Eveniiann and Clark ( 'JO. p. 623) tuund this fish 

 in the stomach of a Water Dog. Xcctunts uiaculosns. as well as in the stomachs of 

 the Horned Grebe {Colymbus auritiis) (I.e., p. 487) and the Pied-billed Grebe 

 {Podilymbits podiccps) (p. 490). Several trematode parasites have been fomid 

 in the species (Evermann and Clark, '20, p. 296). 



Economic Relations. Barred Killifish are undoubtedly useful to some extent 

 along with other small fish in furnishing food for black bass and other large 

 important species in Oneida Lake (Bean, '03, p. 313; Smith, '07, p. 149). They 

 are furthermore destroyers of mosquitoes (Seal, '10, p. 835; Chidester, '16, p. 4), 

 and their habits of going into very shallow water makes them especially valuable 

 in this respect. Chidester (I.e.) doubts, however, if they should be used in stock- 

 ing waters for the purpose of removing mosquito larvae, on account of their 

 aggressiveness toward more peaceable kinds of fish. This is manifest in an 

 aquarium (Bean, '03, p. 313) where they injure the fins of other fi.sh. Radcliffe 

 ('i5- P- 3) considers the species "effective against mosquitoes, but its alleged habit 

 of feeding on the eggs and young of other species may militate against its intro- 

 duction into waters stocked with more valuable species.''" 



AiHllinfi Notes. Evermann ('07, pp. 347-348) considers that Barred Killifish 

 are especially valuable as bait for black bass when these fish are feeding near the 

 .surface. They live well in confinement. 



References. Baker, 'ifi; Bean, '03, "07a: Bensley, '15; Chidester, '16: Cox, 

 '97; DeKav, '42: Eigenmann. 115: Evermann, '01; Evermann and Clark, '20; 

 Forbes, '78, '83: Forbes and Richardson, '09; Fowler, '06, '14; Greeley, ' 2j ; Han- 

 kinson, '08; Hay, "94; Meek and Hildebrand. '10: Xash, '08: Pearse, '15, "18; 

 RadclifTe, '15: Reed and Wright. '09: Seal. '10: Smith. 07: Wright and .\llen. '13. 



Percopsis omisco-maycus (Walbaum). Trout Perch. This species (F"ig. 

 213) was found abundantly represented in a number of the shallow water areas 

 during the early summer of 1916. Systematically this is one of our most interesting 

 forms for it is intermediate in structure between soft-rayed and spiny-rayed fishes. 

 Its adipose fin, abdominal ventral fins and naked head are features of the Sal- 

 monidae; and its ctenoid scales, fin spines, and the form of its mouth, make it 

 appear related to the Percidae (Jordan and l'.vcnii;uHi, "96, p. 782 ). 



Breeding Habits and Life History. Trout Perch are always small, srlilnm 

 over six inches in length. Nash ("08, p. jj) gives their maximum size as .ibout 

 eight inches. The sjjccies spawns in spring. Rii)e females were taken 1)\ us from 

 Douglas Creek ( l-'ig. 38) at I.akeport, (in June 22. ii)i6. They were in ;i large 

 school in sliallnw. turlii.l \v;iter nver a n.eky bottom ( Xo. 413). Be.-m ^\^J. p\). 

 187, 215) nntr^ thai tliev spawn in Serib.-i Creek at Constantia. The species is 

 known to run \ip streams to s,..a\v,, i .\;,sli. 'oS. p. 77). Wright .and Allen ('13, p. 

 5) state that it sp.iwiis in swil't, L;r:i\(ll\ streams. Tliev give the liree.ling time for 

 the Ithaca region ;is .May June. I'oibes and kieliardson ('09, p. 226) say 

 tli;it it s]iawns in spring and that I'eni.iles gre.atly distended with eggs were caught 

 in Illinois .Ml .March 10. 



Iluhilal. Tlie species .appears to live in the deeper water of ( liieid.a I .;ike in 

 late sninmer. for we took no spreimeiis in sh.allow water of the lake or streams in 



