Oneida Lake I-ishcs 493 



patch of bulrushes (Fig. 190), in a foot or two of water, which were very prob- 

 ably all nests of this species. One of them at any rate was occupied by a large 

 Common Sunfish resting over it and was unusually large for the size of the fish, 

 being about three feet in diameter. The fish was perhaps eight inches in length. 

 The water here was 16 inches deep. Kggs were numerous on the cleaned plant 

 roots in the nest bottom. We preserved some eggs as collection Xo. 466. The 

 water temperature in the.se shallows was 73° F. 



MmlKxly ('15, p. 22J) found this species to be 1.5 inches long at the age of 

 five months, 2 inches at the age of one year, and 3 inches at two years. Evermann 

 and Clark ( '20, j). 4of< ) found mature specimens 2.5 inches long. The fish com- 

 monly grows to a length of eight inches and a weight of a half i>ound ( Bean, 

 '02, i>. 393). The nesting habits of the Common Sunfish are well known to 

 naturalists. In some regions the depression nests with their attending brilliantly 

 colored males are a conspicuous feature in a body of water in late spring and early 

 summer. They are seen by many people and some enjoy watching the fish and 

 playing with them, inducing them to bite their fingers as a manifestation of bold- 

 ness in defending their eggs. There has In-en much written on the breeding of this 

 species and some notes from literature are here given. 



June and July apjiear to be the principal months for nesting, but it may begin 

 in May (.Abbott. '84, p. 337: Hankinson, 'o<), p. 213: Fork-s and Richardson. '09. 

 p. 262; Wright and .Mien, '13, j). 5). and in more northerly regions it may take 

 place as late as .August, according to Hensky ('15, p. 40; and Leathers, 'it, p. 

 253)- .'^pawning has l)een noted in June and July (Hankinson, 'oS. p. 213; 

 Leathers, 'n, p. 253; Fmbody, '15, p. 227). 



The C<«Jimon .Sunfish breeds in quiet waters of ponds and lakes, but sometimes 

 in creeks (.\blx)tt. '84, p. 375). Krecker ('16) descriln-s large numbers of the 

 nests in a shallow Ikiv of I.ake ICrie. The sjK'cies appears to breed always in 

 shallf)w water, usually un<kr two feet. Leathers ('11, p. 253) records nests at a 

 df|ith of three feet. The iKittom selected is varied in character. In-ing coin|R)se«i 

 commonly of clay, sand, or gravel; sometimes of marl (Hankinson, "oS, p. 213). 



llabilal. Common Sunfish ap|)ear to be very generally distributed in Oneida 

 Lake, at least out to a de|)th of 18 feet, which is the dee|H'st water in which we 

 made collections and where we secured only large examples. .Smaller ones n>ay 

 have ln-en present but escajx-d through the large meshes of the trap net. Young 

 ones under alKJUt three inches in length were numerous in shallow water, espe- 

 cially alKiut plant thickets, but frequently they were seen on the o|ion clean shallows 

 over sandy bottom. I.arge ones were found. es[K'cially in early summer, in very 

 shallow water close to shore, among Dunillunt. Caltimus ami 'I'yflut growths. 

 .And these larger sunfish were quite common in rush |>atches where the water was 

 three or four feet deep. The deein-r quieter parts of creeks tributary to lakes arc 

 frequented by Inith large and small niemlK-rs of the species. The species is one 

 that apparently prefers the shallower waters of a lake, with areas of abundant 

 aquatic vegetation. 



F<»rl)es and Richardson Con, p. 2'>i ) considered the sjiccies fSMi'o.ii, . ,..„.) 

 fish in Illinois, and is most abundant in the small rivers. Hcnsh;il 



