376 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



Sticklebacks are occasionally found dead along shore. On May 

 22, 1901, sixteen examples were found dead drifted up in a pile 

 of drift near Murray's. This was the largest number obtained 

 at one time, and appeared to indicate either an epidemic or some 

 crisis connected with the breeding season. One of the specimens 

 of the lot was examined and contained a good number of medium- 

 sized yellow eggs. 



41. SKIPJACK 



LABIDESTHES SICCULUS (Cope) 



(Plate 19) 



This graceful little fish is widely distributed in ponds and slug- 

 gish streams from Lake Ontario and southern Michigan to Iowa, 

 Florida and Texas. At Lake Maxinkuckee it is, with the possible 

 exception of the straw-colored minnow, the most abundant fish. 

 During the summer these fish are pretty well distributed 

 throughout the surface waters of the lake, where they can fre- 

 quently be seen jumping out of the water in low horizontal curves, 

 a whole school sometimes jumping at the same time and forming a 

 very attractive spectacle. Usually they appear to be jumping to 

 escape some enemy beneath, but sometimes seem to be jumping 

 for mere sport. On July 31, 1899, a school of very small fry were 

 seen at the surface near the buoy in 85 feet of water, and on Sep- 

 tember 21 several schools were seen far out in the lake. 



During the seining operations, most of which were carried on 

 during the summer when these fishes are not especially crow^ded 

 near shore, great numbers were caught and thrown back without 

 counting. Record was kept of 1,206 specimens captured, and on 

 July 17 over 500 young were taken at one haul. 



The skipjacks swim near the surface, and a few can be seen 

 along shore almost any day the year round, and people seining for 

 minnows during the summer usually get a few of these fishes every 

 haul. With the coming of cold weather in autumn, especially after 

 the water begins to get chilled, they come near shore first in 

 the evenings, and their presence is manifested by a great 

 deal of lisping. On September 10 and 11, 1906, much of this 

 characteristic sound was heard near shore, and the towing-net was 

 taken out on the pier and an attempt v\^as made to collect the 

 surface plankton found there at the time to discover if any par- 

 ticular abundance of plankton was related to the habits of these 

 fishes. The gentle dipping of the net sounded somewhat like the 

 lisping of the skipjacks, and they gathered around, apparently 

 either to satisfy their curiosity as to the cause of the noise, or in 



