THE RELATIONS OF FISH TO MAN 



287 



the most common species are the crappie, the rock bass, the 

 bluegill, the common sunfish or pumpkin seed (Fig. 169), the 

 small-mouthed black bass, and the large-mouthed black bass. 



The small-mouthed black bass is considered " inch for inch and 

 pound for pound, the gamest fish that swims." The male bass 

 in May or June makes a nest by clearing away a place near shore 



FIG. 169. Photograph of a living sunfish. (After Shufeldt.) 



where there are good-sized stones. Eggs are then laid and fer- 

 tilized, and the male guards them during the hatching period of 

 five or six days. The male continues to protect the young 

 until they reach a length of an inch and a quarter. Black bass 

 are successfully propagated in artificial ponds by the Bureau of 

 Fisheries. 



SALT-WATER GAME FISHES. Many salt-water fish also are 

 caught principally for purposes of recreation. Among these are 

 the tarpon, sea bass, and tuna. There are four or five species 

 of tarpon inhabiting the tropical seas. The common tarpon 



