80 



THE 



AQUARIUM 







Notropis Chrosomus 



By WM. T. INNES, JR. 



Specimens of this fish which appeared 

 in the Eastern market some time ago, 

 under the names Rhinycthys gloriosus 

 and Chrosonuis snpcrbus, have been rec- 

 ognized, and a few words concerning 

 this variety will doubtless be of interest. 



The Notropis Chrosomus, discovered 

 by Jordan in 1876, is a desirable inhabi- 

 tant of the cold water aquarium. It was 

 found in Georgia and is common in clear 

 brooks and outlets of springs throughout 

 the drainage of the Alabama Basin. 

 A closely related variety. Notropis Mcta- 

 licus, is so similar that it is difficult for 

 the amateur ichthyologist to distinguish 

 one from the other. When identification 

 of specimens is in the least doubt, it is 

 much the best plan to submit them to a 

 competent ichthyologist. Errors of iden- 

 tification soon get well-rooted and become 

 veritable weeds to the scientific worker, 

 who is put to great unnecessary labor in 

 running down false trails. Identification 

 by competent ichthyologists is nearly al- 

 ways possible and, if a new fish has to 

 be named, let it be done by one who can 

 also make a proper classification. 



The following description is taken 

 from the works of Jordan. The original 

 specimen is in The Academy of Natural 

 Sciences in Philadelphia. 



Notropis Chrosomus (Jordan) Red- 

 lined minnow, head 4 ; depth 4^ ; D 8 ; 

 A 10 ; scales 38 in lateral line to caudal 

 base, and two more on latter ; 7 scales 

 above lateral line ; 4 scales below lateral 

 line; 28 scales before dorsal; snout o 1-3 

 in head; eye 3%, maxillary 2J^ ; inter- 

 orbital 2 4-5. Body elongate, well com- 

 pressed, rather slender. Head moderate, 

 compressed. Snout convex, slightly 

 abrupt in front, length 4-5 its width. 



Eye rounded, mouth inclined, rather 

 large; lower jaw slightly protruding and 

 upper protractile ; maxillary reaches eye. 

 Interorbital rather evenly convex. Gill- 

 rakers 7 short points of which 3 on 

 upper part of arch. Pharyngeal teeth 2, 

 4-4, 2, hooked, with grinding surfaces. 

 Scales rather small and well exposed. 

 Lateral line complete, decurved. Inser- 

 tion of dorsal midway between eye-cen- 

 ter and caudal base. Anal inserted about 

 opposite last third of dorsal base. Cau- 

 dal well forked. Pectoral reaches ^4 to 

 ventral ; latter inserted well before dor- 

 sal and reaches vent. Color hyaline — 

 green with bluish tints. Belly silvery. 

 Plead above and vertebral line golden ; 

 light narrow scarlet streak from opercle 

 above to caudal base, and below this a 

 silvery line. Row of black dots along 

 lateral line, forming into small distinct 

 caudal spot. Scarlet bar across anal, 

 caudal base and dorsal. Spring males 

 with muzzle and top of head tuberculate, 

 and finer tubercles before dorsal. Length 

 2^2 inches. Known from the Alabama 

 Basin and is common in clear brooks and 

 outlets of springs. 



The writer has kept six specimens of 

 Notropsis Chrosomus for several months 

 in water of moderate temperature, and 

 their active habits and gentle nature, 

 combined with the attractive coloring of 

 the fins and the copper and dark stripes 

 along the sides make them, indeed, a de- 

 lightful acjuarium fish. 



The fact of their coming from the 

 South at first led aquarists to treat them 

 as tropical fish. Under these conditions 

 they died rapidly. Since it has become 

 known that they inhabit cool, spring-fed 

 brooks we now keep them in moderate to 

 cool aquaria, where they do well, par- 

 ticularlv with aeration. 



