Aquatic JLitt 



is used for spreading the food, but as the 

 fish develop and take food more readily, 

 it can be spread with a spoon. As the 

 fish increase in size the meat may be re- 

 duced to suitable size for feeding by pass- 

 ing it through the meat chopper only once 

 or twice, or by using a plate with coarser 

 perforations. 



Beef heart is more difficult to prepare 

 than liver, for the reason that it has a 

 somewhat greater amount of connective 

 tissue or gristle, and where only young 

 fish are on hand, this is a waste ; if older 

 fish are being held, the portions unsuit- 

 able for feeding the young fish can be 

 used advantageously for fingerlings or 

 adults. 



The meat used by the Bureau of Fish- 

 eries in its experiments at Wytheville is 

 what is known to the trade as "frozen." 

 Under this designation meat is shipped 

 from the packing house frozen, and so 

 received; this to distinguish it from the 

 so-called "fresh" meat, or meat that has 

 been frozen, but from which the frost 

 is extracted before shipping. It is fed 

 raw. 



The gland sold under the trade name 

 of "spleen," which is cheaper than either 

 beef heart or beef liver, has also been 

 found more or less satisfactory food for 

 young fish. It is prepared in the same 

 manner as the other meats, but unless 

 fingerlings or adult fishes are being fed, 

 tbcrc will be a considerable amount of 

 waste, as the percentage of gristle men- 

 tioned previously in this paper is greater 

 than in either heart or liver. This food 

 is used by the Bureau principally at its 

 Pacific Coast stations for various species 

 of salmon which are propagated in that 

 -<■< lion. 



This method of feeding fish in aquaria 

 necessitates frequent change of water, as 

 the particles of meat arc too fine to be 

 removed from the aquarium except by 

 drawing off the water. 



In feeding beef liver prepared as de- 

 scribed, its introduction into the water 

 produces a milky discoloration, sometimes 

 known to fish-culturists as "smoke." This 

 is more or less objectionable, especially in 

 aquariums, where there is no circulation. 

 This objectionable feature may be over- 

 come by "washing" the liver before feed- 

 ing. This is done by adding a consider- 

 able amount of water to the prepared 

 food and then pouring the milky water 

 from the surface of the mixture, or it 

 may be removed by the use of a short 

 piece of rubber tubing used in the manner 

 of a syphon. 



Experiments conducted with this 

 washed liver would indicate that some of 

 its nutritive value is lost by the washing 

 process. Prepared by the Bureau of 

 Fisheries, in response to a request for in- 

 formation from a reader of Aquatic 

 Life. Published by permission. 



Heterandria formosa 



With Lucania ouunata and the pigmy 

 sunfishes, Heterandria formosa ranks 

 among the least of fishes in point of size, 

 but this is an advantage in the eyes of 

 the aquarist, for the little fellow adapts 

 itself readily to the smallest of tanks, even 

 breeding in a quart jar. 



The specific name formosa means 

 comely, and Professor Agassiz did not 

 unwisely choose the name. It is some- 

 what straw-brown in color, with a dark 

 lengthwise stripe, some vertical dark 

 streaks and a black spot on anal and 

 dorsal fins. 



It breeds readily in small aquaria, bear- 

 ing a few young in a litter, however, 

 which would be expected from its small 

 size. No particular provision need be 

 made for breeding other than to place the 

 female alone in a small tank with several 

 hunches of Myriophyllum and Anacharis, 

 removing her when the young have been 

 expelled. 



