FISHES OF NEW YORK 69 



Reproduction. Spawning takes place in the Delaware during 

 May. The eggs are deposited in depths of 1 to 5 fathoms on 

 hard bottom in brackish or nearly fresh water. !Prof. Ryder 

 states that the eggs are extruded by rubbing the belly either 

 against hard places on the river bed or against the rough 

 bodies of the males, two or more of which accompany each 

 female. The gravid roe fish are larger than the males. Prof. 

 Ryder found the ova more or less adhesive immediately after 

 their removal from the abdomen, but the sticky mucous cover- 

 ing is soluble in water. The period of hatching varies from 

 four to six days. 



Food. Up to the third month of its life the young sturgeon 

 has minute conical teeth in its jaws, and at this age it is be- 

 lieved to subsist on ^' rhizopods, unicellular algae, infusoria, 

 minute larvae of insects and worms, crustaceans, etc.'^ Still 

 following the observations of Prof. Ryder, we learn that the 

 Sturgeon, when it has reached a length of 1 inch to IJ inches, 

 has minute teeth on the floor of the pharynx and feeds on 

 small water fleas, and probably algae, worms, embryo fishes, 

 insects and fresh-water copepods. Later in life the fish seeks 

 larger crustaceans, and the adults occasionally contain frag- 

 ments of mussel shells. The young fish have been caught under 

 the ice in midwinter and are known to pass most of the year in 

 fresh water. 



A single small example of this sturgeon was brought to the 

 New York aquarium from Gravesend bay May 13, 1896, and was 

 alive and in good condition in November 1898. 



Dr Smith records the occurrence of the species along with 

 the common sturgeon at Woods Hole Mass., but says it is less 

 numerous. It is captured in the traps. 



Order rhomboganoidea 



Gar Pikes 



Family lef»isoste:idj5s.e^ 



Gar Pikes 



Genus lepisosteus Lac^pMe 



Body elongate, subcylindric, covered with hard, rhombic 



ganoid scales or plates which are imbricated in oblique series 



running downward and backward; both jaws more or less elon- 



