FISHES OF NEW YORK 311 



This is the killifish of Sehopff, the yellow-bellied and the 

 ^'hite-bellied killifish of Mitchill, and the big killifish and barred 

 killifish of DeKay. The Indian name mummiehog is applied to 

 this as well as to other species, and some x^ersons call it the salt- 

 water minnow. In Great South bay it is the mummy or chog- 

 mummy. It is extremely abundant in all parts of the bay, and 

 serves as food for larger fishes. 



The striking difference in the colors of the two sexes has led 

 to their separation under distinct names by Mitchill, DeKay and 

 other writers. 



It grows to the length of 5 or 6 inches ; it has no importance as 

 a food fish, but is eaten in large numbers by many of the 

 valuable economic fishes, particularly the striped bass and the 

 weakfish. Dr Storer says it is an excellent bait for smelts. 

 Piscivorous birds consume it in large quantities, and domestic 

 ducks have been known to swallow it with apparent great relish. 

 Eggs have been found in this species as late as August. It 

 spawns in the spring and early summer, and the young are found 

 in great schools in summer in the eelgrass and on sandy beaches 

 in company with other species of killifish, the common silver- 

 side and various other fishes. 



The killifish is a permanent resident in Gravesend bay, winter- 

 ing in deep, muddy holes near the mouths of creeks. According 

 to Eugene Smith, it stands captivity well and is often found 

 landlocked in ice or quarry ponds. The flesh has a sweet taste. 

 The range of the species is from Maine to South Carolina, 

 usually in shallow salt or brackish water, but sometimes 

 ascending streams beyond tidewater. 



155 Fundulus diaphanus (Le Sueur) 

 Fresh-water Killy 



-Eydrargira diaphana Le Sueur, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. I, 130, 1817, 



Saratoga Lake; De Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 219, 1842. 

 ■Eydrargira multifasciata Le Sueur, op. cit. 131, 1817, Saratoga Lake; 



De Kay, op. cit. 220. 

 Eydrargyra swcmipina Cuyier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss. XVIII, 



208, 1845, New Jersey. 

 -Fundulus multifasciatus Gunther, Oat. Fish. Brit. Mus. VI, 324, 186^. 

 Fundulus sicampina Jordan & Gilbert, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 332, 



1883. 



