SOME FRESHWATER AQUARIUM FISHES 



young, which, in a locality in which the fishes are abundant, measure 4 to 

 10 feet in diameter. Pebbles and stones, often several pounds in weight, 

 are heaped up to form conical mounds, and, as the fishes are gregarious 

 during the breeding season, quite a number use the same spawning place, 

 which is added to year by year. The purpose of these elaborate structures 

 is to protect the young from their predatory enemies, the Rock and Black 

 bass, perch, catfish, eel and water-snake. In the aquarium they are timid 

 and entirely harmless and will thrive satisfactorily when not overstocked. 



FIG. 40 — Creek Chub, Semotilus atromaculatus 



The Horned-dace or Creek-chub, Semotilus atromaculatus. Fig. 40, is 

 abundant chiefly in small brooks. It is more lively in the aquarium than 

 the Corporal. 



The chub prefers a vegetable diet, and should be fed on boiled cereals, 

 and occasionally a little of the boiled yolk of an egg. 



THE GOLDEN ORFE OR IDE 



This fish, Fig. 41, is one of the Carp family, the Cyprinidce, developed 

 in Germany from the albino Orfe, Idus idus, a handsome, hardy fish but 

 not fully domesticated, its probable migratory habit and consequent rest- 

 lessness causing it to leap from the water, on which account the tank 

 should be screened or not filled to the top. This applies more to the 



American bred fish 

 than to the import- 

 ed German Orfe, 

 Idus melanotis; the 

 latter having lost its 

 wild habits by many 

 generations under 

 domestication. Its 

 propagation hasbeen 

 very successful in the fish ponds at Washington, where an abundant sup- 

 ply is kept, and though a food fish of fair quality it has not been bred for 



76 





'^ 



FIG. 41 — Golden Ide, Idus idus 



