ANNOTATED LIST OF FISHES 



113 



4. Lepisosteus tristcechus (Bloch and Schneider) 

 Alligator gar; Great gar 

 Esoz tristachus Bloch and Scnneider, Syst. Ichthy., 1801, p. 395. 



A single small specimen, 675 millimeters (27 inches) in length, was. taken, and it seems probable 

 that this gar is uncommon in the vicinity of Greenwood. The specimen was shown to a local 

 fisherman of experience, who stated that he had not previously seen a gar like it. The short-nosed 

 gar (L. platystomus) is known locally as the alligator gar. 



This gar is distinguished readily from the short-nosed form by its shorter and wider beak. 

 The width of the organ (measured just posterior to the fleshy tip) is contained 4.2 times in the 

 distance from the tip of the beak to the eye. The body, also, is deeper and broader than in the 

 other species, and it has the appearance of being a more formidable fish. According to published 

 accounts, this species reaches a length of 20 feet. The heavy jaws, with teeth reduced in numbers 

 but considerably enlarged and more or less pear-shaped, probably are especially adapted to rapaceous 

 feeding habits, enabling the fish to utilize larger forms than do the other species. The digestive 

 tract in all of the gars is very short and thin-walled, and the indications are that the food undergoes 

 relatively thorough mastication before it reaches the stomach. The remains of a fair-sized fish, 

 with an appreciable amount of vegetable material, were present in the only stomach examined. 

 The single alligator gar in the collection was taken on September 21, 1925, near the southeast end 

 of Roebuck Lake. 



5. Amia calva Linnaeus 

 "Grinnel"; Grindle; Dogfish; Bowfin 

 Amia calva Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 12, 1766, p. 500. 



The grindle has the unusual distinction of being the only .surviving species of an entire order 

 and family of fishes now chiefly represented by numerous fossils. Its tenure of life after removal 

 from water is remarkable, and in this respect it was found to exceed even the gar. Fourteen speci- 

 mens, ranging from 170 to 770 millimeters (6% to 303^ inches) in length, were preserved and 

 examined for foods consumed. 



The grindle is essentially a compact fish, with powerful jaws, the throat being protected by a 

 gular plate, an osseus lamina between the lower jaws. The grindle frequents virtually all of the 

 lakes and ponds of the region, and it seems to prefer relatively warm waters. It is esteemed by 

 the negroes locally as a table fish and is considerably sought for this purpose. 



This fish spawns in the spring and not only guards the eggs during incubation but also pro- 

 tects the young during the early stages. Examinations of the gonads of 16 fish taken during the 

 summer and fall showed them to be in an early stage of development. 



An examination of the intestinal contents of several specimens indicated the grindle to be a 

 light feeder; and, being rather sluggish, it seems probable that it consumes less than a game fish 

 of equal size. Although its general appearance suggests a voracious appetite, fish of fair size, or 

 up to 450 millimeters (17M inches), were found to have utilized mostly insects ordinarily found 

 near the surface, among which the water boatmen (Corixa), dragon-fly nymphs, and the whirligig 

 beetle were the most frequent. The small shrimp (Palxmonetes exilipes) also appears to be taken 

 frequently, and an appreciable amount of vegetation usually was present with the other material. 

 The grindle attains a considerably greater length, however, than 450 millimeters, and the larger 

 fish probably require a more substantial diet. One specimen of 770 millimeters (303^ inches) had 

 swallowed a fish about 8 inches in length. The 14 grindles collected were taken in a borrow pit 

 and slough at Money, in Hadley or Allen Lake, and in a lagoon near Lake Mclntire. 



