ANNOTATED LIST OF FISHES 



135 



41. Elassoma zonatum Jordan 



Pigmy sunfish 



Elassoma zonatum Jordan, Bull., U. S. Nat. Mus., X, 1877, p. 50. 



A single specimen, 26 millimeters (1 inch) in length, occurs in the collection, and it is the only 

 pigmy sunfish that was seen, although repeated attempts were made to capture more specimens 

 in the overflow from an artesian well where this one was caught. The specimen was taken with a 

 dipnet in company with Gambusia, in clear, closely shaded, and relatively cold shallow water 

 The environment in which this fish usually is taken is favorable to mosquito breeding, and the fact 

 that the individual at hand, when placed in an aquarium, readily fed on mosquito larvae suggests 

 that the species may be of value in localities where it is abundant in eradicating mosquito larvae. 

 Limited observations made by the senior author at Augusta, Ga., did not prove this to be the case, 

 however, for he found relatively prolific breeding in a swamp well stocked with this fish, where, 

 upon introducing Gambusia, mosquito production virtually ceased. It is entirely impossible, 

 however, to know what the situation would have been in this swamp if the pigmy sunfish had not 

 been present. Nevertheless, the fish may have taken a fair toll of " Wigglers." 



Four pigmy sunfish collected at Augusta, Ga., had ingested the minute crustacean Cladocera 

 and ostracods, with midge larvae and insect fragments in about equal amounts. The intestinal 

 tract equaled one-half the length of the fish, which ranged from 24 to 26 millimeters in total length. 



42. Morone interrupta Gill 



Yellow bass 



Morone interrupta GUI, Proc, Ac. Nat. Soi., Phila., 1860, p. 118. 



A single yellow bass, 168 millimeters (6^ inches) in length, was caught. This fish was seined 

 in Roebuck Lake. It is reported in current works to be primarily a fish of the larger rivers and 

 lakes. The species quite certainly does not occur in the smaller ponds and bayous locally. 



Forbes and Richardson (1908, p. 322) report that "what little is known of its food indicates 

 an insectivorous habit, adults feeding on aquatic larva?, especially those of May flies, together with 

 small crustaceans and terrestrial insects." The stomach of the specimen at hand contained portions 

 of a small fish, a back swimmer, and a few plant fragments. 



43. Aplodinotus grunniens Rafinesque 



"Gaspergou"; Fresh-water drum; Sheepshead 



Aplodinotus grunniens Rafinesque, Journal Physique, 1819, p. 88. 



This rather generally distributed species of the Mississippi Valley is represented by 14 speci- 

 mens, ranging in length from 225 to 370 millimeters (8% to 14^ inches), and was taken only in a 

 slough near Lake Mclntire and in Roebuck Lake. 



The gaspergou has a somewhat varied diet. According to the contents of 12 stomachs examined, 

 it utilizes fish, mollusks, and insects in about equal amounts, with a minor quantity of miscella- 

 neous materials, including vegetation and minute crustaceans. Vegetation, however, was present 

 in only two stomachs and may have been taken incidentally in the capture of other foods. The 

 intestine is that of a carnivorous fish, being only one-half as long as the fish. 



In Illinois spawning is reported to take place during May and June (Forbes and Richardson, 

 1908, p. 325). Our specimens, taken during the summer, had the sexual organs in a collapsed 

 condition. 



