176 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
The food of the hog choker, as shown by the stomach contents of 47 specimens examined, con- 
sists chiefly of annelids. A few specimens had fed on small crustaceans, also, and few others 
contained strands of algae. 
Spawning apparently takes places during late spring and summer. Specimens taken in April 
have the gonads somewhat developed, but no advanced development was observed until June. 
Ripe or nearly ripe fish were collected in June, July, and August. The eggs evidently are small 
and numerous. A female 165 millimeters long, taken June 14, 1921, with free eggs in the ovaries, 
contained approximately 54,000 eggs. The eggs were about 0.33 millimeter in diameter after 
preservation in alcohol. Sexual maturity at a small size is indicated by the well developed ovaries 
of a specimen only 4J4 inches in length taken on May 16, which undoubtedly would have spawned 
within a month or two. The following table is based on young that quite probably were in their 
second summer. 
Fig. 90 . — Achirus fasciatus 
Date 
Locality 
Number 
of speci- 
mens 
Inches 
Rappahannock River ... 
31 
1. 3-3. 0 
Potomac River . 
6 
1.4-3. 0 
Apr. 29 
Chesapeake Beach __ .. _ . _ 
7 
2. 7-4. 0 
Sassafras River. .. ... 
27 
1.8-4. 2 
Back River _ 
4 
2. 2-4. 0 
July 1 
do 
40 
2. 1-3. 5 
2. 3-4. 1 
July 10 
York River. . . 
2 
Aug. 16 . ... 
Chesapeake Beach ... 
12 
2. 3-4. 0 
Oct 29 : 
Solomons 
4 
3. 7-4. 8 
Nov. 22 
Cape Charles 
i 
4.6 
The maximum size attained by the hog choker, as given in published accounts, is 5 to 7 inches. 
However, we have a specimen at hand measuring 8 inches in length. The hog choker frequents 
shallow water during the summer and often ascends streams and is taken in fresh water. Smith 
and Bean, in their account of the fishes of the District of Columbia and vicinity (1899, p. 187), 
state: “Young specimens have been taken in Eastern Branch, Four-mile Run, and Little River. 
Adults are common in spring on the fishing shores below Washington but have not been observed 
in the immediate vicinity of the city.” During the colder months of the year it is one of the com- 
monest species, as shown by beam-trawl hauls made by the Fish Hawk in the deeper waters of the 
bay. 
