SIXTY-TWO SPECIES OF FISHES FROM LAKE ERIE 
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BREEDING 
The white sucker spawns in shallow water in April or May, soon after the ice 
leaves. Its spawning behavior has been thoroughly recorded by J. E. Reighard 
(1920). 
8. Hypentelium nigricans (Le Sueur). Hammerhead; stone-roller sucker; hog 
sucker. 
RECORD OF CAPTURE 
This species was taken along the shores of Lake Erie near stream mouths but 
more commonly in the larger shallow and warm creeks. 
DESCRIPTION 
The head of the stone-roller differs from other suckers in its flattened contour 
with interorbital space concave and orbital rims broadly elevated. 
21.0 millimeter stage . — Total length, 21.0; standard length, 18.0; length to vent, 
13.0; length of head, 5.1; snout, 1.35; diameter of eye, 1.35; greatest depth before 
vent, 3.3; greatest depth behind vent, 1.6; length to dorsal, 8.5; to anal, 13.5 milli- 
meters. Myomeres, 30 to vent plus 14-15 behind. Dorsal II (very weak), 11; 
anal, 7 ; ventrals, 9 ; caudal deeply forked ; all fins large. Lips large, strongly papillose, 
wide inferior mouth; eye rather small, near middle of head. Resembles Catostomus 
commersonii in rather short dorsal fin and 2-chambered air bladder, but differs in 
having head concave above, scales fewer than 48 (60 in the common sucker), and 
oblique cross bars on body instead of plain or blotched color. 
Pigmentation. — Chromatophores appear over snout, upper lip, and top of head, 
large stellate ones on dorsal aspect to caudal, and smaller ones to below lateral line. 
Through this upper pigmented region oblique pigment bars pass to below lateral 
line : 1 behind head, 1 at origin of dorsal, 1 at posterior end of dorsal, another halfway 
between dorsal and caudal, and the last one at caudal base. The belly is white 
(differing from Catostomus in which there is a prominent ventral line series). Chro- 
matophores are distributed on dorsal, caudal, and pectorals; ventrals and anal are 
colorless. 
BREEDING 
The stone-roller sucker is a spring spawner, and the young are found abundantly 
in small creeks and rivers. 
