SIXTY-TWO SPECIES OF FISHES FROM LAKE ERIE 
361 
and incomplete rays, about 11 dorsal and 12 anal. Young fish beginning to resemble 
adult at this stage. Very large mouth, projecting lower jaw. No trace of ventrals 
or first dorsal. Air bladder present, small, adherent to dorsal wall of abdomen. 
Pigmentation. — Characteristic pigment is the set of 1 or 2 very large subsurface 
spots near ventral margin of tail. In this specimen one is above and one just follows 
anal base. 
12. 6 -millimeter stage . — Total length, 12.6; standard length, 10.5; length to vent, 
6.55; length of head, 3.15; diameter of eye, 0.85; greatest depth before vent, 2.45; 
depth behind vent, 1.7; length to dorsal, 6.5; to anal, 6.6 millimeters. Myomeres, 
12 or 13 before vent plus 13 behind. Generally as preceding stage but with arched 
back resembling adult. Teeth visible in lower jaw; small ventrals below and shortly 
behind pectorals; second dorsal 1, 14 ; anal III, 12 ; slight marginal fin fold before second 
dorsal indicating position of first dorsal. 
Pigmentation. — The marking is confined to two large subsurface chromatophores 
on ventral margin as before. 
18. 5 -millimeter stage . — Total length, 18.5; standard length, 15.6; length to vent, 
8.6; length of head, 5.1 ; snout, 1.5; diameter of eye, 1.9; greatest depth 4.4 (at vent); 
length to first dorsal, 6.2; to anal, 9.0 millimeters. Body not as oblong as adult but 
greatly elevated and compressed; head somewhat depressed above eye; eye about 
equal to snout; lower jaw projecting. Dorsals IX, I, 14; anal III, 11 to 12. Ver- 
tebrae, 12 to vent plus 17 behind. 
Pigmentation. — The body is colorless with sparsely distributed small black 
chromatophores arranged about jaws, over snout and more heavily on posterior part 
of head, a few on cheeks, and in a double fine below second dorsal continuous to 
caudal (numbering about 18). A single linear series occurs along lateral fine below 
dorsal series, and the ventral half of body has light-colored, stellate ones along the 
myocommata. A well-marked series on either side of anal base continues as a single 
series on ventral ridge to caudal. Few chromatophores are apparent on ventrals 
and pectorals, but the other fins are thickly covered. 
BREEDING 
The white bass spawns in May and June in shallow water far inshore or at the 
mouths of creeks. 
