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<br />American Fisheries Society
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<br />the base of the Rocky l'vlot1ntains in Col<Jrado. This fLsb is the largest
<br />of the American 1l1inllows, reaching a reputed weight of 80 pounds
<br />alld length of 5 feet (Jordan ;lIld Evcrlnann, 1 89C> ), but no such gigan-
<br />tic specimen has lJlTn taken in recent years. E. 1-1. Emery, concessioner
<br />at Eldorado J .;IIHling-. told the author that ill 1945 a squawflsh which
<br />\\eighed 2, pounds was br(Ju~~hl into tll<" dock. National Park Service
<br />,'des credit 11 :\nniLI,L;l7 with lhe capture of a 34-pound "salmon" from
<br />this area.
<br />Gila rubus/lI c!Cf!OHS Baird and Cirard, bOIl)'tail. The bon)'tail, a
<br />n:ltive minnow of llie C.'nloradll l{iver systell1, is found in Lake Mead
<br />and below Hoover nam. In earlier days, it was more abundant than
<br />nllW, when it is rarely se('n or taken by fishermen. Moffett (1943) re-
<br />),Orled that lit' s:\\\' r;.thn large schouls of bon)'t;\i1s in 1941. Locally
<br />the blJllyt:lil is 1'l](J\\'lI, also, as "C;ila or V(:rc!l: Irollt," a llallle which
<br />properly applies 10 tlw rl-lated C'ifa robus/a rob/ts/a
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<br />Anlciurilbe (Catfish)
<br />fe/lI/l1tllS It/clI.lltis f'Hllc/a/its (]{alines<j11c), southe1'll ch:lnlld calflsh.
<br />Thl~ challIlel catfish (ll'CUrS in Lake J\lead, in Moapa I':'ivn. alld ill the
<br />\\;llers IJelo\\' lluuver D;llll (Moffell, 1942, 1943; J\l iller and i\lcorn,
<br />1'J4(>). i\huvc Pinec Ferry, Ileal' Ihe head uf Lake i\'lcad, this fish is
<br />,'ulnIl1l111.11 is all illljHlrLlllt ~~anw lisll ill Lake T\Tcad lllil it is Illlt as
<br />I,kllliflll lldu\\' 1l'''lvn ();111l.
<br />The tirst introdllctiuns of this species into the Colorado ]{iver appear
<br />to have been rn;\dl' ill 18()2-1893, WhCll 722 adults and )'c;nlings, received
<br />],)' the /\rizona Fish ConHlIission, were n'kased (\Vorlll, lH().~). No
<br />stocking of callish has Iwen made in recent years in tllis pnrlinn of the
<br />Colorado ]{iver.
<br />/\ 20-pound, 31-in,'11 catfish, cauf.,',ht in April, 1<)4S, nC:ll' Pierce FlTry,
<br />;1jljJears to be the rl'cord for Lake Mead.
<br />Ameilll"llS J/I('/as (l{aflllesq11e), black Imllhcad. 011 !\ugllSt 2, 1937,
<br />K E. 1(el's colkcted the single specimen of the black IJlllllwad recorded
<br />from thl' area. This llsh, which measured 159 millimelers in standard
<br />length, was caught in Hemenway \Vash (near B011lder Beach). Edward
<br />[:CITY, Telllple Bar, Arizona, concessioner, told the writer that bull-
<br />lleads \\,('I'e f ormnly t;d.;:en in that portion of the lake, but that in recent
<br />years Ilonc have I'een brought into the landing. Miller and Alcorn
<br />(1')46) reponed the collection of two young of the southern black bull-
<br />head, AJJICi'lrIlS 1Ile/as m/u/us (Girard), irom Las Vegas Creek at Las
<br />Vegas, Nevada, J\l1gl1st 30, 1938.
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<br />Poeciliidae (Liveuearers)
<br />Cambusiu 1I0inis a/Jinis (Baird and Girard), western galJlbusia. This.;,'
<br />species is found in Moapa Hiver and in the shallow waters of the coves. .
<br />and washes along the shore line of Lake Mead (Moffett, 1943; Miller.
<br />amI Alcorn, 1946). It may have entered Lake Mead via the Moapa or..
<br />the Virgin River. .
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<br />Fish Fauna of Lake Mead
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<br />. . Centrarchidae. (Sunfishes)
<br />~. Ml.crop/cr.'tS salmOldes salmoidcs (Lacepede), largemouth black bass.
<br />I'lrst extensIve plants of largemouth black bass were made in the Colo-
<br />rad~ River in th,c L~ke Meal! National Recreational Area in July, 1935.
<br />NatIonal. Park Service rtcords show that 466,000 bass tingerlings were
<br />rel.ea~ed mto the bke frolll 1935 to 1940. Today, the largemouth is the
<br />pnnCIple sport fish of Lake Mead. It is so firmly established in the
<br />La.~e .that iUl.-ther phn~ings will probal~ly not improve fishing,
<br />J 1.1IS bass IS found tn the !\1oapa 1(lver (r-.1il1er and Alcorn, 1946)
<br />and In the \:'i1ters bcl(~w I-Ioo~er IJam (Moffett, 1942; Dill, 1944).
<br />A short tll11e after Its creation, Lake Mead began to receive national
<br />recognition for its excellent hass fishing. A Lh)Olllld 14-ounce hass,
<br />largest reported from Lake Mead, on November 26, 1939, won first
<br />place in the 1939 llational Field and S/r{'alll contest. Lake l\'Iead has
<br />produced 13 additional place \\.inners since 1939.
<br />Po:r01/1is nigrO-iliacI/latus (LeSueur), black crappie, No definite
<br />plantll1g records for this spl'cies are cuntained in the National Park
<br />~ervire fill's; proll;Jlll,\', it was stlll"ked in Lake Mead hetween 1935 and
<br />1()J7. The hlack crappie is an important game fish which is found in
<br />all parts of Lake Mead but it is rare below Hoover Dam. The fish
<br />average b~,twe(,1l 1 :In.d 2 Jlounds in.weight and under 12 inches in length.
<br />1.Cf'()IIIl"~ II1rUTOC!IlI'IlS /lllltro.clnf/r,\' T~afin('sqlle, bluegill. The only
<br />plantll1g 01 bluegdls W~IS made .111 .lfJ37, \\'hen 25,000 2-inch fingerlings
<br />were released.. Now the bluegill IS an abundant and important game
<br />tish in Lake Mead.
<br />. L{,polllis c)'aJlt!1l1s Haflrll'~que, grecn sunfish. Specimens of this spe-
<br />l'les have heen collccled a.ud examined by the author from all portions
<br />of Lake Mead, where It IS ne;)rl)' as numerous and wirlespread as the
<br />bluegill. Monett (1942, 1(43) did not mention its occurrence in this
<br />area. Miller and Alcorn (194tJ) first reported the green sunfish fron~
<br />the Moapa River and from along the shores of Lake Mead near the
<br />mouth of the Moapa River. -
<br />Th!s fish wa~ probably introduced unintentionally along with thl'
<br />hluegll1 planted 111 1937. The green sunfish is considered less desirable
<br />because of the small size it attains and because it is a food competitor.
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<br />ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
<br />!he author wishes to cxpress his appreciation to Dr. Robcrt Rush Miller who
<br />c[J11~al1y review~(! th~ pre!imin~ry drafts of the manuscript, offc:red valuabl~ sug-
<br />gestIOns and verlhcd IdentificatIOns of some of the specimens; to Park Naturalist
<br />Russell K. Grater and the National Park Service staff of the Lake Me;lll National
<br />Recreational Area for their assistance; and to many anglers and concessioners for
<br />the SpCCll11CIlS alld InformatIOn they rcndered.
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<br />LITERATURE CITI::U
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<br />ANONYMOlJS
<br />1946, The (:olorado Hiver, a comprehensive report 011 the development of the
<br />v:ater resources of the .Colorado River Basill for irrigation, power produc-
<br />tion, and I~t.her benefiCial lIses in. Arizona, CalifoTllid, C~lorado, Nevada,
<br />New MeXICO, Utah, and Wyonung. U, S. Dept. Intenor Washington
<br />n~m~ I,
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