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<br />160
<br />
<br />CALIFOIU-.""ll FISH A:!'o;"l) GAME
<br />
<br />contained: Najas; fragments of cattail ( n i dragonfly nymphs; crayfish j
<br />unidentified fisb,probably carrion.'
<br />The work of many authors shows that the food of Ameiu-rus is most
<br />diversified. (See, for example, Cable, 1928 i references in~Adams and
<br />Hankinson, 1928.) Algae, higher plants, both minute and:large crus-
<br />tacea, insects, molluscs, and fish have all been reporteda.s food items in
<br />the stomachs of .Ameiurus natalis, A. nebul{}sus, and A. melas. Like the
<br />channel catfish, the bullheads appear to utilize most of the'Rvailable livilll!'
<br />foods and to be efficient scavengers.
<br />
<br />__~____._Placein the Fishery. It competes for food with the other game fishes, but
<br />also acts as a useful scaveriger:None of the bullheads. are popular with
<br />Colorado River fishermen who often throw them awav, Bullheads are
<br />considered to be very edible fish in other parts of the rountry. It is
<br />probable that the abundance of the gamier and more attractive channel
<br />catfish accounts for the prejudice against the lowly" mud cats. "
<br />
<br />Black bullhead, A1JJei1lnu ,,"un (Rafinesque)
<br />
<br />Recognition Characters. Square-cut tail i grey or blackish chin barbels;
<br />17.21 anal rays i blackish coloration i pectoral spines without strong barbs
<br />on posterior edge i fins with jet-black membranes.
<br />
<br />Distribution; Ab.und4nce. Only two specimens were seen in 1942. On
<br />May 18th one 10.2 inches in length was taken in a gill-net from Haslam
<br />Slough, near Palo Verde, California. Another 8.9 inches long, was taken
<br />in a gill-net from the river at Headgate Rock Dam on May 20th.24 Both
<br />were mature females. Other definite records of its occurrence in Cali.
<br />fornia have not yet been published.
<br />Since fishermen on the Colorado usually seem to recognize but one
<br />kind of "bullhead" or "mudcat" it is possible that this species is con.
<br />fused "ith the others. '
<br />
<br />Remarks. Ordinarily this species does not reach as large a size as the
<br />other bullheads known from the river, Forbes and Richardson (19201
<br />say that it is not ofteu over 12 inches in length. The literature indicates
<br />that its feeding and breeding habits are similar to those of the yellow
<br />bullhead.
<br />
<br />Brown bullhead or Square.tailed catfish, Anu;1<TUS nebulas us (Le Sueur)
<br />
<br />Recognition Chara.ctcrs. Square-cut tail; grey or blackish chin barbels;
<br />19-24.. anal rays i brownish coloration i pectoral spines with strong barbs
<br />on posterior edge.
<br />
<br />Distribution; Abunda1lce. This species was not seen by the author
<br />who knows of only one record of its occurrence in the lower river, Grin-
<br />nell (1914) states that it was taken in a backwater slough of the rin!
<br />on the Arizona side above Mellen (Topock) in 1910. Fishermen may
<br />possibly confuse it with other bullheads from the river so its abundance
<br />is unknown.
<br />
<br />'" Dr. Carl L, Hubbs ha.s identified this specimen as the northern black bullhead,
<br />A, meta" mela8 (RafineSQue), In a letter of Feb. 23, 1943. he has informed me that
<br />he has collections of the southern black bullhead. A, 1l1elaa catulua (Girard), from the
<br />Colorado River system in Arizona.
<br />
<br />
<br />-- --THE }'l~nh.1l..&. v.... -~----:-
<br />
<br />
<br />irks. This species is said to reach a length of 18 inches by Forbes
<br />ll~chardson (1920), but most of those caught are considerably
<br />. Its spawning season, food, and habits are similar to those of tbe
<br />bullhead. This is a common and widely distributed fish in other
<br />f California, and is popular with fishermen in most places.
<br />
<br />Cyprinodontidae. ltillifishes
<br />
<br />",iition Characters. The killifishes and top minnows (Poeciliidae)
<br />_'stinguished from tl:!~nother fishes of the lower river by the
<br />'_ g combination of characters :-scales-oD'. bothhead:and ..body+-.__
<br />~~~a ws; no spines in fins; single dorsal fin. . _H m_ - _~=c
<br />
<br />., ' .nodon is a chubby little fish, usually only about 2 inches long.
<br />lor ado River district it is sometimes confused with the mosquito- .
<br />u ibusi4 affi:nis affinis), but they may be easily distinguisbed by
<br />tivepositions of the dorsal and anal fins. In the desert killifish
<br />'.on of the alial is bebind that of the dorsal i in the mosquitofish
<br />. 'in advanee of the dorsal insertion.
<br />
<br />#.tion; Abundance; Habitat. This fish is, of course, not likely to
<br />)~he attention of the angler. But despite its small size and minor
<br />the economy of the fishing waters it deserves mention here.
<br />er (1943.1) gives its range as: I' The basin of the lower Colorado
<br />. srivers and the Salton Sea, from southern Arizona to south-
<br />:palifornia and eastern Lower California, and the Sonoyta river
<br />uern Sonora, Mexico." It is found in isolated springs and creeks
<br />desert, and is abundant in the Salton Sea, It is not known, how-
<br />'bether or not it occurs in the main waters of the Colorado or its
<br />s;'llakes" and distributaries in the Yuma-to-Needles section.
<br />~bert R. Miller knows of no records for this Cyprinodon in the
<br />?c~9ve Yuma, but believes that it once occurred there. (Letter to
<br />thor, October 28, 1943,) 25 More intensive collecting especially in
<br />uughs and ditches of this section might reveal its presence.
<br />tsabundance in the Salton Sea has already been mentioned. and
<br />?i;thas been taken in irrigation ditches in "the Imperial Valley it
<br />. . commoner in the larger waters draining this valley than has been
<br />.ed.
<br />~e-desert killifish has a remarkable adaptability to extremes of
<br />,wtq.perature and salinity. Miller and Miller (1942) say that it
<br />'ve winter temperatures very close to freezing and summer tem-
<br />es over 1000 F. It "ill live and breed in both fresh water and
<br />. line waters of the Salton Sea.
<br />
<br />uCtion. Miller and Miller (1942) say that this fish breeds from
<br />pril to September (in garden pools), and that there is some evi-
<br />,trt it breeds the year round in some of its native warm springs.
<br />
<br />"hiiS been taken from the Glla River (2 miles below Dome, Arizona) close
<br />filience with the Colorado; other collections have been made along the Colo-
<br />.Mexico. (Miller, 1943,1.) An unpublished survey In the files of the Bureau
<br />.ol!ervatlon reports "desert minnoWS" near Blythe, California. It is believed.
<br />,that these fish were really Gambusia.
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