PART III. BABY FISH OF SHALLOWWATER SPECIES IN LAKES AND PONDS

Certain kinds of baby fish remain in shallow water, move much less, and develop strong territorial behaviour. Most of these fishes spawn in shallow water, and their babies remain there for some considerable time after hatching. Some of these babies learn to school, for example, bluntnose minnows and brown bullheads, while others swim around individually, for example, Iowa darters and northern pikes. The early life strategy of the brown bullhead (Ictalurus nebulosus) is illustrated in Figure III-1 (below) as an example. A nest, a depression or even a hole, is dug to deposit and retain eggs. Bullhead eggs hatch in a week or so. At hatching time they are partly coloured with yellow carotinoids but begin to darken with melanin pigmentation after a few hours. They remain in the nest for another week while their large, heavy yolk reserves are used up. When the young fish (now in the juvenile stage) are able to swim, they form tight schools and cruise along the shallow shorelines with an adult nearby. They are about 20 mm long at that time and are black or brown in colour. Gradually, individuals begin to break away from the school and disperse on an individual basis.

Descriptions of baby fishes from Ottawa and vicinity are presented here on the basis of shallowwater and deepwater habitats. The baby fishes discussed here normally live in shallowwater, either along shores or within weeds. These 16 species are generally represented by the early life of the Brown Bullhead.

Table III-A. List of Shallowwater Larval Fishes in the Ottawa, Ontario Area. The species are arranged alphabetically by family with both English and French common names included with their scientific names.

Catostomidae
Catostomus commersoni (Lacepede)            White Sucker; Meunier noir, (Fig. III-3C)

Centrarchidae
Ambloplites rupestris (Rafinesque)               Rockbass; Crapet de roche, (Fig. III-2D)
Micropterus dolomieui (Lacép'ede)              Smallmouth Bass; Achigan 'a petite bouche, (Fig. III-2B)

Cyprinidae
Chrosomus eos (Cope)                                 Northern Redbelly Dace; Ventre rouge du nord, (Fig. III-2G)
Cyprinus carpio L.                                       Common Carp; Carpe, (Fig. III-2H)
Notemigonus crysoleucas (Mitchill)             Golden Shiner; Chatte de l'est, (Fig. III-3D)
Notropis cornutus (Mitchill)                         Common Shiner; Mene a nageoires rouges, (Fig. III-3E)
Pimephales notatus (Rafinesque)                 Bluntnose Minnow; Ventre-pourri, (Fig. III-4A)
Pimephales promelas (Rafinesque)              Fathead Minnow; Tete-de-boule, (Fig. III-3A, III-3B)

Cyprinodontidae
Fundulus diphanus (Le Sueur)                     Banded Killifish; Fondule barre, (Fig. III-4B)

Esocidae
Esox lucius L.                                              Northern Pike; Grand brochet, (Fig. III-2F)

Gasterosteidae
Culaea inconstans (Kirtland)                       Brook Stickleback; Epinoche 'a cinq epines, (Fig. III-2C)

Icthaluridae
Ictalurus nebulosus (Le Sueur)                    Brown Bullhead; Barbotte brune, (Fig. III-2A)

Salmonidae
Salvelinus namaycush (Walbaum)               Lake Trout; Touladi, (Fig. III-2E)

* Commonly found in both shallow water and deep water habitats.

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Fig. III-2. Shallowwater baby fish possessing pigmentation consisting of melanophores scattered diffusely over their entire body.

A. Lateral view of a Brown Bullhead, 18.0 mm, (Illustration by Sally Gadd).
B. Lateral view of Smallmouth Bass, 9.9 mm, (Illustration by Sally Gadd).
C. Lateral view of Brook Stickleback, 8.0 mm, (Illustration by Sally Gadd).
D. Lateral view of Rockbass, 8.6 mm, (From Buynak and Mohr Jr., 1979).
E. Lateral view of Lake Trout, 30 mm, (From Auer, 1982).
F. Lateral view of Northern Pike, 14 mm, (From Gihr, 1957).
G. Lateral view of Northern Redbelly Dace, 6.8 mm, (Illustration by Sally Gadd).
H. Lateral view of Common Carp, 7.7 mm, (From Bragensky, 1960).

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Fig. III-4. Shallowwater baby fish possessing a type of pigmentation consisting mainly of a lack of melanophores on their back.

A. Lateral view of Bluntnose Minnow, 6.4 mm, (From Heufelder and Fuiman, 1982).
B. Lateral view of Banded Killifish, 6.0 mm, (Illustration by Sally Gadd).

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Descriptive Accounts of Shallowwater Species:

White Sucker (Catostomus commersoni) meunier noir (Fig. III-3C). Diagnosis: white sucker babies hatch from adhesive, demersal eggs at lengths of 8-9 mm in late May. They occur in rivers, creeks and lakes. White sucker babies are identifiable by their long narrow body, long straight intestine, and lines of melano phores along dorsal, mid-lateral and ventral body.

Rockbass (Ambloplites rupestris) crapet de roche (Fig. III-2D). Diagnosis: rockbass babies hatch in nests from adhesive, demersal eggs at lengths of 4.5-5.5 mm in June and July. They occur in rivers and lakes. Rockbass babies are identifiable by their laterally flattened body, unique intestine, and diffuse arrangement of melanophores.

Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieui) Achigan a petite bouche (Fig. III-2B). Diagnosis: Smallmouth Bass larvae hatch in nests from adhesive, dermsal eggs at a length of 4.5-5.5 mm in June. They occur in rivers and lakes. Smallmouth Bass larvae are identifiable by their laterally flattened body, large size, and diffuse pattern of melanophores.

Northern Redbelly Dace (Chrosomus eos) Ventre rouge du nord (Fig. III-2G). Diagnosis: Redbelly Dace larvae hatch from non-adhesive, demersal eggs at lengths of 5-6 mm in June. They occur in streams, marshes and lakes. Redbelly Dace larvae are identifi able by their long narrow body, intermediate length of intes tine, lines of melanophores along dorsal and ventral body but none along the lateral body.

Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) Carpe (Fig. III-2H). Diagnosis: Carp larvae hatch from adhesive, demersal eggs at lengths of 3-5 mm in June and July. They live in rivers and lakes. Carp larvae are identifiable by the large diameter of their intestine, intermediate length of intestine, diffuse me lanophores along dorsal and ventral body, and absence of line of melanophores along mid-lateral body.

Golden Shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas) Chatte de l'est (Fig. III-3D). Diagnosis: Golden Shiner larvae hatch from adhesive, demersal eggs at lengths of 3-4 mm in June, July and August. They live in rivers and lakes. Golden Shiner larvae are identifiable by their long narrow body, intermediate length of intestine, and lines of melanophores along dorsal, lateral and ventral body.

Common Shiner (Notropis cornutus) Mene a nageoires rouges (Fig. III-3E). Diagnosis: Common Shiner larvae hatch from slightly adhesive, demersal eggs at lengths of 5-6 mm in June and July. They live in rivers, streams, marshes and lakes. Common Shiner larvae are identifiable by their long narrow body, intermediate length of straight intestine, and lines of melanophores along dorsal, mid lateral and ventral body.

Bluntnose Minnow (Pimephales notatus) Ventre-pourri (Fig. III-4A). Diagnosis: Bluntnose Minnow larvae hatch from adhesive, de mersal eggs at lengths of 5-6 mm in June, July and August. They live in rivers, streams, marshes and lakes. Bluntnose Minnow larvae are identifiable by their long narrow body, intermediate length of straight intestine, unique shape of finfold, and lines of melanophores along dorsal, mid-lateral and ventral body.

Fathead Minnow (Pimephales promelas) Tete-de-boule (Figs. III-3A, III-3B). Diagnosis: Fathead Minnow larvae hatch from demersal, adhesive eggs at 4-5 mm in June and July. They live in streams, marshes and lakes. Fathead Minnow larvae are identifiable by their long, narrow body, intermediate length of straight intestine, and lines of melanophores along dorsal, mid-lateral and ventral body.

Banded Killifish (Fundulus diaphanus) Fondule barre (Fig. III-4B). Diagnosis: Banded Killifish larvae hatch from adhesive, de mersal eggs at 5-6 mm in July and August. They live in streams, rivers and lakes. Banded Killifish larvae are identifiable by their short intestine, diffuse arrangement of melanophores, and large triangle of melanophores in the heart region. When alive, the presence of white pigment cells over their entire body is unique among all Ottawa larval fishes.

Northern Pike (Esox lucius) Grand brochet (Fig. III-2F). Diagnosis: Northern Pike larvae hatch from adhesive, demersal eggs at 7-9 mm in April and May. After hatching they use an adhesive organ (head sucker) to attach to aquatic plants or other hard objects for several days. They live in rivers and lakes. Northern Pike larvae are identifiable by their large body length, intermediate length of intestine, wide stomach region, and diffuse arrangement of melanophores over the dorsal body.

Brook Stickleback (Culaea inconstans) Epinoche a cinq epines (Fig. III-2C). Diagnosis: Brook Stickleback larvae hatch from adhesive, de mersal eggs at 5-6 mm in May and June. They live in streams, marshes and lakes. Brook Stickleback larvae are identifiable by their short intestine, diffuse arrangement of melanophores, and line of melanophores along mid-lateral and ventral body between anus and caudal peduncle.

Brown Bullhead (Ictalurus nebulosus) Barbotte brune (Fig. III-2A). Diagnosis: Brown Bullhead larvae hatch from adhesive, demersal eggs at lengths of 6-8 mm in June and July. They live in rivers and lakes. Brown Bullhead larvae stay in nests during early development and later swim around in schools as juveniles. Free-swimming Brown Bullhead juveniles are identifiable by their large body, intermediate length of intestine, wide stomach region, four pairs of barbels around mouth, and diffuse pattern of melanophores over entire body.

Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush)  Touladi (Fig. III-2E). Diagnosis:

Literature Cited

Auer, N.A. (ed.) 1982. Identification of larval fishes of the Great Lakes Basin with emphasis on the Lake Michigan drainage. Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Ann Arbor, MI 48105. Special Publication 82-3:1-744.

Boraski, J.P. and N.G. McLean. 1981. Incubation and emergence studies on Devil Lake. Rideau Lakes Fisheries Assessment Unit, Ministry of Natural Resources, Report No. 3. 22 pp.

Bragensky, R.Y. 1960. Early development of the carp. Pp. 129-149. In: C.G. Krevanovski. In: Works on the early development of bony fishes [in Russian]. Stud. A.N. Stevertsova. Inst. Anim. Morphol. Soviet Acad. Sci., No. 28.

Buynak, G.L. and H.W. Mohr Jr. 1979. Larval development of rockbass from the Susquehanna River. Progressive Fish-Culturist 41(1): 39-42.

Conner, J.V. 1979. Identification of larval sunfishes (Centrarchidae, Elassomatidae) from southern Louisiana, pp 17-52. In: R.D. Hoyt, ed. Proc. Third Symposium Larval Fish. Western Kent University, Bowling Green, Kent.

Cucin, D. and D.J. Faber. 1984. Early life studies of Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), Cisco (Coregonus artedii) and Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) in Lake Opeongo, Ontario. Ontario Fisheries Technical Report Series, No. 16, K. H. Loftus, Ed. 73 pp.

Fish, M.P. 1932. Contributions to the early life of sixty-two species of fishes from Lake Erie and its tributary waters.
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Gihr, M. 1957. Zur Entwicklung des Hechtes. Rev. Suisse Zool. 64(24): 355-474.

Heufelder, G.R. and L.A. Fuiman. 1982. Family Cyprinidae, carps and minnows, pp 174-344. In: N.A. Auer (ed.) Identification of larval fishes of the Great Lakes basin with emphasis on the Lake Michigan drainage. Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Ann Arbor, MI 48105. 744 pp.

Rasmussen, R.P. 1980. Egg and larva development of brook silversides from the Peace River, Florida. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc. 109: 407-416.