Breeding Behavior and Early Development of the Mudsucker, a Gobiid Fish of California
1947; American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists; Volume: 1947; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.2307/1438636
ISSN1938-5110
Autores Tópico(s)Fish Ecology and Management Studies
ResumoONE of the most remarkable fishes of the Californian fauna is the mudsucker or long-jawed goby, Gillichthys mirabilis Cooper. Rather large for a goby, it reaches a length of at least 8 inches. It is common in the bays and estuaries of southern California and northwestern Baja California. It has been reported from as far north as Puget Sound (Jordan and Starks, 1895: 839). Records from the Gulf of California, as that of Evermann and Jenkins (1891: 162) from Guaymas, were based on related species, Gillichthys detrusus Gilbert and Scofield and G. seta (Ginsburg). The mudsucker is the chief bait fish of southern California. It is reported that many thousands per week are harvested and sold. Its popularity is attributable not only to its suitable size and extreme hardiness but also to its ability to survive for several days in fresh water. Consequently, it is widely used for fishing in lakes as well as in the bays and seas. Its inability to propagate in fresh water renders it a safe fish to use as bait. Little has been published concerning the life history of Gillichthys mirabilis, and part of the little that has been written is of doubtful validity. Eigenmann (1892: 159, pl. 15, fig. 12) figured the young, which is remarkably unlike the adult, and stated that the species begins to spawn in the San Diego area about the end of March, at which time it ceases to feed and retires to crab holes. Actually it spawns as early as January and appears to move about at night during all seasons. Hubbs (1921: 1-3) described the young as a distinct genus and species, Aprolepis barbarae, but later (1926: 3) corrected the error. Barnhart's statement (1936: 82) that it is most abundant in sloughs, and hides in the holes of the mud banks is true, but his indication that it hibernates in winter is not confirmed. Young and Fox (1937: 1) found many males with motile sperm and females with enlarged ovaries in May and June. Observations by bait dealers and by me confirm this finding and show that a few females mature as late as July. The breeding behavior of the mudsucker has not been described. Some bait dealers have attempted the artificial propagation of this fish but report lack of success. Though it has been exhibited for long periods in the public aquaria of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and at Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco, no one has seen it spawning. The spawning of a pair in a laboratory aquarium at Scripps Institution was therefore observed with much interest. This observation prompted the preparation of this paper.
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