Menhaden; Mossbunker ; Pogy 



than long, closely imbricated, their exposed edges vertical and 

 fluted or pectinated; dorsal fin low, rather posterior; anal fin 

 small; intestine long; peritoneum dusky. 



This genus contains only a few species, all inhabiting the At- 

 lantic, and probably spawning in brackish water in the spring. 

 They are coarse, herbivorous fishes, not greatly valued as food, 

 but having several other very important uses. 



Menhaden ; Mossbunker ; Pogy 



Brevoortia tyrannns (Latrobe) 



The menhaden occurs from Nova Scotia to Brazil, and is by 

 far the most abundant fish on the eastern coast of the United 

 States. Several hundred thousand have been taken in a single 

 draft of a purse-seine. A firm at Milford, Connecticut, captured 

 in 1870, 8,800,000; in 1871, 8,000,000; in 1872, 10,000,000, and 

 in 1873, 12,000,000. In 1877, 3 sloops from New London seined 

 13,000,000. Though this was an unprofitable year the Pemaquid 

 Oil Company took 20,000,000, and the town of Booth Bay alone 

 took 50,000,000. 



Though no decrease was visible up to 1880, since that time 

 many fishermen believe a very great decrease has taken place. 

 This, however, has not been proved, and many intelligent ob- 

 servers deny that any appreciable decrease has really occurred. 



The food of the menhaden consists almost wholly of plank- 

 ton the minute unicellular algae, and the smaller animals which 

 swarm in untold myriads at the surface of the sea, particularly 

 along the coasts. 



. 

 109 



