CULTIVATION OF MARINE ANIMALS IN JAPAN 713 



into ponds and lakes which appear inaccessible to any fish coming up 

 from the sea. 



By July they weigh on an average 40 grams and are ready to be 

 sent to the market. When they were put in, in April, they were 

 worth 0.80 yen per kwamme (3.75 kilograms). Three months' culture 

 has raised their value to 1.50 to 2 yen per kwamme, giving thus 

 a large margin of profit. They are all sold by April of the next year, 

 when the largest reach the weight of about 110 grams. The ponds 

 are then ready to receive the next lot. 



Eel-culture, as I have said, has been mainly developed by the 

 efforts of Mr. Hattori, and all the piscicultural establishments 

 which are more or less directly connected with him are engaged in 

 the business. These are in Fukagawa, Tokyo, and in Maisaka, 

 Province Totomi, where the industry is being very widely taken up. 

 I believe that there are also some who were engaged in the business 

 before and without any relation to Mr. Hattori, but I am sorry I can- 

 not gather any facts about these at present. 



The Gray Mullet, " Ina" (Mugil oeur Forskal) 



This is one of the commonest fishes in the estuaries, river-mouths, 

 etc., of Japan. In large numbers it penetrates brackish ponds or 

 any other brackish body of water, where it may grow to a large 

 size and may be gathered in by the proprietor without his having 

 spent any labor on it. Mr. Hattori tells me that from the culturist's 

 point of view fear is not that there may be too few, but that there 

 may be too many, of this fish that will get into culture-ponds. The 

 young are caught in April with a net in the sea or river near the 

 establishments. At that time they are no more than 4 to 5 centi- 

 meters long. They are divided into two lots, according as they are 

 to be sold that year or the next. Those that are to be sold that 

 year are given plenty of space, not more than one or two per tsubo 

 being put in ponds, and are fed abundantly. By September they 

 attain the length of about 25 centimeters and weigh 225 to 860 

 grams, and are sold for 0.50 to 0.80 yen per kwamme. They are all 

 sold by the end of the year. 



Those that are to be sold the next year are not allowed to grow 

 larger than 20 to 25 centimeters before April. This is accomplished 

 by giving them not too much food and by keeping them in ponds 

 or streams where there is a good circulation and a current of water. 

 It is found that those with plenty of fat will not live through the win- 

 ter. They are all sold off by the end of the second year, for beyond 

 this they do not keep well. They reach the length of 33 to 40 centi- 

 meters and 450 to 750 grams in weight, and fetch 0.70 to 1.10 yen 

 per kwamme. 



