1 5 6 AMERICAN FISHES. 



1 ' The amount of food they destroy, even if the whole of it be not 

 actually consumed, is almost incredible. Mr. Westgate and others esti- 

 mate it at twice the weight of the fish in a day, and this is perhaps quite 

 reasonable. Capt. Spindle goes so far as to say that it will destroy a 

 thousand fish in a day. This gentleman is also of the opinion that they 

 do much more harm to the fishes of the coast than is caused by the 

 pounds. They will generally swallow a fish of a very large size in propor- 

 tion to their own, sometimes taking it down bodily; at others, only the 

 posterior half. The peculiar armor of certain fish prevents their being 

 taken entire ; and it is not uncommon to find the head of a sculpin or 

 other fish, whose body has evidently been cut off by the Bluefish. In the 

 summer time the young are quite apt to establish themselves singly in a 

 favorite locality, and, indeed, to accompany the fry of other fishes usually 

 playing below them, and every now and then darting upward and captur- 

 ing an unlucky individual, while the rest dash away in every direction. 

 In this manner they attend upon the young mullet, atherinas, etc. They are 

 very fond of squid, which may very frequently be detected in their 

 stomachs. In August 1870, about Fire Island, Mr. S. I. Smith found 

 their stomachs filled with marine worms, a species of Heteronereis, which, 

 though usually burrowing in the mud, at that season swims freely toward 

 the surface in connection with the operation of reproduction. This, like' 

 the squid, is a favorite bait for the Bluefish ; and they appear to care for 

 little else when these are to be had. This fart probably explains the 

 reason why, at certain seasons, no matter how abundant the fish may be, 

 they cannot be taken with the drail or squid boat." 



The Bluefish are believed to have had a very important influence upon 

 the abundance of other species on some part of the coast. This has been 

 noticed especially on the north side of Cape Cod. South of Cape Cod 

 the small fish occur in such enormous abundance that even the voracity of 

 millions of Bluefish could hardly produce any effect upon them. Capt. 

 Atwood has recorded his belief that the advent of the Bluefish drove away 

 the plaice or large flounder from those waters, not so much by their direct 

 attacks upon them as by destroying the squid upon which the latter for- 

 merly subsisted. He is also of the opinion that the mackerel, once, for 

 a time, were affected by them. The mackerel have since returned to 

 those waters in their wonted numbers, but the Bluefish are not now suffi- 

 ciently plenty north of Cape Cod to interfere with them. The flight of the 



