134 REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



River in May, 1889, and specimens three to six inches in September, 

 1889 (Bean, 1891). 



138. Menticirrhus saxatilis (Bloch and Schneider) . Kingfish; Sea-mink. 



Geog. Dist.: Casco Bay to Pensacola. Common along the whole New 

 England shore. 



Migrations: Reaches Jersey coast in April, most abundant in May. 



Habitat: Deep chanels, sandy bottoms, rarely approaching shore. 

 Prefers sandy bottoms. Young are found in the same localities with 

 young squeteague. In Narragansett Bay, apparently, it occurs 

 singly, and not in schools. 



Season in R. I.: First appears in May. A few are present throughout 

 the season until October. August 23, 1905, a specimen was taken in 

 Sand Blow trap; and on June 5, 1906, a half a dozen specimens were 

 taken in Hazard's Quarry trap. Scattering specimens were taken in 

 traps all through the month of June, 1909. Two specimens were taken 

 in the West Passage trap in September 2-4, 1906, and on September 4, 

 1909, a si^ecimen was taken at the Hazard's Quarry trap. In traps off 

 Newport, the first kingfish in 1908 was taken May 8; in 1909, the first 

 was taken May 4. 



Reproduction: Specimens full of spawn taken early in June in Narra- 

 gansett Bay. Ripe specimens are common in June at Woods Hole 

 (Smith, 1898). 



Food: Bottom feeders. Small Crustacea, annelids, sometimes young 

 fishes. 



Rate of Growth: Several young specimens were taken in a seine east of 

 Quonset wharf on August 31, 1906, one 2 4-5 inches (70mm.), one 

 4 1-5 incjies (105 mm.). These contained shrimp in stomachs. A 

 specimen 1 3-5 inches (41 mm.) long was taken in lobster-rearing car 

 at Wickford, August 4, 1908. 



At Woods Hole the young one inch long appear in the middle of July on 

 sandy beaches. These become four or five inches long in October 

 (Smith, 1898). At Duncan Creek, Long Island, two specimens meas- 

 uring 3f and 4 inches were seined September 4, 1901 (Bean, 1903). 

 Young kingfish of the following sizes were secured by Eigenmann in 

 1900: July 12th, eleven specimens 1 1-5 inches long, ranging from 28 

 to 30 mm. ; July 25, specimen 2f inches long (68.2 mm.) ; August 2nd, 

 specimen 3J- inches (97 mm.); August 8th, specimen 4^ inches (107 

 mm.); August 22, specimen 5 inches (123 mm.). 



