REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 87 



Season in R. I.: Not common in Narragansett Bay. A large run arrives 

 in offshore waters in the middle of May, probably leaving in June. 

 Comes in again in September and October and are present through the 

 winter. A small specimen, 14 inches long, taken September 11, 1905, 

 Dutch Island Harbor, Narragansett Bay. On May 15, 1905, and during 

 the few following days a large run of pollock took place all along the shore 

 from Brenton's Reef to Sakonnet. This was the largest run for years, 

 and made havoc among the scup schools. 



Reproduction: Like the cod, spawning takes place in winter in the open 

 water. The eggs are buoyant, but smaller than those of the cod. 



Habitat: Like the cod; a bottom and deep-water fish. But it is more often 

 seen on the surface than the cod, congregating in large schools which roam 

 from place to place preying on fishes of all sorts. 



Food: Fishes of all kinds; scup, young codfish. 



Size: Ten or 12 pounds. Schools of young at Woods Hole in April, 1 to 1^ 

 inches long; these are 4 inches long in June. In September there is a run 

 of pollock 7 or 8 inches long. 



160. Microgadus tomcod (Walbaum) . Tomcod; Frostfish. 

 Geog. Dist.: Virginia to Labrador. 



Season in R. L: Present along the coast the year round; common in streams 



and near shores in winter. 

 Reproduction: Spawns in shore waters in December. 

 Food: Annelids, shrimp, amphipods, and other small Crustacea. 

 Size: Rarely over 12 inches. 



161. Gadus callarias (Linnaeus). Cod. 



Geog. Dist. : North Atlantic, south to Virginia and France. 



Migrations: Prefers a temperature of 35° to 42°F., therefore it remains on 

 the offshore banlvs during summer along the New England coast, keeping 

 out in the cold Labrador current, which extends south inside the Gulf 

 Stream, coming into more shallow water in the winter. 



Season in R. L: Appears in October; height of season November 1; present 

 all winter. A spring run takes place in April. 



Reproduction: The extreme length of the spawning period is from Septem- 

 ber to May. The spawning of each fish probably continues through a 

 period of two months. The eggs are buoyant. 



