I. Introduction 



Fish and shellfish have played an important part in the Rhode 

 Island economy since colonial times. Rhode Island has more than 

 four hundred miles of shoreline, and its waters contain many species 

 of fish. Ichthyological literature contains more than a half dozen 

 type specimens described from Rhode Island waters. These include: 

 Myliobatis freminvillei by LeSueur; Pcristcdion miniatum by Goode; 

 Cheilichthyes trichocephalus by Cope; Alectis crinitus by Mitchill; 

 Pseudopriacantlms althus by T. Gill; and Opisthoncma oglinum by 

 LeSueur. 



Due to the unusual geographical characteristics of the state of 

 Rhode Island and the islands within its boundaries marine fishes 

 occur in a wide variety of physical and biological conditions. Salt 

 marshes, estuaries, salt water ponds, rocky shoals and open sea off 

 Block Island provide the habitats for anadromous, catadromous, 

 benthic, oceanic, pelagic and coastal fishes. 



The purpose of this book is to provide a revised and briefly 

 annotated list of the Rhode Island marine fishes. The data for this 

 publication was collected by the author from 1954 to 1959 while a 

 student at the University of Rhode Island and biology instructor 

 at Rhode Island College. An intensive survey was made of Rhode 

 Island marine fish species recording 215 distinct species indigenous 

 to local waters. 



