Fishes of the Pacific Coast 



The species which belong south of Point Con- 

 cepcion are in most cases closely allied to tropical 

 species, and have evidently had their origin in 

 migrations from the south. These are, as a rule, 

 not distinctly Californian, but belong to types which 

 are widely diffused through the warm waters of 

 the tropics. Their relations are with the West 

 Indian forms rather than with the other fishes of 

 California. 



About 120 species of deep-sea fishes have been 

 obtained by the Albatross in the depths of the ocean 

 off the continental slope of California. These crea- 

 tures are as a rule very soft in body, red or pur- 

 plish-black in color, and many of them are covered 

 with phosphorescent spots by which they can see 

 their way in the darkness of the ocean depths. 

 They live in the open seas at a depth of from two 

 to five miles, and their soft bodies at this depth 

 are rendered firm by the tremendous pressure of 

 the surrounding waters. The light and heat of the 

 sun never penetrate their native haunts, the dark- 

 ness is absolute, and the temperature of the water 

 is almost at the freezing point. The creatures liv- 

 ing at these great depths are not, generally speak- 

 ing, descended from the shore species of the same 

 region; they constitute groups by themselves, and 

 forms very similar are found in all parts of the 

 ocean from the poles to the equator. 



About 45 species of fishes inhabit the fresh 

 waters of California, including the great basin 

 of the Sacramento and San Joaquin, the basin of 

 the Colorado, and the Lahontan basin, represented 

 by Lake Tahoe and the Truckee River. Beside the 

 species of trout, most of the fresh-water fishes 

 come under the head of suckers and chubs. One 

 surf-fish and one bass are native to the rivers of 

 California. 



Of the whole number of fishes found, 133 of 

 the marine species are properly to be called food 

 fishes, occurring more or less frequently in the 

 markets, and being more or less desirable for table 

 use. The others, either on account of small size, 

 ill flavor, or tastelessness of flesh, are not used as 

 food, or else are used only when salted and dried, 

 by the Chinese, for whose soups and chowders 

 nothing seems to come amiss. About twenty of 

 the fresh-water fishes are also food fishes, but only 

 seven or eight of these have much value as such. 



The distribution of fishes, that is, the question 

 of the extent of the area inhabited by any partic- 

 ular kind, depends on a number of different con- 

 ditions, the most important of these being the tem- 



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