C — THE FISHERY RESOURCES AND FISHING-GROUNDS 



OF ALASKA. 



Uy Taeleton H. Bean.1 



15. THE FISHERY RESOURCES OF ALASKA. 



Tbe Torritoiy of Alaska Las seventy-five species of food-fishes, seveiieigbtlis of wbicli are 

 strictly adapted to the use of mau, the balauce being more suitable for bait. More thau ouehalf 

 of this Dumber arc widely distributed. IMore than two-thirds of the whole number exist in great 

 abundance where they occur. 



The flat-fishes and flounders (Pleuroneclidw) have representatives on all parts of the coast ; 

 the number of species is, however, smaller north of Uualashka than is found around the shores of 

 the Gulf of Alaska and its groups of islands. 



The codfishes [Gadidw) are equally divided between Southern and Xorthern Alaska, the 

 southern species excelling the northern in size ; of these the pollock is one of the best baits 

 known for cod. 



There are thirteen species of sculi»ins [Cotlidw), nearly all of which are important as food, 

 the scaly sculpins [Ilemilcjndotii.s) being especially good. 



Although the number of species of Sebastichthys is much smaller thau on the Californiaii 

 coast, the five that do occur in the waters of Southern Alaska are all excellent, and two of these 

 are known from as far north as Kodiak. 



The so-called "rock-cod" (species oi Hvxuyrammus) rank with the preceding in good qualitie.<, 

 and they are extremely abundant, some species reaching as far north as Port Clarence ; 

 Hexagrammus asper of Steller is found all along the coast from Sitka westward to Attn. These 

 fishes are generally known to the Eussians and largely to the Aleuts as the " tor-poog"'; one- 

 species [H. ordiiiatus, Cope) is the "green-fish," so called on account of the green color of its flesh,, 

 which is nevertheless quite palatable; the green color disappears in the process of cooking: the- 

 "green-fish" is reiuarkable for another pectiliarity in its smoky brown ova. One of the most 

 important members of this family of Chiridw is the "striped fish," "yellow-fish," or "Atk;^ 

 mackerel," Flcxiragrammits monopieryyins (Pallas) Gill, which, besides its own intrinsic value as an 

 edible fish, possesses rare worth as a bait for cod. 



The f.imily of Trachiiiidce is represented by one species called "cusk" at the Shumagins, 

 a fish which was too rare in museums for us to try its table qualities, although it forms an 

 element in the bait-supply for cod. 



'The report of Dr. Bean might, with almost equal propriety, be incliuteU in the sectiou devoted to the methods 

 of the fisheries, hut since it is in the main a discussion of undeveloped resources it is deemed more fitting to inchule 

 it in the sectiou devoted to the fishing-grounds.— G. Bnowx Goode. 



SEC III G 81 



