378 KEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



additional being sold through the streets b}^ peddlers. Fresh fish, as 

 sold in the market, average 8 to 10 cents a pound, undressed, with 

 very small changes in prices of species or for seasons. 



The niarket oflicials and fish handlers report very little, if any, 

 change in the amount of receipts, prices, or abundance of the several 

 species during the past four years. No record is kept of the receipts 

 or sales, the aggregate for the year being from estimates of market 

 officials and dealers. Of the numerous species at times found in the 

 market, the following are the most common at all seasons: Salmonete, 

 or red and yellow goat-fish, lane snapper, mullet, sardines, Spanish 

 mackerel, king-fish, runner, grouper, scad, and snappers. 



The following shows the catch b}^ different forms of apparatus: 



Haul seines {chinchorro) : Leather-jack, runner, barbudo, and casabe, all very plen- 

 tiful; pompano, Nassau grouper, red hind, red grouper, lane snapper, and jurel. 



Trolling hook and line: Colirubia, picuda, jurel, green parrot, madregal, Spanish 

 mackerel, and king-fish, the last two chiefly during December, January, Febru- 

 ary, and March; a few during other months. 



Pots: Runner and niargate, very plentiful; corocoro, Nassau grouper, red hind, red 

 grouper, gray snapper, dog snapper, schoolmaster, red snapper, lane snapper, 

 pluma, squirrel-flsh, scarce; spiny lobsters, of 3 to 4 pounds weigiit, fairly plenti- 

 ful, pots often having from 3 to 10 lobsters each at a single lift. 



Cast nets: Sardines and balaju. 



Trawl: Runner, mero cabrilla, red hind, red grouper, schoolmaster, mutton-fish, red 

 snapper, and lane snapper. 



Randal (line with 3 to 4 snoods near its end, one hook on each snood): Runner, 

 cabra mora, Nassau grouper, red hind, red grouper, gray snapper, dog snapper, 

 mutton-fish, lane snapper, and pluma. 



MONA ISLAND. 



Mona Island, about 25 miles southwest from Mayaguez, is at times 

 visited by fishermen from Aguadilla and Mayaguez for fish and hawks- 

 bill or tortoise-shell turtle. Fish are reported plentiful about the 

 island, though but little fishing is done. The chief attraction for 

 fishermen and others from more distant sections of the main island is 

 the turtle fishery. Turtles are found during May, June, and July, 

 but are never numerous. The hawksbill turtles weigh 25 to 75 pounds 

 each; the shells from 5 to 10 pounds. During 1902, 700 pounds of 

 the shells were sold at Mayaguez at an average of $3 per pound, and 

 the turtle meat at 6 to 7 cents a pound. 



ANASCO, SABINATA, AND ALGARROBO. 



These three fishing settlements are a few miles north of Mayaguez. 

 The amount of their fish business is small, and the species taken are 

 the same as those taken by the fishermen of Mayaguez. This section 

 of the island suffered much from the hurricane; many of the fishermen, 

 having lost boats and fishing apparatus, gave up the business. 



BOCA DE JOYUDA. 



Eight miles south from Mayaguez a few fishermen live in a grove 

 of cocoa palms that borders the beach. Their work is varied by fish- 

 ing at times and extracting cocoa oil from the products of the trees at 



