MORTALITY OF FISHES, WEST COAST OF FLORIDA. 



9 



Beginning the next day, November 13, the writer spent three days 

 in the vicinity of San Carlos Bay, with headquarters at Sanibcl. In 

 this interval water samples were collected at various places in San 

 Carlos Bay and Pass, Pine Island Sound, Tarpon Bay, and Blind 

 Pass. Efforts made to collect bottom samples were successful only 

 in obtaining pieces of shell and fragments of a thin layer of lime 

 deposit which seems to cover the bottom in San Carlos Bay and Pine 

 Island Sound. Such qualitative tests as were made indicated a 

 rather strong alkalinity. On November 13 and 14 dead h:4ies were 

 in greater abundance, coming in, apparently, on the tide. On the 

 13th a census of dead fishes was taken covering '20 steps of the San 

 Carlos Beach, Sanibel Island. This census revealed 163 specimens 

 of fishes, of 26 species, and included neither the windrow cast up at 

 high tide, nor those floating, but only those at or close to the water's 

 edge. On the dark nights of that week the phosphorescence of the 

 decaying fishes made the beach visible for a long distance, and the 

 sand was so charged with phosphorescent bacteria that one's tracks 

 persisted for some seconds. Familiar fishes were identified by their 

 own light. The odor was almost intolerable ; people dwelling on the 

 islands hauled away wagonloads and buried them in their orchards 

 for fertilizer. 



SPECIES AFFECTED. 



In all the region covered the following species were noted : * 



Spei'ies. 



Common name. 



Manta birostn's'' I Devilfish 



Family. 



Ocyurus chrysnriis '' 



Neomaenis grisens 



Epinephilus morio b . . 



E.striatus 



Garrupa nifirita 



Centroprist a^ striatus 



Menticirrhus sp.'' 



Cynoscion nebi'ilosus. 



C. sp S"|ueteagu 6 ("trout ") 



Bairdiellasp ' Sand perch , 



Pogonias cromis I Black drum ("drum ") 



Yellow-tail 



Mangrove snapper 



Red grouper 



Nassau grouper 



Jewfish 



Sea bass 



Whiting 



Spotted squeteague ("trout ' 



Scisenops o xillatus . 



Tarpon atlanticusfc 



Caranx hippos 



Caranx crysos 



Selene vomer 



Trachinotus carolinus . . 



Oligoplites saurus 



Scorpaena sp 



Mugil cephalus 



Hsemulon plumieri 



H.sciurus 



Bathystomarimator 



Anisotremus virginicus . 



Monacanthus sp , 



Do 



Scomberomorus regalis. , 



Rissola marginata 



Scarus vetula 



Red drum, channel bass ("redfish ") - 



Tarpon 



CrevallP 



Crevalli' ("skip jack ") 



Moonflsli 



Pompano 



Leather jacket 



Scorpionflsh 



Mullet 



Grunt 



do 



Red-mouth grunt 



Porkflsh 



Fileflsh 



do 



Cero ; kingflsh 



Cusk eel 



Parrotflsh 



Mantidae. 

 Lutianidae. 



Do. 

 Serranidae. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 

 Sciaenidae. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 

 Elopidae. 

 Carangidae. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 

 Scorpaenidae. 

 Mugilidae. 

 Haemulidae. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 

 Monaeanthidae. 



Do. 

 S^ombridae. 

 Ophidiidfe. 

 SearidiP. 



o The identifications here representel are, of course, open to question. Time did not admit of careful 

 study. On the great majority of the fishes the colors had faded, of several spei'ies only badly decomposed 

 specimens were seen, and sorhe of the others were quite unfamiliar to the observer. 



b Not seen by writer, but reported by flsherraen and others. 



