MISCELLANEOUS MARINE FISHES. 



Ill addition to the salt-water fishes previously considered, a number of 

 others have been artificially propagated by the U. S. Fish Commission. 

 With some of these the fish-cultural work has been rather extensive; 

 with others, hardly more than experimental. Among those to which 

 most attention has been given are tautog, Spanish mackerel, pollock, 

 and haddock. Others that have come in for a share of either practical 

 or experimental work are sea herring, scup, sea bass, squeteague, 

 cunner, sheepshead, and several flounders. 



The same methods of culture mentioned hereafter in connection with 

 tautog are applicable in general to scup, sea bass, squeteague, and other 

 species having floating eggs. 



THE TAUTOG. 



The tautog [Tautoga onitis) is a strongly marked species. It belongs 

 to a family {Labridce, or the wrasses) characterized in part by one 

 dorsal fin, thoracic ventral fins, double nostrils, thick lii)s, and strong 

 teeth in the jaws. The tautog has an elongated body and a large head 

 with a convex profile. The rather small mouth is armed with strong 

 conical teeth in two series. The eye is small and placed high on the 

 side of the head. The body is covered with small scales, in about 60 

 transverse rows and 40 longitudinal series. The head is destitute of 

 scales, with the exception of a small patch behind the eye. The dorsal 

 fin is long and low, with 16 strong spines and 10 soft rays. The anal fin 

 contains 3 spines and 8 rays. The body length is 3^ or 3J times that of 

 head and 2§ or 3 times the depth. The gillrakers are short, feeble, and 

 number only 9. The color of adults is almost uniformly blackish or 

 greenish ; the young are marked by dark irregular crossbars on a pale 

 brownish background; chin, white; iris, bright green. 



The tautog is of considerable importance in certain parts of its range. 

 It is found from Maine to South Carolina, but is most abundant in 

 Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York. It is one of the best- 

 known shore fishes of the east coast, and goes by a variety of names, 

 among which are blackfish, chub, oyster-fish, and moll, besides the 

 most generally used name of tautog. 



The tautog inhabits principally rocky bottom, where it hides in crev- 

 ices, often with its body in an apparently very unnatural position. It 

 is quite susceptible to changes in temperature, and during winter enters 

 into a state of hibernation in the more northern i^arts of its range. 

 Its coastwise movements are very limited. Its sharp strong teeth 

 enable it to consume mollusks and crustaceans, which are its chief 

 food; it also eats sand-dollars, worms, and other animals. 



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