220 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The tautog is taken for market in considerable numbers by means of 

 lines and traps. It bites quite readily and is a favorite with anglers. 

 Its average weight as caught for sale is not more than 2 or 3 pounds, 

 but tautog weighing from 6 to 15 pounds are not rare. The maximum 

 weight is about 22i pounds ; such a specimen from New York, 36i inches 

 long, is preserved in thelJ. S. National Museum. The annual commer- 

 cial catch of tautog is about 1,500,000 pounds, valued at $60,000 ; nearly 

 halt the yield is from Massachusetts. 



The spawning season on the southern New England coast extends 

 from April to August, although June appears to be the principal mouth. 

 The young are very abundant along the shores in the fall. 



The artificial propagation of tantog was experimentally undertaken 

 at Woods Hole in 1886. In 1890, 31,431,000 eggs were taken in June; 

 from these 17,575,000 fry were hatched and planted in neighboring 

 waters. 



Tautog from which eggs for hatching are taken are obtained from 

 nets or from line fishermen near the station and transferred to live-cars. 

 When first brought in they seldom yield any eggs, but in 2 to hours 

 they may be stripped of a part of their eggs. The eggs taken after fish 

 are held more than 6 hours are usually of no value, and those obtained 

 from fish retained one night are invariably worthless. 



The tautog is very prolific. In 1896 a O^-pouud fish yielded 1,142,600 

 eggs, and it was estimated that the ovaries contained fully as many 

 more eggs that were not yet mature. The average number of eggs per 

 fish is from 150,000 to 200,000. 



The eggs of the tautog are about -^V inch in diameter. They are 

 buoyant, like those of the mackerel, and are susceptible of the same 

 method of hatching. When placed in the automatic tidal box, they 

 hatch in about 5 days, with the water temperature at 69° F., and in 2 

 or 3 days with the temperature at 71°. 



The newly hatched fry are transparent and exceedingly small, the 

 length being only -^V inch. They are quite hardy and stand transpor- 

 tation well. They are planted shortly after hatching. 



THE SPANISH MACKEREL. 



The Spanish mackerel {Scomheromorus macula tus) is the best-known 

 fish of the genus and the only one that has received the attention of 

 fish-culturists. From the other species of Scomheromorus found on the 

 eastern United States coast {S. regalis, the kingfish, and S. canaila, 

 the cero) this fish is, in part, distinguished by its smaller size and by 

 the insertion of the soft dorsal fin in advance of the anal. The body 

 is long, the head small and pointed, the mouth large and armed with 

 prominent teeth. The anterior dorsal fin has 17 spines, the soft dorsal 

 has 18 rays. The anal fin has 2 spines and 17 rays. Behind both the 

 dorsal and anal fins are 9 small finlets. The lateral line is wavy and 

 has about 175 pores. The general color is silvery, dark-bluish above 

 and whitish below. The sides have numerous rounded yellowish spots. 



