190 V- S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



On the habits of the sheepshead in other localities, we find this: 



At the spawning season, which is in the spring, the sheepshead swim in schools 

 and appear to prefer sandy shores. The eggs are about 0.03 inch in diameter, 

 and more than 1,500,000 are in a liquid quart. They float at the surface and 

 hatch rapidly, only 40 hours being required in water of 76° or 77° F. 7 



NATURE OF PRESENT KNOWLEDGE AND THE NEED FOR FUTURE WORK 



Popular and local ideas as to the habits of fish often are so contra- 

 dictory and so varied that at best they serve only to indicate the 

 facts that need real investigation. Hence, some of the information 

 just given, although containing interesting observations and perhaps 

 a great deal of truth, falls far short of the plain facts that must be 

 the basis for future regulation of the fishery. 



There has been very little scientific research specifically relating to 

 the biology and habits of the commercial fishes of Texas other than 

 Mr. Simmonds's brief investigation, which is mentioned in the fore- 

 going section. A report of the United States Fish Commission (see 

 p. 168 of this paper) contains a few references to the habitat and spawn- 

 ing weight of a few of the commercial species, but these are so brief 

 as scarcely to be considered scientific investigations of Texas fish. 

 Mr. Simmonds, on the other hand, evidently found a wealth of ma- 

 terial during his one short summer in the field; but a few months' 

 work, no matter how intensive, is not sufficient to collect all the in- 

 formation necessary for a complete understanding of even a single 

 species. While an investigation of this nature no doubt contributes 

 somewhat to our total knowledge, much further research is necessary 

 before we can arrive at such definite conclusions. 



Most of the study of the species of fish found in Texas waters has 

 been carried on along the Atlantic coast. The excellent paper by 

 Dr. Hugh M. Smith 8 sums up the known facts concerning the At- 

 lantic coast species prior to 1907, and thus indirectly throws light on 

 some of the Texas species. 



One of the most recent publications that also indirectly concerns 

 Texas fish is a paper on the Scisenidse by Welsh and Breder. 9 This 

 paper summarizes all that has been written on' the life histories of the 

 Scisenidse prior to 1923. It also contains original notes based on 

 field work. The authors further point out the incompleteness of our 

 knowledge concerning the family Scisenidse, which includes the spotted 

 trout, redfish, black drum, and other less important commercial fishes 

 of Texas. To quote from their introduction: 



In this paper an effort has been made to bring together such facts as have 

 been recorded concerning the life histories of the family Sciaenida^ found on the 

 Atlantic coast of the United States. The matter contained in it is fragmentary 

 and the blank places in our knowledge of the subject are many and large. As 

 yet there has been no systematic attempt on the part of investigators to study 

 the life histories of this economically important group of fishes, and such facts as 

 have been brought to light form a very imperfect patchwork, which may well be 

 compared to a picture puzzle in which most of the parts are still missing. 



It is quite evident that adequate investigations of the fisheries 

 must be made before any suitable means of regulating and controlling 



i Dr. Hugh M. Smith, in "The Fishes of North Carolina." 



8 "The Fishes of North Carolina," by Hugh M. Smith. North Carolina Geological and Economic 

 Survey, Vol. II, 1917. Raleigh, N. C. 



'"Contributions to life histories of Scisenida? of the eastern United States coast," by William W. 

 Welsh and O. M. Breder, jr. Bulletin, United States Bureau of Fisheries, Vol. XXXIX, 1923-24 (1924). 

 pp. 141-201, figs. 1-60. Washington. 



