1 1 8 Memoir Sears Foundation for Marine Research 



long are very plentiful in the narrow headwaters of brackish and freshwater streams, 

 and even in drainage ditches. But the growing fish tends to move down to the broader 

 waters as it grows. 



There is no apparent reason to credit the older Tarpon with any extensive 

 migrations, whether inshore-offshore or along shore, in the southern part of the range, 

 for large fish are found there within rivers and along the open coast at all times 

 of the year. 



In the northern part of its range, however, the large Tarpon drops out of sight 

 with the onset of autumn, not to reappear until the following March or later, according 

 to locality. It has often been credited with extensive seasonal migrations, "northward 

 along the Florida coast and down the Texan coast, and back across open waters" 

 (jj: 234). But a more plausible explanation is that the autumnal disappearance of 

 the Tarpon from the open coasts of the northern-northeastern periphery of the Gulf 

 of Mexico represents nothing more extensive than a temporary withdrawal ; it probably 

 moves far enough offshore and deep enough to escape winter chilling, such as killed 

 many of all sizes along the western coast of Florida in 1885, 1894-95, 1905, and 1935 

 (7^: 123; I [1936]: 21; 66: 640). Appearance of the Tarpon off North Carolina in 

 summer and autumn (as happens more or less regularly), and even farther north 

 (p. 120), evidently represents so extensive a journey from the nearest wintering ground 

 available for a warm-water nonoceanic fish that it seems unlikely that any of those 

 ever find the way back to their southern home. — H.B.B. 



Food. The Tarpon, so far as known, is wholly carnivorous. A specimen nearly six 

 feet long from Boca Grande, Florida, examined by me, had the remains of six marine 

 catfish in its stomach; and a 12-inch specimen from the same place had ingested a 

 silverside. The Tarpon has been reported as feeding almost exclusively on cutlassfish, 

 e.g. in Calcasieu Pass, Louisiana (7J: 170—172). At times it gathers in great abun- 

 dance at the foot of the spillway of Gatun Dam in the Canal Zone and at the spillway 

 of Madden Dam in the upper part of Gatun Lake, presumably for the purpose of 

 feeding on small fish that are carried over the spillways. Various observers have 

 reported that it will follow schools of mullets, anchovies, and other fish, apparently 

 feeding on them at will. Young Tarpon, ranging from about two to eight inches in 

 length, taken in an isolated lagoon at Port-au-Prince, Haiti, had fed exclusively on 

 "aquatic hemiptera which filled the waters of the lagoon" (5: 36). Blue crabs con- 

 stitute a favorite bait in Florida. 



Enemies. The chief natural enemy of the large Tarpon is undoubtedly the shark, 

 and it has been reported that the porpoise attacks it too (/ [1936]: 64); the small 

 Tarpon quite certainly falls prey to many predators in the sea. The Tarpon's chief 

 protection from enemies is apparently its great swimming speed, whereby it escapes. 



Variation. Whether geographical variations exist can be determined only from 

 study of a larger number of specimens, collected from many localities, than have been 

 available to me. 



Relation to Man. As a gamefish, the Tarpon scarcely is surpassed. Its reputation 



