II.-THK DHHP-SHA FISIIHS OF Till- HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 



By CHARLES HENRY CH.BKRT, Pii. D. 

 Professor of Zoology, Leland Sfauford Junior I 'nivcrsity. 



The second season of investigations by the 11. S. Fish Commission in the 

 Hawaiian Islands— the period from March to Aug-ust, 1IM)2 — was de\oted primarily 

 to the study of the fauna of the deeper waters. The worlc was conducted from the 

 steamer AUjatroxs, under the general supervision of Dr. David S. Jordan and Dr. 

 Barton W. Evermann. The writer, as naturalist in charge, had immediate respon- 

 sibility for the scientilic conduct of the cruise, and was ably assisted by Prof. Charles 

 C. Nutting, of the University of Iowa, and by Mr. JohTi (). SnychM- and Mr. Walter 

 K. Fisher, of Stanford University. 



An exhaustive survey was attempted of all ofl'shore fishing baidvs, and a 

 thorough exploration of the channels between the islands and the deeper slopes 

 out to the 1,000-fathom line. The region to be covered included the Hawaiian 

 Islands proper, and the series of shoals and reefs, with infre((uent rock islets, which 

 form a continuation of the Hawaiian group to the northwest. The westernmost 

 point to be reached was the island of Laysan. As thus outlined, the area to be 

 explored comprised a narrow strip reaching from 18'^ to 2(3- nortli latitude and from 

 156° to 172- west longitude, and extending from southeast to northwest a distance 

 of 1,300 miles. 



The investigation proved exti'emely difficult on account of the nature of the sea 

 bottom, which, at all depths, was such as to render dredging verj- arduous and 

 uncertain. The configuration of the ocean iloor was for the most part irregular, with 

 steep slopes. Even in those localities of limited extent where the slopes M'ere gentle 

 and uniform, and were covered with tine sediments, the trawl was likely at any time 

 to encounter masses of coral, or outcroppings of lava, or even in the deeper water.s 

 consolidated oozes, all of which worked disaster to tiic gear and prevented successful 

 results. Of the 34-1 trials with tangles, dredge, or trawl, about one-third were total 

 failures, and many of the others were nearly barren of results. The use of the 

 trawl for commercial fishing is out of the (|uestion in an}' part of this I'egion. with 

 the po.ssible exception of a small district lying oti' the harbor of Kahidui, on the 

 island of Maui, where there is a smooth sand bottom on which a connnercial trawl 

 could t)e safely worked. So far as known, however, there are no market fishes to 

 be had there in abundance, and the region is too far from any center of population. 



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