24 THE TARPON 



Zaraguanacan (north coast), 

 Jatibonico (south coast), 

 Rio Negro *< ** 

 Damuji ** *' 



Los Angeles (Isle of Pines). 

 He states that the fish move up and down with the tide in 

 schools of twenty or more, and that small fish seem to remain 

 for several years in brackish waters before going to sea. I 

 doubt this latter conclusion. Fish of from three to five pounds 

 are plentiful in these Cuban rivers. He says that they do not 

 seem to go above the tide into fresh water. The natives eat 

 them fresh and salted. 

 Mr. Griswold says : 



''There is a pond of brackish water back of St. James 



City, Florida, with no outlet, with many small tarpon in it 



(from one to four pounds). The spawn must have been 



dropped by birds or carried from the beach by alligators. 



The fish do not grow for they have but little food. It is my 



belief that the tarpon grow very slowly and that the large 



ones are of great age." 



He advises me that tarpon frequently remain in the deep 



holes of certain rivers in Florida during the entire Winter and 



show themselves on warm days when the water reaches 68° or 



upwards. 



The late F. G. Aflalo, the author of that attractive book 

 "Sunshine and Sport in Florida and the West Indies" records 

 the fact that very small tarpon are found in land-locked waters 

 of the West Indies. They are found in ponds in Westmore- 

 land, Jamaica, and in the Lakes of Antoine and Levera in 

 Granada. They are caught in the Black and Milk Rivers of 

 Jamaica and off Port Royal. 



I have reports that tarpon are present in large numbers in 

 the Guanajibos River near Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. 



They appear along the Louisiana Gulf Coast early in May 

 and remain until the water becomes cooler early in October. 

 (Belden) 



