46 THE TARPON 



off the southeast coast of Florida. He seined nine tarpon out 

 of a small stagnant pool, smelling strongly of hydrogen sul- 

 phide and filled with opaque red-brown water, not over a foot 

 and a half deep. The tarpon ranged in length from 7%'' to 

 13%". The bottom of the pool was of soft mud into which one 

 sank to knee depth. The water in the pool was much deeper at 

 one time and it was said by the natives that it was brought in 

 by the hurricane of 1926. Dr. Breder was advised by Mr. E. W. 

 Forsyth, the Commissioner of the Island, that tarpon are 

 found in land-locked ponds where only unusual tidal waves 

 could account for their existence. He stated that these ponds 

 dry up except at a few moist places on the surface. Sometimes 

 small holes containing a little water exist, yet the tarpon re- 

 appear after the heavy rains. Dr. Breder observes it is highly 

 improbable that the millions of tarpon which roam wide areas 

 are recruited from such places and I am sure he is sound in 

 this conclusion. I have seined small tarpon from pools on 

 Gasparilla Island, Florida, of precisely the same character. 

 This locality is over 400 miles from Andros Island. 

 The facts probably warrant these conclusions : 



(1) As it is probable that tarpon spawn in July and August, 

 the young must be abundant during the hurricane season. It 

 is not strange they are carried into the interior pools by the 

 high water, which usually follows these violent storms. 



(2) Once the young fish is swept into an interior pool, it 

 fails to attain a large size although the food may be sufficient 

 for its needs for a considerable period. At first it may grow at 

 a normal rate but continued growth is checked by lack of food. 



My reason for this last statement is this : Each year for four 

 successive years I closely observed tarpon which were placed 

 in a stagnant, dark-colored, land-locked pool in 1932. They 

 ranged from about 12'' to 19'' in length when they were trans- 

 ferred to their new home. They failed to grow appreciably 

 from 1932 to 1935, inclusive. In the open sea some of them 

 would have attained a length of at least 60" during this period. 



