THETARPON 75 



times locally aggregated to form larger masses, whose 

 purpose is to lireak up tlie outline of the moving body." 

 The tarpon is a good example. Its back has the metallic hues 

 and its belly and sides are light colored although its great 

 speed probably affords adequate protection save when the fish 

 is resting on the bottom or not in motion. When the human eye 

 rests upon tlie larval fish no doubt it will be seen to conform to 

 Mr. Norman's statement respecting the coloration of very 

 young fish. The tarpon, no doubt, has flourished since an early 

 day not only because of its speed but also by reason of its pro- 

 tective coloration. 



On May 20, 1936, Mrs. John L. Kuser, of Titusville, N. J., 

 caught an albino tarpon at Boca Grande Pass. I saw the fish 

 later that month after it had been prepared for mounting and 

 its colors had partly faded. When first caught it was described, 

 as follows : Instead of being blue on top, it was gold with four 

 or five dark scales. The belly was coral pink and its fins and 

 mouth were lemon yellow. The eyes were much lighter than 

 an ordinary tarpon's eyes and of a pinkish cast. The tail was 

 of a whitish shade and almost transparent. 



Norman says : " It is probable that a number of such cases 

 occur in a natural state ; but the fish are at such a great disad- 

 vantage in the struggle for existence, being visible to their 

 enemies against almost any background, that comparatively 

 few of them survive to reach maturity." I have inspected 

 thousands of tarpon but I have seen only one albino. 



Last year (1935) I carefully measured two tarpon with the 

 following result: 



