172 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



ANIMAL RESOURCES OF BISCAYNE BAY. 



The animal resources of tlie southern part of the eastern coast of 

 Florida are very abundant and varied. The rich West Indian fauna, 

 which extends to this region, is supplemented by numerous species 

 belonging to a more northern faunal area. Biscayne Bay and the water 

 lying about the adjacent keys and reefs are probably as well supplied 

 with economic water products and interesting forms having special 

 scientific value as any part of the Florida coast. Mammals, fishes, 

 reptiles, crustaceans, oysters, sponges, and other invertebrates of com- 

 mercial importance occur. The following notes on some of the more 

 valuable products are intended rather to illustrate the possibilities for 

 developing the fisheries of the region than to serve as even an incom- 

 plete list of the animals of different classes there found: 



MAMMALS. 



The mammalian resources of the region are limited, and will scarcely 

 ever support commercial fishing of much importance. The most inter- 

 esting mammal is the sea cow or manatee {Manatus americamis). It is 

 by no means common, but is not especially rare. It is found through- 

 out the bay, in Indian Creek, and in the lagoons on the bay side of the 

 keys, and is sometimes observed in droves in the ocean near the bay. 

 Up to a few years ago it was assiduously persecuted by all classes of 

 people and killed in i)ure wantonness; it was yearly becoming scarcer, 

 and its extermination in a short time seemed inevitable. Mr. F. S. 

 Morse, of Miami, brought up the question of preserving the sea cow 

 in a recent session of the Florida legislature and secured the passage 

 of a law prohibiting under heavy penalties the killing of that animal 

 except for scientific purposes. 



Porpoises of various kinds frequently enter Biscayne Bay, where 

 large schools are at times seen, while outside the bay they are also 

 common. The shoal waters of the bay appear to be favorite feeding- 

 grounds, and they may often be observed in water hardly deep enough 

 to cover them where they have followed the schools of mullet. A few 

 are killed for their oil, but there is no regular effort made to take them. 

 Small schools and straggling individuals were observed on several 

 occasions during my visit. 



FISHES. 



These are the most interesting and important of the water animals 

 of this region. The number of species of economic importance which 

 inhabit the bay and tlie adjoining ocean is very large and includes 

 some of the best food-fishes of the United States. Tlie comparatively 

 shallow water of the bay affords excellent feeding-grounds for some of 

 the pelagic fishes, besides being the resort of many other fishes which 

 regularly fi-equent the littoral waters. It is not known that any sys- 

 tematic collecting has been done in Biscayne Bay, and a full list of the 



