THK FISHES OF ALASKA. 



293 



The fish were in schools and it was easy to get great numbers; in fact, one would be kept busy 

 hauling in the fish and taking them oft the hook. Usually they were near the bottom when the fish- 

 ing began, but they soon became greatly excited and would come near the surface, where they could be 

 seen swimming about as if gi-eatly disturbed and evidently searching for the piece of white muslin 

 which had attracted their attention. AMien first hooked they would come up very readily; in fact, 

 they seemed to swim upward until near the surface when they would become alarmed and dart back 

 and forth in their efforts to free themselves. Then the sport was very exciting. 



The Atka mackerel reaches a length of IS inches and a weight of 3 or 4 pounds. The average 

 weight of 585 fish was about 2J pounds and the maximum 3J pounds. 



Commercially this species has never come into the prominence which its excellence as a food fish 

 justifies. As a fresh fish it is delicious either baked or fried. It takes salt well, and in that con- 

 dition is a very palatable and nutritious article of food. There seems to be no good reason why an 

 important fishery should not be established. 



93. Hexagrammos decag^ammus (Pallas). Roch Trout. 



Four specimens 3 to 8 inches long, collected at Sucia Island, Gulf of Georgia, May 6, 1894. No. 

 2230-2233 and 2235, each about 14 inches long, collected by the Albatross in Redfish Bay, Baranof 

 Island, Septemljer 6, 1897, showing the two distinct color patterns, and no. 1729 (1763), a specimen 

 13 inches long, collected at Sitka by Luttrell. 



neiagrammos decagrammus ( Pallas). 



Recorded Ijy Bean (1882) from Sitka; Old Sitka; Chatham Strait; and Unalaska, and in 1884 from 

 Tolstoi Bay. Nelson (1887), Unalaska. 



This species, also called horeijat and hodieron by the Russians, ranges from Point Conception to 

 Kodiak Island. It is most abimdant southward and is common at San Francisco. It attains a length 

 of 18 inches and is a good food fish. 



94. Hexagranunos octograminus (Pallas). Alaska Greenling. 



This species has been obtained Ijy the Alhatros at Uganuk Bay, Kodiak Island (1897), Attu Island, 

 Sucia Island, and Akutan Bay (1894), Tareinski Harbor, and Unalaska, Litnik Bay (1900). Bean has 

 recorded it (1882) as H. ordinatus from Old Sitka, from Popoff Island (Shumagin Group), and Iliuliuk 

 and Chernofski ; and Nelson (1887) records it from Unalaska. It has been recorded al.^o from Petro- 

 paidski, from Robben Island, and Iturup Island. In 1903 the Albatross seined an example (no. 2971) 

 9.5 inches long at Uyak Bay, another (no. 297IJ ) 10 inches long at Snug Harbor, and one 10.25 inches long 

 at Union Bay. An example (no. 151) 4.25 inches long from Tareinski Harbor shows plainly the black 

 humeral spot and 7 black transverse bars on anal fin; supraoccipital fiap very small, about equal to 

 pupil; a few white spots on side. 



