New York, November 24, 1916. No. .37 





Published to advance the Science of cold-blooded vertebrates 



NOTES ON THE TOTUAVA (CYNOSCION 

 31ACDONALDI GILBERT). 



[In the northern part of the Gulf of California 

 there is found in great abundance, a species of weak- 

 fish which reaches a huge size, six feet or more in 

 length, and which has much value as food. It is 

 known locally as Totuava. I have received from Mr. 

 Eiichiro Nakashima, a graduate of the Fisheries 

 School at Tokyo, a man who has had considerable ex- 

 perience in the pursuit of this fish, a series of notes 

 concerning it. I here present a condensation of his 

 observations. — David Stark Jordan.] 



CYNOSCION MACDONALDI GILBERT. 



The Totuava is caught mainly about the mouth 

 of the Colorado River and southward to Guaymas in 

 Sonora. Shallow points with sandy bottoms are the 

 best fishing grounds. These fishes are rare in winter, 

 very abundant in summer. They live both in clear 

 and muddy water. The preferable temperature is 

 from 57 to 80 degrees F. 



In the winter they go southward to Guaymas. 

 Their migration is in part coincident with that of the 

 small fishes on which they feed. These avoid the in- 

 flowing cold water of the Colorado. They spawn 

 mainly in early May, apparently in shallow water. 

 After this they are very lean. They often come into 

 very shallow water. They are omnivorous, feeding 

 on any kind of small fish or crabs, but especially on 



