PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 125 



FISH :»IOKTAL,ITV IN THE GULiF OF MEXICO. 



By M. A. MOORE. 



Beaidentown p. O., Manatee County, Florida, 



Xovemhcr 30, 1880. 



Sir: I hope you will excuse the liberty I take iu writing you tliis let- 

 ter, but on yesterday Maj. W. I. Turner gave me a blank circular of 

 yours and asked me to fill out the queries for him, which I did, and 

 thought no more of it at the time. But on thinking the matter over I 

 have come to the conclusion that there is a matter here that might be 

 of some interest to your commission, as it is one of most vital imxiortance 

 to many here. 



You are doubtless aware that we have employed here a number of 

 vessels as flshiug-smacks, ranging from 30 to 50 tons, whose vocation it 

 is to carry live fish to the Cuban markets. This industry provides occu- 

 pation and subsistence for a large portion of our population in South 

 Florida. 



About two years ago certain portions of our Gulf waters became 

 poisoned in some way that caused the death of all the fish that came in 

 contact with it. Whenever a smack with a full fare, L e., a full cargo of 

 fine healthy fish in her well, sailed into this poisoned water every fish 

 would die, and they would have to be thrown away. This compelled 

 the vessel to return to fishing, at the loss of a month's hard work. 



This state of affairs has occurred again; the waters of someportiops 

 of the Gulf becoming so noxious as to kill the fish. The poison seems 

 to be confined to certain localities and currents for the time being, as 

 sometimes this state of affairs is observed more marked at one place and 

 sometimes at another. However, there seems to be more of it about the 

 mouth of Charlotte Harbor and off Punta Eassa than elsewhere. 



When this condition of water prevails, the surface of the water is 

 covered with dead fish, and the beach is covered with them in such num- 

 bers that sometimes the stench is intolerable. During its prevalence 

 two years ago the military commander at Fort Jeiferson on the Tortugas 

 had to make daily details to carry off the dead fish thrown up on the 

 beach for fear it would breed a pestilence. 



I live immediately on the beach of Palma Sola Bay, and some two 

 weeks ago the beach was covered with dead fish. The only thing that 

 seems to be inexplicable is that this water seems to affect what are termed 

 here bottom- fish more than any others. The principal game of the fish- 

 ing smack are the grouper {Serramis nigriUs), and the snapper {Ser- 

 ranns eryilirogaster). These, with the perch, king-fish, trout, and all 

 those fish which take the hooks seem to be much more affected than the 

 mullet [Mugil Uneatiis), or the pompauo {Bothrohcmns immpaniis). In 

 our parlance here fish that take the hook are called bottom-fish in contra- 



