﻿190 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  MUSEUM. 
  vol. 
  44. 
  

  

  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  The 
  region 
  around 
  Montego 
  Bay 
  is 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  extensive 
  

   fisheries 
  in 
  Jamaica. 
  Every 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  harbor 
  and 
  the 
  shore 
  for 
  10 
  

   or 
  15 
  miles 
  to 
  the 
  east 
  and 
  west 
  of 
  the 
  town 
  contributes 
  some 
  fish 
  to 
  

   the 
  market. 
  

  

  The 
  methods 
  employed 
  in 
  catcliing 
  these 
  fish 
  are 
  rather 
  crude, 
  

   both 
  the 
  boats 
  and 
  the 
  apparatus 
  used 
  being 
  primitive 
  and 
  not 
  very 
  

   well 
  constructed. 
  The 
  boats 
  are 
  practically 
  all 
  small 
  dugouts 
  made 
  

   from 
  native 
  trees, 
  and 
  the 
  fishing 
  tackle 
  consists 
  of 
  pots 
  and 
  traps, 
  

   haul 
  seines, 
  gill 
  nets, 
  cast 
  nets, 
  and 
  hand 
  lines. 
  By 
  far 
  the 
  largest 
  

   nymber 
  of 
  fish 
  arc 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  pots, 
  which 
  consist 
  of 
  a 
  wooden 
  frame- 
  

   work 
  covered 
  with 
  split 
  cane, 
  bamboo, 
  or 
  in 
  recent 
  years 
  with 
  wire 
  

   netting. 
  

  

  These 
  pots 
  are 
  scattered 
  all 
  over 
  the 
  bottom, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  smooth, 
  

   both 
  inside 
  and 
  outside 
  of 
  the 
  coral 
  reefs, 
  in 
  water 
  from 
  1 
  to 
  12 
  

   fathoms 
  deep, 
  and 
  are 
  pulled 
  every 
  morning 
  before 
  ttie 
  sea 
  breeze 
  

   roughens 
  the 
  surface. 
  The 
  haul 
  seines 
  are 
  also 
  used 
  extensively 
  

   along 
  the 
  numerous 
  sandy 
  beaches. 
  

  

  The 
  actual 
  number 
  of 
  food 
  fishes 
  obtained, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  number 
  

   of 
  species, 
  is 
  quite 
  large, 
  and 
  by 
  requesting 
  the 
  fishermen 
  to 
  save 
  such 
  

   kinds 
  as 
  are 
  usually 
  thrown 
  away 
  or 
  used 
  for 
  bait, 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  

   species 
  can 
  readily 
  be 
  doubled. 
  There 
  were 
  brought 
  in 
  for 
  examina- 
  

   tion 
  during 
  the 
  past 
  season 
  about 
  100 
  recorded 
  species, 
  nearly 
  all 
  of 
  

   which 
  were 
  caught 
  in 
  fish 
  pots. 
  

  

  A 
  very 
  little 
  effort 
  with 
  the 
  seine 
  and 
  line 
  fishermen 
  would 
  easily 
  

   increase 
  this 
  number. 
  Again 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  common 
  species 
  is 
  

   constant 
  for 
  long 
  periods 
  of 
  time, 
  the 
  same 
  kinds 
  being 
  obtained 
  

   daily, 
  thus 
  insuring 
  an 
  abundance 
  of 
  fresh 
  material 
  for 
  work 
  either 
  

   with 
  the 
  fish 
  themselves 
  or 
  with 
  their 
  parasites. 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  selachians 
  the 
  sharks 
  are 
  rather 
  scarce, 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  hammer- 
  

   heads 
  (Sphyrna 
  zygsena) 
  and 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  species 
  of 
  Carcharhinus 
  being 
  

   caught 
  during 
  the 
  summer, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  more 
  plentiful 
  at 
  

   other 
  seasons. 
  To 
  offset 
  this 
  scarcity 
  of 
  sharks 
  there 
  is 
  an 
  abundance 
  

   of 
  sting 
  (Dasyatidse) 
  and 
  eagle 
  (Myliobatidse) 
  rays, 
  the 
  former 
  often 
  

   of 
  very 
  large 
  size. 
  

  

  Among 
  the 
  bony 
  fish 
  the 
  grunts 
  (Hsemuhdse), 
  the 
  sea 
  basses 
  and 
  

   groupers 
  (Serranidse), 
  and 
  the 
  parrot 
  fishes 
  (Scaridse) 
  are 
  especially 
  

   numerous. 
  The 
  mullets 
  (Mugilidae), 
  the 
  pompanos 
  (Carangidse) 
  , 
  the 
  

   snappers 
  (Lutianidse), 
  the 
  croakers 
  (Scisenida), 
  and 
  the 
  butterfly 
  and 
  

   angel 
  fishes 
  (Chsetodontidse) 
  are 
  also 
  abundant. 
  The 
  pipefishes, 
  

   (Sygnatliidae), 
  the 
  trunk-fishes 
  (Ostraciidse) 
  , 
  the 
  puffers 
  (Tetrao- 
  

   dontidse), 
  and 
  the 
  porcupine 
  fishes 
  (Diodontidse) 
  can 
  be 
  obtained 
  

   almost 
  everywhere 
  and 
  in 
  large 
  numbers. 
  

  

  