62 



CALIFOKNIA FISH AND GAME. 



her to December. It spawns in the spring. It is an oily, delieately- 

 tlavored fish that resenibk\s very closely the European sardine {Sar- 

 (li)tia pilcliardus) . On the coast of South America is a sardine that is 

 almost identical with it, but that differs sufficiently to regard it as a 

 separate species. In Europe the small sized fishes only are canned, 

 though the European species grows to be nearly as large as ours. On 

 our coast fishes of all sizes are canned. As a pan fish it is particularly 

 delicious. 



The ])est ( aimed sardine s are carefully cleaned, soaked for a time 

 in cold running sea water, surface dried in the sun or in a hot current 

 of air, boiled in oil, packed in cans, again cooked in a retort, and then 

 aged for several months, if preserved in oil, before they are marketed. 

 A great difference exists, hov^'^ever, in our sardines, owing to quick, 

 poor methods of canning. It may be added that the canned product 

 is rapidly improving. The brands that were poor are being made bet- 

 ter so that the difference between them will doubtless become less and 

 less marked. Among our west coast sardines are some that are not 

 surpassed by any in the world. 



The Herring (Clupea pallasii). 



The opercle has no raised ridges as in the sardine, and the- head (in 

 specimens over 5 or 6 inches in length) is about equal to the depth of 

 the body. The ventral fins are under the base of the dorsal fin, and 

 the breast and belly are not sharply saw-toothed. The color is silvery 

 on the sides and lower parts and slate-blue above. The tip of the 

 snout and lower jaw are dark. 



The herring is widely distributed on both coasts of the Pacific and is 

 found along our entire west coast southward to San Diego Bay, but it 

 is not at all common on the southern California coast. The herring 



Fig. 38. The herring (Clupea pallasii). 



fishery is scarcely developed, but considerable attention is now being 

 paid to it and it may be expected to rapidly increase in importance. 

 Some are smoked and cured in various ways, and many are salted for 

 bait by the line fishermen. A part of the fishes that are cured and 

 marketed as herring, however, are not this species, but are sardines. As 

 a pan fish the herring is very good, but drier and not so richly 

 flavored as the sardine, which makes it preferable to some people. 

 It is only taken from December to April, when it enters the sheltered 

 bays to spawn. Its whereabouts is not known for the balance of the 

 year. The herring reaches a length of 18 inches. 



