﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  XCVII 
  

  

  miuatioii 
  of 
  the 
  abuudauce, 
  size, 
  spawning, 
  food, 
  etc., 
  of 
  the 
  commercial 
  

   salt-water 
  fishes. 
  

  

  The 
  spouge 
  industry 
  received 
  much 
  attention. 
  It 
  was 
  ascertained 
  

   that 
  the 
  methods 
  employed 
  are 
  seriously 
  affecting 
  the 
  permanency 
  of 
  the 
  

   industry 
  and 
  that 
  important 
  modifications 
  in 
  the 
  regulations 
  governing 
  

   this 
  fishery 
  are 
  much 
  needed. 
  The 
  inquiries 
  led 
  to 
  the 
  view 
  that 
  the 
  

   lawful 
  minimum 
  size 
  of 
  sponges 
  should 
  be 
  increased, 
  the 
  law 
  forbidding 
  

   the 
  sale 
  of 
  undersized 
  sponges 
  should 
  be 
  enforced, 
  arrangements 
  should 
  

   be 
  brought 
  about 
  by 
  which 
  any 
  given 
  ground 
  should 
  be 
  fished 
  over 
  

   only 
  once 
  in 
  any 
  period 
  of 
  two 
  years, 
  and 
  provision 
  should 
  be 
  made 
  for 
  

   the 
  protection 
  of 
  those 
  desiring 
  to 
  undertake 
  the 
  artificial 
  propagation 
  

   of 
  sponges, 
  a 
  new 
  field 
  that 
  gives 
  promise 
  of 
  results 
  of 
  great 
  economic 
  

   importance. 
  

  

  The 
  number 
  of 
  species 
  of 
  salt-water 
  food-fishes 
  in 
  Florida 
  is 
  perhaps 
  

   larger 
  than 
  in 
  any 
  other 
  State. 
  The 
  fishes 
  are 
  especially 
  numerous, 
  as 
  

   regards 
  both 
  individuals 
  and 
  species, 
  among 
  the 
  Florida 
  Keys. 
  The 
  

   species 
  handled 
  for 
  food 
  at 
  Key 
  West 
  exceed 
  100, 
  many 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  of 
  

   much 
  commercial 
  importance. 
  If 
  to 
  these 
  are 
  added 
  those 
  of 
  no 
  direct 
  

   food 
  value, 
  tbe 
  total 
  number 
  of 
  fishes 
  inhabiting 
  the 
  Key 
  West 
  region 
  

   is 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  about 
  225. 
  The 
  investigations 
  indicate 
  that 
  there 
  has 
  

   been 
  no 
  noteworthy 
  diminution 
  in 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  food- 
  

   fishes 
  of 
  this 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  State. 
  The 
  present 
  methods 
  followed 
  in 
  fishing 
  

   are 
  such 
  as 
  will 
  conserve 
  the 
  fisheries 
  to 
  the 
  fullest 
  extent. 
  While 
  much 
  

   information 
  was 
  obtained 
  regarding 
  the 
  fishes, 
  there 
  is 
  yet 
  a 
  great 
  deal 
  

   to 
  be 
  learned. 
  The 
  fishermen 
  are, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  poorly 
  informed 
  on 
  the 
  

   habits 
  and 
  spawning 
  of 
  even 
  the 
  common 
  species, 
  and 
  their 
  opinions 
  

   can 
  not 
  be 
  relied 
  on. 
  The 
  most 
  satisfactory 
  way 
  to 
  gain 
  a 
  knowledge 
  

   of 
  the 
  life-histories 
  of 
  these 
  fishes 
  is 
  to 
  station 
  at 
  Key 
  AVest 
  a 
  trained 
  

   observer, 
  who 
  will 
  continue 
  his 
  observations 
  during 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  entire 
  

   seasons. 
  

  

  Large 
  and 
  important 
  collections 
  of 
  fishes 
  were 
  made 
  at 
  the 
  different 
  

   places 
  visited. 
  These 
  are 
  now 
  being 
  studied, 
  and 
  will, 
  in 
  conjunction 
  

   with 
  other 
  collections 
  from 
  Florida, 
  serve 
  as 
  the 
  basis 
  for 
  a 
  comj)re- 
  

   hensive 
  report 
  on 
  the 
  fishes 
  of 
  the 
  State. 
  The 
  general 
  information 
  

   collected 
  was 
  utilized 
  in 
  a 
  report 
  submitted 
  to 
  the 
  Senate 
  by 
  the 
  Com- 
  

   missioner 
  in 
  January, 
  1897. 
  

  

  MISSISSIPPI. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  request 
  of 
  prominent 
  citizens 
  of 
  New 
  Orleans, 
  an 
  examina- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  certain 
  waters 
  about 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  Pearl 
  Kiver, 
  Mississippi, 
  was 
  

   made 
  in 
  April, 
  1897, 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  determining 
  if 
  anything 
  could 
  

   be 
  done 
  to 
  increase 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  game 
  and 
  food 
  fishes 
  in 
  that 
  region. 
  

   The 
  locality 
  is 
  an 
  important 
  resort 
  for 
  New 
  Orleans 
  anglers, 
  who 
  are 
  

   desirous 
  that 
  additional 
  species 
  of 
  game 
  fishes 
  be 
  introduced 
  if 
  the 
  

   waters 
  should 
  prove 
  suitable. 
  The 
  examinations, 
  which 
  were 
  conducted 
  

   by 
  Messrs. 
  B.W. 
  Evermaun, 
  H. 
  R. 
  Oenterj 
  and 
  F. 
  M. 
  Chamberlain, 
  were 
  

   F. 
  K. 
  97 
  VII 
  

  

  