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  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  The 
  tautog 
  is 
  taken 
  for 
  market 
  in 
  considerable 
  numbers 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  

   lines 
  and 
  traps. 
  It 
  bites 
  quite 
  readily 
  aod 
  is 
  a 
  favorite 
  with 
  anglers. 
  

   Its 
  average 
  weight 
  as 
  caught 
  for 
  sale 
  is 
  not 
  more 
  than 
  2 
  or 
  3 
  pounds, 
  

   but 
  tautog 
  weighing 
  from 
  6 
  to 
  15 
  pounds 
  are 
  not 
  rare. 
  The 
  maximum 
  

   weight 
  is 
  about 
  22 
  J 
  pounds 
  ; 
  such 
  a 
  specimen 
  from 
  New 
  York, 
  36i 
  inches 
  

   long, 
  is 
  preserved 
  in 
  the 
  TJ. 
  S. 
  National 
  Museum. 
  The 
  annual 
  commer- 
  

   cial 
  catch 
  of 
  tautog 
  is 
  about 
  1,500,000 
  pounds, 
  valued 
  at 
  $60,000 
  j 
  nearly 
  

   half 
  the 
  yield 
  is 
  from 
  Massachusetts. 
  

  

  The 
  spawning 
  season 
  on 
  the 
  southern 
  New 
  England 
  coast 
  extends 
  

   from 
  April 
  to 
  August, 
  although 
  June 
  ai)pears 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  principal 
  month. 
  

   The 
  young 
  are 
  very 
  abundant 
  along 
  the 
  shores 
  in 
  the 
  fall. 
  

  

  The 
  artificial 
  propagation 
  of 
  tautog 
  was 
  experimentally 
  undertaken 
  

   at 
  Woods 
  Hole 
  in 
  1886. 
  In 
  1896, 
  31,431 
  ,000 
  eggs 
  were 
  taken 
  in 
  June; 
  

   from 
  these 
  17,575,000 
  fry 
  were 
  hatched 
  and 
  jjlanted 
  in 
  neighboring 
  

   waters. 
  

  

  Tautog 
  from 
  which 
  eggs 
  for 
  hatching 
  are 
  taken 
  are 
  obtained 
  from 
  

   nets 
  or 
  from 
  line 
  fishermen 
  near 
  the 
  station 
  and 
  transferred 
  to 
  live-cars. 
  

   When 
  first 
  brought 
  in 
  they 
  seldom 
  yield 
  any 
  eggs, 
  but 
  in 
  2 
  to 
  6 
  hours 
  

   they 
  may 
  be 
  stripped 
  of 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  their 
  eggs. 
  The 
  eggs 
  taken 
  after 
  fish 
  

   are 
  held 
  more 
  than 
  6 
  hours 
  are 
  usually 
  of 
  no 
  value, 
  and 
  those 
  obtained 
  

   from 
  fish 
  retained 
  one 
  night 
  are 
  invariably 
  worthless. 
  

  

  The 
  tautog 
  is 
  very 
  prolific. 
  In 
  1896 
  a 
  9|-pound 
  fish 
  yielded 
  1,142,600 
  

   eggs, 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  estimated 
  that 
  the 
  ovaries 
  contained 
  fully 
  as 
  many 
  

   more 
  eggs 
  that 
  were 
  not 
  yet 
  mature. 
  The 
  average 
  number 
  of 
  eggs 
  per 
  

   fish 
  is 
  from 
  150,000 
  to 
  200,000. 
  

  

  The 
  eggs 
  of 
  the 
  tautog 
  are 
  about 
  ij^ 
  inch 
  in 
  diameter. 
  They 
  are 
  

   buoyant, 
  like 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  mackerel, 
  and 
  are 
  susceptible 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  

   method 
  of 
  hatching. 
  When 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  automatic 
  tidal 
  box, 
  they 
  

   hatch 
  in 
  about 
  5 
  days, 
  with 
  the 
  water 
  temperature 
  at 
  69^ 
  F., 
  and 
  in 
  2 
  

   or 
  3 
  days 
  with 
  the 
  temperature 
  at 
  71°. 
  

  

  The 
  newly 
  hatched 
  fry 
  are 
  transparent 
  and 
  exceedingly 
  small, 
  the 
  

   length 
  being 
  only 
  -^V 
  inch. 
  They 
  are 
  quite 
  hardy 
  and 
  stand 
  transpor- 
  

   tation 
  well. 
  They 
  are 
  planted 
  shortly 
  after 
  hatching. 
  

  

  THE 
  SPANISH 
  MACKEREL. 
  

  

  The 
  Spanish 
  mackerel 
  { 
  Scomber 
  omorus 
  maculatus) 
  is 
  the 
  best-known 
  

   fish 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  and 
  the 
  only 
  one 
  that 
  has 
  received 
  the 
  attention 
  of 
  

   fish-culturists. 
  From 
  the 
  other 
  species 
  of 
  Scomheromorus 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  

   eastern 
  United 
  States 
  coast 
  {S. 
  regalis, 
  the 
  kingfish, 
  and 
  S. 
  cavaila, 
  

   the 
  cero) 
  this 
  fish 
  is, 
  in 
  part, 
  distinguished 
  by 
  its 
  smaller 
  size 
  and 
  by 
  

   the 
  insertion 
  of 
  the 
  soft 
  dorsal 
  fin 
  in 
  advance 
  of 
  the 
  anal. 
  The 
  body 
  

   is 
  long, 
  the 
  head 
  small 
  and 
  pointed, 
  the 
  mouth 
  large 
  and 
  armed 
  with 
  

   prominent 
  teeth. 
  The 
  anterior 
  dorsal 
  fin 
  has 
  17 
  spines, 
  the 
  soft 
  dorsal 
  

   has 
  18 
  rays. 
  The 
  anal 
  fin 
  has 
  2 
  spines 
  and 
  17 
  rays. 
  Behind 
  both 
  the 
  

   dorsal 
  and 
  anal 
  fins 
  are 
  9 
  small 
  finlets. 
  The 
  lateral 
  line 
  is 
  wavy 
  and 
  

   has 
  about 
  175 
  pores. 
  The 
  general 
  color 
  is 
  silvery, 
  dark-bluish 
  above 
  

   and 
  whitish 
  below. 
  The 
  sides 
  have 
  numerous 
  rounded 
  yellowish 
  spots. 
  

  

  