﻿MANUAL 
  OF 
  FISH-CULTURE. 
  221 
  

  

  This 
  fish 
  is 
  widely 
  distributed, 
  being 
  found 
  on 
  both 
  coasts 
  of 
  North 
  

   America. 
  On 
  the 
  west 
  coast 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  enter 
  United 
  States 
  waters, 
  

   but 
  on 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  seaboard 
  it 
  ranges 
  from 
  Texas 
  to 
  Massachusetts. 
  

   It 
  is 
  esijecially 
  abundant 
  in 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Mexico, 
  among 
  the 
  Florida 
  keys, 
  

   in 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  the 
  Middle 
  Altantic 
  States. 
  

  

  Its 
  maximum 
  weight 
  is 
  about 
  V 
  pounds. 
  Many 
  weighing 
  only 
  1 
  or 
  

   1^ 
  pounds 
  are 
  caught 
  for 
  market, 
  and 
  the 
  average 
  is 
  less 
  than 
  3 
  pounds. 
  

  

  The 
  Spanish 
  mackerel 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  choicest 
  food-fishes 
  of 
  American 
  

   waters; 
  in 
  popular 
  estimation 
  it 
  is 
  scarcely 
  surpassed 
  by 
  any 
  marine 
  

   species 
  except 
  the 
  pompano. 
  It 
  is 
  caught 
  throughout 
  its 
  range 
  on 
  the 
  

   east 
  coast 
  with 
  gill 
  nets, 
  seines, 
  pound 
  nets, 
  and 
  lines. 
  The 
  principal 
  

   fishing 
  is 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  coast 
  of 
  Florida, 
  on 
  the 
  Louisiana 
  coast, 
  in 
  the 
  

   lower 
  part 
  of 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  coasts 
  of 
  New 
  Jersey 
  and 
  New 
  

   York. 
  The 
  approximate 
  annual 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  catch 
  at 
  present 
  is 
  $130,000, 
  

   which 
  represents 
  1,700,000 
  pounds. 
  In 
  1880 
  the 
  output 
  was 
  1,887,000 
  

   pounds, 
  having 
  a 
  value 
  of 
  $132,000. 
  The 
  yield 
  in 
  the 
  JMiddle 
  States 
  is 
  

   much 
  less 
  than 
  formerly, 
  while 
  in 
  the 
  Gulf 
  States 
  it 
  has 
  increased. 
  

  

  The 
  fish 
  spawns 
  throughout 
  its 
  entire 
  range 
  on 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  

   coast. 
  The 
  spawning 
  season 
  is 
  quite 
  prolonged, 
  extending 
  from 
  April 
  

   in 
  the 
  Carolinas 
  to 
  September 
  in 
  New 
  York, 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  given 
  locality 
  

   continues 
  from 
  six 
  to 
  ten 
  weeks. 
  All 
  of 
  the 
  eggs 
  in 
  the 
  ovaries 
  of 
  a 
  

   given 
  fish 
  do 
  not 
  mature 
  at 
  one 
  time 
  ; 
  eggs 
  in 
  all 
  stages 
  of 
  development 
  

   may 
  be 
  found, 
  suggesting 
  a 
  comparatively 
  long 
  spawning 
  season 
  for 
  

   individual 
  fish 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  for 
  the 
  species 
  as 
  a 
  whole. 
  The 
  eggs, 
  when 
  

   laid, 
  float 
  at 
  the 
  surface, 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  driven 
  about 
  by 
  wind 
  and 
  tide. 
  

   Doubtless 
  a 
  large 
  percentage 
  of 
  the 
  eggs 
  do 
  not 
  hatch, 
  through 
  failure 
  

   of 
  fertilization 
  and 
  by 
  being 
  stranded. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  very 
  small, 
  their 
  

   diameter 
  being 
  only 
  -rh^ 
  to 
  oV 
  of 
  an 
  inch. 
  

  

  The 
  artificial 
  impregnation 
  and 
  hatching 
  of 
  Spanish 
  mackerel 
  eggs 
  

   were 
  first 
  accomplished 
  in 
  1880, 
  since 
  which 
  time 
  the 
  propagation 
  of 
  

   the 
  fish 
  has 
  been 
  taken 
  up 
  on 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  occasions, 
  although 
  the 
  

   work 
  in 
  any 
  one 
  season 
  has 
  been 
  comparatively 
  limited. 
  

  

  The 
  serious 
  diminution 
  in 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  in 
  certain 
  sec- 
  

   tions 
  seems 
  to 
  call 
  for 
  its 
  artificial 
  cultivation 
  whenever 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  taken 
  

   up 
  without 
  detriment 
  to 
  the 
  proi)agation 
  of 
  other 
  more 
  or 
  equally 
  

   important 
  fish. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  artificially 
  propagating 
  this 
  fish 
  recourse 
  has 
  been 
  

   had 
  to 
  the 
  nets 
  of 
  commercial 
  fishermen 
  for 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  spawn 
  and 
  

   milt. 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay 
  has 
  been 
  the 
  seat 
  of 
  the 
  principal 
  operations, 
  

   which 
  have 
  been 
  conducted 
  by 
  the 
  steamer 
  Fish 
  Hatvl-. 
  The 
  catch 
  of 
  

   Spanish 
  mackerel 
  in 
  this 
  bay 
  in 
  pound 
  nets 
  and 
  other 
  appliances 
  is 
  

   very 
  large, 
  and 
  the 
  facilities 
  for 
  fish-cultural 
  work 
  of 
  this 
  character 
  

   are 
  doubtless 
  superior 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  any 
  other 
  section, 
  with 
  the 
  possible 
  

   exception 
  of 
  the 
  west 
  coast 
  of 
  Florida. 
  

  

  The 
  necessity 
  for 
  depending 
  on 
  the 
  fishermen 
  for 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  eggs 
  

   is 
  somewhat 
  detrimental 
  to 
  the 
  best 
  results 
  and 
  prevents 
  extensive 
  

   work, 
  although 
  the 
  owners 
  of 
  fishing 
  apparatus 
  heartily 
  cooperate. 
  

  

  