﻿MANUAL 
  OF 
  FISH-CULTURE. 
  225 
  

  

  sheepshead 
  swim 
  in 
  schools, 
  and 
  seem 
  to 
  prefer 
  sandy 
  beaches, 
  along 
  

   which 
  they 
  resort 
  at 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  G 
  or 
  8 
  feet. 
  

  

  The 
  sheepshead 
  egg 
  is 
  very 
  small, 
  transparent, 
  and 
  of 
  less 
  specific 
  

   gravity 
  than 
  sea 
  water. 
  The 
  diameter 
  is 
  3^. 
  of 
  an 
  inch, 
  and 
  the 
  number 
  

   in 
  a 
  fluid 
  ounce 
  is 
  about 
  50,000, 
  or 
  1,600,000 
  in 
  a 
  quart. 
  

  

  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  satisfactorily 
  incubated 
  in 
  the 
  tidal 
  cod-jar, 
  about 
  

   300,000 
  eggs 
  being 
  placed 
  in 
  each 
  jar. 
  The 
  development 
  is 
  very 
  rapid, 
  

   and 
  ill 
  the 
  warm 
  water 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  (76o 
  or 
  77° 
  F.) 
  the 
  eggs 
  hatch 
  in 
  40 
  

   hours. 
  The 
  newly 
  hatched 
  fry 
  are 
  very 
  small, 
  but 
  active 
  and 
  strong, 
  

   and 
  withstand 
  considerable 
  rough 
  handling. 
  They 
  are 
  planted 
  when 
  

   72 
  to 
  80 
  hours 
  old. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  probably 
  not 
  practicable 
  to 
  carry 
  on 
  extensive 
  sheepshead 
  

   hatching 
  north 
  of 
  Florida, 
  although 
  small 
  quantities 
  of 
  eggs 
  could 
  

   doubtless 
  be 
  taken 
  in 
  North 
  Carolina 
  and 
  Yirginia. 
  

  

  THE 
  SEA 
  HERRING. 
  

  

  The 
  sea 
  herring 
  {Glupea 
  harengus) 
  may 
  be 
  distinguished 
  from 
  other 
  

   clupeoid 
  fishes 
  found 
  in 
  United 
  States 
  waters 
  by 
  the 
  following 
  char- 
  

   acters: 
  Body 
  elongate 
  and 
  laterally 
  comjiressed, 
  the- 
  depth 
  contained 
  

   4J 
  times 
  in 
  length; 
  mouth 
  at 
  end 
  of 
  snout; 
  lower 
  jaw 
  projecting, 
  

   extending 
  to 
  beneath 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  eye; 
  roof 
  of 
  mouth 
  with 
  an 
  ovate 
  

   patch 
  of 
  small 
  teeth; 
  gillrakers 
  long 
  and 
  slender, 
  about 
  40 
  below 
  

   the 
  angle 
  in 
  adults, 
  fewer 
  in 
  young; 
  dorsal 
  fin 
  Avith 
  18 
  rays, 
  inserted 
  

   slightly 
  behind 
  middle 
  of 
  body; 
  ventral 
  fins 
  beginning 
  beneath 
  middle 
  

   of 
  dorsal; 
  anal 
  fin 
  with 
  17 
  rays; 
  median 
  line 
  of 
  belly 
  with 
  28 
  weak 
  

   si)ines 
  or 
  scutes 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  ventral 
  fins 
  and 
  13 
  behind 
  fins; 
  scales 
  thin, 
  

   easily 
  detached, 
  posterior 
  edges 
  rounded, 
  57 
  in 
  lateral 
  series; 
  color 
  

   bluish 
  or 
  bluish-green 
  above, 
  light-silvery 
  below. 
  

  

  The 
  sea 
  herring 
  exists 
  in 
  great 
  abundance 
  on 
  both 
  shores 
  of 
  the 
  

   Atlantic 
  Ocean 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  latitude 
  of 
  about 
  37° 
  north. 
  On 
  the 
  coast 
  

   of 
  North 
  America 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  regularly 
  abundant 
  south 
  of 
  Cape 
  Cod, 
  but 
  

   it 
  is 
  occasionally 
  found 
  as 
  far 
  south 
  as 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay. 
  In 
  number 
  of 
  

   individuals 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  probably 
  exceeded 
  by 
  no 
  other 
  fish. 
  On 
  the 
  

   Pacific 
  Coast 
  a 
  similar 
  and 
  almost 
  equally 
  abundant 
  species 
  {Cli(;pea 
  

   pallasii) 
  is 
  found 
  from 
  Alaska 
  to 
  Mexico. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  no 
  well-defined 
  movements 
  of 
  the 
  herring 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  

   shore 
  of 
  the 
  Atlantic, 
  if 
  those 
  induced 
  by 
  the 
  si)awuing 
  instinct 
  are 
  

   excepted. 
  There 
  was 
  formerly 
  a 
  distinct 
  shoreward 
  migration, 
  during 
  

   the 
  winter 
  months, 
  in 
  the 
  Bay 
  of 
  Fundy, 
  but 
  this 
  run 
  has 
  not 
  occurred 
  

   for 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  years. 
  In 
  many 
  places 
  the 
  herring, 
  especially 
  the 
  

   smaller 
  individuals, 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  resident 
  in 
  the 
  shore 
  waters. 
  The 
  

   maximum 
  length 
  of 
  this 
  fish 
  is 
  about 
  17 
  inches, 
  and 
  the 
  usiual 
  length 
  of 
  

   spawning 
  fish 
  on 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  coast 
  is 
  from 
  11 
  to 
  14 
  inches. 
  

  

  The 
  herring 
  subsists 
  on 
  minute 
  invertebrates, 
  chief 
  among 
  which 
  are 
  

   copepods, 
  larval 
  worms, 
  and 
  larval 
  mollusks. 
  In 
  turn 
  it 
  is 
  consumed 
  

   in 
  enormous 
  quantities 
  by 
  cod, 
  haddock, 
  sharks, 
  and 
  many 
  other 
  fishes. 
  

  

  F. 
  C. 
  R. 
  1897 
  15 
  

  

  