SALT-WATER FISHERIES OF NORWAY. G73 



ing. Like all pelagian fish, it then goes out to sea, while during the 

 first two years of its life it roams about in the neighborhood of the 

 coast. 



Immediately prior to and during the spawning process the mackerel 

 are generally very restless and roam about in dense schools (males and 

 females together) in different directions near the coast and so near the 

 surface that they can be seen from quite a distance by the curly appear- 

 ance of the water. The schools always go against the stream and are live- 

 liest when a fresh breeze is blowing. The natural cause why the mackerel 

 enters the nets easier at this season than later is this, that it is com- 

 pletely taken uj) by the spawning process, and by no means defective 

 sight. When the spawning process is finished, the schools begin to 

 scatter and gradually go out to sea again. The fish will then not enter 

 the net so readily, although they will bite a baited hook, because they 

 have scarcely taken any food during spawning, and are, consequently, 

 very hungry. 



Concerning the general mode of life of the mackerel many incredible 

 things have been said. One of these fabulous reports is this, that mack- 

 erel, like sharks, attack men swimming or bathing in the water, and 

 that if their number is very large they will overcome even the strongest 

 man. The improbability of this report, which is very generally believed, 

 is self-evident. A close examination of the mackerel will convince any 

 one that it cannot possibly hurt a man. Its jaws are too weak and its 

 teeth too fine. To smaller fish and marine animals, however, it may cer- 

 tainly prove a dangerous enemy. I have several times observed the 

 greedy manner in which mackerel scarcely a finger long have chased 

 young herring and decimated their schools. It will be seen from this 

 that the grown mackerel must be a very dangerous enemy to the young 

 herring ; and i)ersonal observations have convinced me that this is 

 really the case. On this circumstance the so called autumn-mackerel 

 fisheries are based, which are carried on in the deep fiords long after the 

 time when the great mass of mackerel have left the coast. The so- 

 called autumn-mackerel are schools which have separated from the chief 

 school, which instead of going out to sea have commenced to chase the 

 small herring and followed them into the deep fiords where they remain 

 as long as they find sufQcient food. The fatness of the autumn-mackerel 

 is caused by its rich food, generally consisting of small herring, but also 

 of other small pelagian animals. As soon as this food begins to get 

 scarce the mackerel gradually disappear and go out to sea again, and. 

 toward winter it is merely accidental if mackerel are caught on hooks 

 with other fish. That the autumn-mackerel later in autumn generally 

 goes deeper than the summer-mackerel, is easily explained by the cir~ 

 cumstance that there is so much fresh water near the surface in our fiords^, 

 and likewise by the change in the temperature of the surface-water. 

 But the mackerel will never be found constantly near the bottom like: 

 flounders and other bottom-fish, but alwavs some distance from it. 

 43 F . 



