﻿112 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

   INDIAN 
  RIVER, 
  FLORIDA. 
  

  

  Indian 
  Eiver, 
  Florida, 
  was 
  made 
  the 
  subject 
  of 
  an 
  investigation 
  dur- 
  

   ing 
  January, 
  1896, 
  with 
  respect 
  to 
  the 
  character 
  and 
  condition 
  of 
  its 
  

   fislicries. 
  in 
  accordance 
  with 
  a 
  provision 
  of 
  the 
  sundry 
  civil 
  appropri- 
  

   ation 
  bill, 
  approved 
  March 
  2, 
  1895, 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  That 
  it 
  shall 
  be 
  the 
  duty 
  

   of 
  the 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  Fisheries 
  to 
  make 
  special 
  investigations 
  as 
  to 
  

   the 
  extermination 
  of 
  migratory 
  fishes 
  on 
  the 
  Indian 
  River 
  of 
  Florida. 
  

   The 
  scientific 
  inquiries 
  were 
  conducted 
  by 
  Prof. 
  Barton 
  W. 
  Evernninn, 
  

   assisted 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Barton 
  A. 
  Bean, 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  National 
  Museum, 
  

   and 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  G, 
  Maddren, 
  and 
  those 
  relating 
  to 
  the 
  statistics 
  and 
  methods 
  

   of 
  the 
  fisheries 
  by 
  Mr, 
  W. 
  A. 
  Wilcox. 
  The 
  field 
  work 
  was 
  planned 
  on 
  a 
  

   comprehensive 
  basis, 
  and 
  contemplated 
  securing 
  as 
  comj^lete 
  informa- 
  

   tion 
  as 
  possible 
  on 
  the 
  following 
  subjects: 
  The 
  kinds 
  of 
  food-fishes 
  

   occurring 
  in 
  the 
  river, 
  either 
  continuously 
  or 
  as 
  regular 
  visitants; 
  their 
  

   distribution, 
  movements, 
  spawning, 
  and 
  other 
  habits; 
  their 
  abundance 
  

   atpresent 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  the 
  past, 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  any 
  decrease 
  among 
  

   them, 
  and 
  its 
  causes; 
  and 
  the 
  remedial 
  measures 
  advisable 
  to 
  take 
  in 
  

   order 
  to 
  preserve, 
  and 
  if 
  need 
  be 
  to 
  restore, 
  the 
  fishery 
  resources 
  of 
  

   these 
  waters. 
  In 
  determining 
  these 
  matters 
  it 
  was 
  necessary 
  to 
  study 
  

   the 
  physical 
  characteristics 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  natural 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  region, 
  

   and 
  to 
  obtain 
  a 
  thorough 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries 
  from 
  

   their 
  inception 
  to 
  the 
  present 
  time. 
  The 
  work 
  was 
  carried 
  on 
  chiefly 
  

   by 
  interviewing 
  the 
  fishermen, 
  fish-dealers, 
  and 
  others 
  acquainted 
  with 
  

   the 
  subject, 
  and 
  by 
  examining 
  the 
  catches 
  as 
  they 
  Avere 
  landed 
  or 
  

   received 
  at 
  market, 
  but 
  much 
  seining 
  was 
  done 
  and 
  observations 
  were 
  

   made 
  respecting 
  the 
  temperature 
  and 
  density 
  of 
  the 
  waters 
  and 
  other 
  

   physical 
  conditions. 
  

  

  Indian 
  River 
  is 
  in 
  reality 
  a 
  long, 
  narrow, 
  and 
  shallow 
  salt-water 
  

   lagoon 
  or 
  sound, 
  about 
  135 
  miles 
  long 
  and 
  separated 
  from 
  the 
  sea 
  by 
  a 
  

   narrow 
  strip 
  of 
  very 
  low 
  land. 
  It 
  is 
  connected 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  directly 
  

   with 
  the 
  ocean 
  at 
  four 
  different 
  places. 
  The 
  commercial 
  fishes 
  number 
  

   about 
  24 
  species, 
  of 
  which, 
  however, 
  only 
  about 
  16 
  species 
  occur 
  in 
  

   sufficient 
  abundance 
  to 
  be 
  important,, 
  the 
  most 
  conspicuous 
  among 
  

   these, 
  based 
  upon 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  catch 
  in 
  1895, 
  being 
  the 
  mullet, 
  

   pompano, 
  shoei)shead, 
  and 
  squeteague. 
  ()3\sters 
  are 
  also 
  obtained 
  in 
  

   considerable 
  quantities. 
  

  

  The 
  fisheries 
  of 
  Indian 
  River 
  have 
  been 
  developed 
  only 
  within 
  a 
  

   comparatively 
  few 
  years, 
  beginning 
  practically 
  in 
  1878, 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  

   until 
  railroad 
  communication 
  had 
  been 
  opened 
  up 
  in 
  1886 
  that 
  they 
  

   became 
  thoroughly 
  established. 
  With 
  the 
  increase 
  of 
  facilities 
  in 
  this 
  

   regard 
  the 
  industry 
  has 
  grown 
  rapidly 
  and 
  has 
  been 
  extended 
  to 
  a 
  

   large 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  river. 
  More 
  than 
  half 
  the 
  catch 
  and 
  nearly 
  a 
  third 
  of 
  its 
  

   value 
  were 
  represented 
  by 
  the 
  mullet. 
  The 
  pompano, 
  the 
  most 
  highly 
  

   esteemed 
  species, 
  has 
  decreased 
  greatly 
  in 
  abundance, 
  especially 
  since 
  

   1894, 
  and 
  the 
  explanation 
  of 
  the 
  fishermen, 
  that 
  this 
  is 
  due 
  chiefly 
  to 
  

   the 
  severe 
  weather 
  during 
  the 
  winter 
  of 
  1894-95, 
  is 
  not 
  without 
  reason. 
  

   As 
  this 
  species 
  seems 
  to 
  spawn 
  inside 
  the 
  river, 
  it 
  is 
  thought 
  that 
  a 
  

   close 
  season 
  during 
  its 
  spawning 
  period 
  would 
  prove 
  advantageous. 
  

  

  