﻿218 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  | 
  

  

  REPORT 
  UPON 
  SPECIMENS 
  COLLECTED 
  FROM 
  THE 
  OYSTER 
  

   BEDS 
  OF 
  ST. 
  VINCENT 
  SOUND, 
  APALACHICOLA 
  BAY, 
  AND 
  ST. 
  

   GEORGE 
  SOUND. 
  FLORIDA, 
  DURING 
  THE 
  WINTER 
  OF 
  1895-96. 
  

  

  Hy 
  H. 
  I'\ 
  MoOKi'"., 
  Axsifitaiit, 
  U. 
  S. 
  Fish 
  Commission: 
  

  

  With 
  very 
  few 
  exceptions, 
  the 
  specimens 
  of 
  oysters 
  submitted 
  for 
  

   examination 
  are 
  thick- 
  shelled, 
  in 
  crowded 
  clusters, 
  and 
  covered 
  with 
  

   barnacles 
  and 
  mussels. 
  In 
  some 
  instances 
  the 
  i;rowth 
  of 
  foreign 
  organ- 
  

   isms 
  has 
  been 
  so 
  vigorous 
  and 
  rapid 
  as 
  to 
  seriously 
  hamper 
  the 
  devel- 
  

   oi)ment 
  of 
  the 
  oysters, 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  manifest 
  that 
  death 
  had 
  sometimes 
  

   resulted, 
  or 
  was 
  about 
  to 
  follow, 
  from 
  this 
  cause, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  from 
  the 
  

   mutual 
  crowding 
  of 
  the 
  oysters 
  themselves. 
  If 
  the 
  specimens 
  received 
  

   are 
  fair 
  samples 
  of 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  life 
  upon 
  the 
  beds, 
  there 
  must 
  be 
  

   considerable 
  mortality 
  from 
  this 
  cause 
  alone. 
  Were 
  the 
  clusters 
  broken 
  

   up 
  tbe 
  oysters 
  would 
  be 
  more 
  abundant 
  and 
  better 
  in 
  shape 
  and 
  quality. 
  

  

  Mussels 
  and 
  barnacles 
  grow 
  with 
  great 
  rai^idity 
  and 
  wedge 
  them- 
  

   selves 
  between 
  the 
  shells 
  of 
  the 
  clusters 
  in 
  such 
  a 
  manner 
  as 
  to 
  effec- 
  

   tually 
  prevent 
  the 
  opening 
  of 
  the 
  valves, 
  and 
  the 
  oyster's 
  death 
  from 
  

   starvation 
  and 
  vSuffocation 
  soon 
  follows. 
  The 
  oyster 
  will 
  live, 
  however, 
  

   if 
  it 
  be 
  permitted 
  to 
  open 
  its 
  shell 
  ever 
  so 
  slightly, 
  but 
  the 
  difficulties 
  

   of 
  its 
  existence 
  are 
  reflected 
  in 
  its 
  jwor 
  and 
  "watery" 
  appearance, 
  a 
  

   condition 
  which 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  recognize 
  in 
  alcoholic 
  specimens. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  not 
  i)ossible 
  to 
  say 
  much 
  concerning 
  the 
  fleshy 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  

   specimens, 
  as 
  not 
  only 
  are 
  the 
  animal 
  parts 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  shrunken 
  by 
  

   the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  alcohol, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  rarely 
  possible 
  to 
  open 
  the 
  oyster 
  

   without 
  mutilation. 
  In 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  cases 
  the 
  shells 
  are 
  rather 
  deep 
  

   and 
  capacious, 
  indicating 
  that 
  in 
  their 
  fresh 
  condition 
  the 
  '^meats'' 
  

   were 
  plump 
  and 
  fleshy. 
  

  

  A 
  few 
  calcareous 
  worm 
  tubes 
  and 
  several 
  small 
  tufts 
  of 
  hydroids 
  are 
  

   attached 
  to 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  clusters, 
  but 
  in 
  general 
  the 
  collection 
  is 
  char- 
  

   acterized 
  by 
  an 
  absence 
  of 
  such 
  organisms', 
  which, 
  when 
  abundant, 
  

   sometimes 
  cause 
  harm 
  by 
  collecting 
  sand 
  and 
  debris 
  which 
  smothers 
  

   the 
  oysters. 
  

  

  The 
  old 
  shells, 
  both 
  living 
  and 
  dead, 
  are 
  usually 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  corroded 
  

   and 
  i)artially 
  disintegrated 
  by 
  the 
  attack 
  of 
  a 
  species 
  of 
  boring 
  lamelli- 
  

   branch, 
  not 
  yet 
  identified, 
  but 
  apparently 
  related 
  to, 
  if 
  not 
  identical 
  

   with, 
  Martesia 
  smithii 
  Tryon. 
  This 
  species 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  par- 
  

   asitic 
  in 
  the 
  sense 
  of 
  feeding 
  upon 
  the 
  oyster, 
  but 
  it 
  causes 
  harm 
  by 
  

   weakening 
  the 
  shell 
  and 
  harassing 
  the 
  tenant 
  in 
  a 
  manner 
  not 
  unlike 
  

   that 
  of 
  the 
  boring 
  sponge. 
  This 
  boring 
  clam 
  begins 
  to 
  burrow 
  when 
  it 
  

  

  