﻿5 
  -THE 
  FISHEPJES 
  OF 
  INDIAN 
  RIVER, 
  FLORIDA. 
  

  

  . 
  United 
  States 
  Commission 
  of 
  Fish 
  and 
  Fisheries, 
  

  

  Washington, 
  D. 
  C, 
  January 
  J, 
  1897. 
  

  

  Sir 
  : 
  I 
  have 
  the 
  honor 
  to 
  transmit 
  herewith 
  a 
  report 
  of 
  an 
  investiga- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries 
  of 
  Indian 
  River, 
  Florida. 
  

  

  This 
  investigation 
  was 
  made 
  in 
  accordance 
  with 
  a 
  j^rovision 
  of 
  the 
  act 
  

   of 
  Congress 
  approved 
  March 
  2, 
  1895, 
  calling 
  upon 
  the 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  

   Fish 
  and 
  Fisheries 
  "to 
  make 
  special 
  investigation 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  extermina- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  migratory 
  fishes 
  of 
  the 
  Indian 
  River, 
  Florida." 
  It 
  was 
  begnn 
  

   January 
  9 
  and 
  continued 
  until 
  February 
  2, 
  189G, 
  and 
  was 
  designed 
  to 
  

   cover 
  the 
  following 
  points 
  : 
  

  

  What 
  food- 
  fishes 
  occur 
  in 
  Indian 
  River, 
  continuously 
  or 
  as 
  regular 
  

   visitants; 
  their 
  present 
  abundance 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  that 
  of 
  former 
  

   years; 
  their 
  distribution 
  in 
  different 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  river; 
  their 
  migra- 
  

   tions 
  or 
  other 
  movements; 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  bottom 
  on 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  

   usually 
  found 
  ; 
  their 
  spawning 
  time 
  and 
  place 
  ; 
  their 
  food 
  ; 
  upon 
  what 
  

   other 
  fishes 
  the 
  various 
  species 
  prey; 
  the 
  weights 
  of 
  the 
  commercial 
  

   species; 
  the 
  presence 
  in 
  the 
  river 
  of 
  fish 
  not 
  used 
  as 
  food, 
  and 
  their 
  

   relation 
  to 
  the 
  food-fishes; 
  and 
  such 
  other 
  facts 
  as 
  would 
  bear 
  upon 
  the 
  

   abundance 
  of 
  the 
  different 
  fishes 
  in 
  the 
  river; 
  also 
  the 
  commercial 
  

   aspects 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries, 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  persons 
  emj^loyed, 
  the 
  cap- 
  

   ital 
  invested, 
  the 
  value 
  and 
  kind 
  of 
  appliances 
  used, 
  the 
  quantity 
  and 
  

   value 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  and 
  other 
  products 
  taken, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  development 
  

   of 
  the 
  industry. 
  The 
  inquiry 
  necessarily 
  included 
  also 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  

   physical 
  characteristics 
  of 
  the 
  river. 
  

  

  A 
  great 
  deal 
  of 
  information 
  was 
  gained 
  through 
  interviews 
  with 
  

   fish-dealers, 
  fishermen, 
  and 
  others, 
  and 
  by 
  an 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  

   in 
  the 
  fish-houses 
  or 
  as 
  brought 
  in 
  by 
  the 
  boats. 
  The 
  knowledge 
  thus 
  

   obtained 
  was 
  supplemented 
  by 
  making 
  collections 
  with 
  fine-mesbed 
  

   collecting 
  seines, 
  which 
  proved 
  very 
  important 
  in 
  determining 
  the 
  pres- 
  

   ence 
  or 
  absence 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  food-fishes. 
  

  

  The 
  natural-history 
  and 
  physical 
  investigations 
  were 
  carried 
  on 
  by 
  

   Prof. 
  Barton 
  W. 
  Evermann, 
  assisted 
  by 
  Mr. 
  I>arton 
  A. 
  Bean, 
  of 
  the 
  

   United 
  States 
  National 
  JMuseum, 
  and 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  G. 
  .Maddren; 
  and 
  those 
  

   concerning 
  the 
  commercial 
  aspects 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries 
  by 
  Mr. 
  W. 
  A. 
  Wilcox. 
  

   Detailed 
  reports, 
  together 
  with 
  illustrations 
  of 
  the 
  more 
  prominent 
  

   fishes 
  of 
  the 
  region, 
  are 
  appended. 
  

  

  Note. 
  — 
  This 
  report 
  of 
  the 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  Fish 
  and 
  Fisheries, 
  with 
  the 
  accom- 
  

   panyinfj 
  reports, 
  wus 
  first 
  printed 
  as 
  Senate 
  Document 
  IG, 
  Fifty-fourth 
  Congress, 
  

   second 
  session. 
  

  

  223 
  

  

  