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  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  inlets. 
  The 
  general 
  opinion 
  among 
  the 
  flsherinen 
  

   is 
  that 
  the 
  sheepshead 
  has 
  not 
  suffered 
  any 
  decrease 
  in 
  recent 
  years. 
  

  

  SPOTTED 
  SQUETEAGUE 
  OR 
  SEA 
  TROUT 
  {Cynosciov 
  vcbulosii.s). 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  ranks 
  fourth 
  among 
  the 
  commercial 
  fishes 
  of 
  Indian 
  

   fiiver. 
  In 
  1880 
  the 
  spotted 
  squeteague 
  was 
  not 
  known 
  to 
  extend 
  south 
  

   of 
  St. 
  Augustine, 
  ou 
  the 
  east 
  Florida 
  coast. 
  The 
  present 
  investiga- 
  

   tion 
  has 
  shown 
  its 
  presence 
  in 
  abundance 
  in 
  Indian 
  Eiver. 
  It 
  is 
  also 
  

   common 
  in 
  Lake 
  Worth, 
  and 
  has 
  long 
  been 
  known 
  as 
  an 
  important 
  

   food-fish 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  coast 
  of 
  Florida 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  Texas. 
  The 
  

   evidence 
  points 
  to 
  its 
  continuous 
  presence 
  in 
  Indian 
  Eiver 
  in 
  consid- 
  

   erable 
  numbers, 
  though 
  the 
  largest 
  catches 
  are 
  during 
  the 
  latter 
  part 
  

   of 
  winter 
  and 
  early 
  spring. 
  It 
  is 
  more 
  of 
  a 
  wanderer 
  than 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  

   others 
  yet 
  mentioned, 
  and 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  schools, 
  which 
  pass 
  in 
  and 
  out 
  

   with 
  the 
  tides 
  in 
  pursuit 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  smaller 
  fishes. 
  

  

  This 
  fish 
  has 
  apparently 
  held 
  its 
  own 
  in 
  Indian 
  Eiver. 
  The 
  fisher- 
  

   men 
  all 
  claim 
  that 
  there 
  has 
  been 
  little 
  or 
  no 
  decrease, 
  some 
  even 
  

   maintaining 
  that 
  it 
  has 
  increased 
  in 
  numbers. 
  No 
  definite 
  statements 
  

   regarding 
  its 
  spawning 
  habits 
  can 
  be 
  made. 
  Only 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  of 
  the 
  

   dealers 
  ventured 
  any 
  opinion 
  upon 
  the 
  matter, 
  and 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  agree, 
  

   one 
  giving 
  May 
  and 
  another 
  November 
  and 
  December. 
  Young 
  fish 
  

   caught 
  at 
  various 
  places 
  in 
  Indian 
  Eiver 
  were 
  4^ 
  to 
  8 
  inches 
  long, 
  which 
  

   would 
  indicate 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  probably 
  spawned 
  in 
  the 
  river. 
  

  

  The 
  average 
  weight 
  of 
  those 
  handled 
  by 
  the 
  commercial 
  fishermen 
  is 
  

   2 
  to 
  4 
  pounds, 
  though 
  the 
  maximum 
  size 
  is 
  very 
  much 
  greater. 
  The 
  

   largest 
  example 
  seen 
  was 
  at 
  Fort 
  Pierce 
  and 
  weighed 
  13i 
  pounds. 
  

  

  REDFISH 
  OR 
  RED 
  DRUM 
  (Sda'iiojhs 
  oceUatiis). 
  

  

  This 
  fish 
  is 
  known 
  locally 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  coast 
  of 
  Florida 
  as 
  bass, 
  redfish, 
  

   and 
  channel 
  bass 
  ; 
  the 
  most 
  appropriate 
  names 
  are 
  redfish 
  and 
  red 
  drum. 
  

   The 
  Spanish 
  name 
  is 
  verbena. 
  It 
  ranks 
  fifth 
  among 
  the 
  commercial 
  

   fishes 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  and 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  game-fishes. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  lack 
  of 
  agreement 
  among 
  the 
  fishermen 
  as 
  to 
  its 
  habits. 
  

   That 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  constant 
  resident 
  of 
  Indian 
  Eiver 
  seems 
  certain. 
  It 
  is 
  

   most 
  abundant 
  during 
  winter 
  and 
  early 
  spring. 
  The 
  larger 
  ones, 
  such 
  

   as 
  are 
  usually 
  called 
  channel 
  bass, 
  appear 
  to 
  leave 
  the 
  river 
  for 
  a 
  brief 
  

   period 
  during 
  the 
  coldest 
  season; 
  they 
  also 
  ])robably 
  go 
  outside 
  for 
  a 
  

   short 
  time 
  during 
  the 
  warmest 
  season. 
  

  

  Specimens 
  of 
  various 
  sizes 
  were 
  collected, 
  the 
  smallest 
  being 
  less 
  

   than 
  half 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  length 
  and 
  the 
  others 
  varying 
  from 
  that 
  size 
  up 
  to 
  

   a 
  foot 
  or 
  more. 
  This 
  would 
  indicate 
  that 
  the 
  spawning 
  season 
  extends 
  

   over 
  a 
  considerable 
  period, 
  probably 
  from 
  spring 
  until 
  fall. 
  The 
  abun- 
  

   dance 
  of 
  very 
  young 
  fish 
  in 
  the 
  river 
  makes 
  it 
  quite 
  certain 
  that 
  the 
  

   species 
  spawns 
  inside. 
  

  

  The 
  fishermen 
  are 
  pretty 
  well 
  agreed 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  food 
  and 
  size 
  of 
  this 
  

   species. 
  Small 
  free-swimming 
  fish, 
  such 
  as 
  young 
  mullet, 
  together 
  with 
  

  

  