﻿THE 
  FISHERIES 
  OF 
  INDIAN 
  KIVER, 
  FLORIDA. 
  237 
  

  

  SAILOR'S 
  CHOICE 
  {Liujodoii 
  rkombohkis). 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  is 
  said 
  by 
  fishermen 
  uot 
  to 
  be 
  very 
  common 
  in 
  Indian 
  

   Eiver. 
  Its 
  small 
  size, 
  however, 
  allows 
  it 
  to 
  pass 
  througli 
  the 
  meshes 
  

   of 
  the 
  nets 
  used 
  for 
  other 
  species, 
  and 
  its 
  scarcity 
  may 
  be 
  only 
  appar- 
  

   ent. 
  It 
  is 
  highly 
  prized 
  as 
  a 
  pan-fish, 
  and 
  is 
  permanently 
  resident 
  in 
  

   Indian 
  Iliver. 
  The 
  average 
  weight 
  is 
  one-half 
  i)()nnd 
  or 
  less, 
  and 
  the 
  

   maximum 
  i)robal)ly 
  uot 
  over 
  a 
  pound. 
  

  

  CRAY 
  DRUM 
  (L'u(joni<is 
  rromis). 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  also 
  sometimes 
  called 
  the 
  black 
  drum, 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  constant 
  

   resident 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  in 
  considerable 
  numbers, 
  but 
  is 
  not 
  valued 
  as 
  a 
  

   food-fish. 
  Large 
  numbers 
  are 
  caught, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  usually 
  killed 
  and 
  

   thrown 
  away, 
  as 
  they 
  do 
  great 
  damage 
  to 
  the 
  nets 
  and 
  are 
  known 
  to 
  

   be 
  destructive 
  to 
  the 
  oyster 
  beds. 
  They 
  reach 
  a 
  large 
  size, 
  specimens 
  

   weighing 
  40 
  to 
  75 
  pounds 
  often 
  being 
  taken. 
  The 
  large 
  individuals 
  are 
  

   said 
  to 
  be 
  infested 
  with 
  worms. 
  Several 
  large 
  specimens 
  examined 
  at 
  

   Santa 
  Lucia 
  Iidet 
  the 
  last 
  of 
  January 
  contained 
  well-develoi)ed 
  roe, 
  

   which 
  indicates 
  late 
  winter 
  or 
  early 
  spring 
  as 
  the 
  spawning 
  season. 
  

  

  SOUTHERN 
  FLOUNDER 
  {Paralichtlnjs 
  lethostigma). 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  common 
  flounder 
  found 
  in 
  Indian 
  Kiver 
  and 
  is 
  api)ar- 
  

   ently 
  the 
  only 
  species 
  handled 
  by 
  fishermen. 
  It 
  is 
  well 
  regarded, 
  but 
  

   the 
  catch 
  is 
  small. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  special 
  fishery 
  for 
  it 
  and 
  its 
  abundance 
  

   is 
  probably 
  greater 
  than 
  indicated 
  by 
  the 
  present 
  catch. 
  Nothing- 
  

   important 
  was 
  learned 
  of 
  its 
  habits. 
  

  

  SPANISH 
  MACKEREL 
  (Scomhcromorus 
  maculatus). 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  is 
  very 
  scarce 
  in 
  Indian 
  Kiver. 
  One 
  dealer 
  at 
  Titus- 
  

   ville 
  received 
  four 
  early 
  in 
  January 
  and 
  regarded 
  that 
  as 
  an 
  unusually 
  

   large 
  number 
  — 
  generally 
  only 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  are 
  secured 
  per 
  day 
  by 
  his 
  

   entire 
  fishing 
  force. 
  The 
  weight 
  of 
  the 
  four 
  was 
  15 
  pounds. 
  They 
  are 
  

   rarely 
  or 
  never 
  caught 
  as 
  lar 
  up 
  the 
  river 
  as 
  Cocoa, 
  but 
  are 
  occasion- 
  

   ally 
  taken 
  about 
  the 
  inlets. 
  

  

  CROAKER 
  {Micropogon 
  undulatus). 
  

  

  Not 
  abundant 
  in 
  Indian 
  Eiver. 
  It 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  present 
  throughout 
  

   the 
  year 
  and 
  to 
  spawn 
  early 
  in 
  spring. 
  It 
  was 
  seen 
  only 
  at 
  Fort 
  Pierce 
  

   and 
  points 
  below. 
  One 
  fine 
  example, 
  a 
  female, 
  18^ 
  inches 
  long 
  and 
  

   weighing 
  3 
  pounds, 
  was 
  seen 
  at 
  Eden. 
  It 
  was 
  quite 
  full 
  of 
  well-matured 
  

   roe 
  and 
  would 
  doubtless 
  have 
  spawned 
  early 
  in 
  March. 
  

  

  SILVER 
  MULLET 
  {Mutjil 
  ettrcma). 
  

  

  Besides 
  the 
  common 
  mullet 
  of 
  Indian 
  River, 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  second 
  species 
  

   wh-ich 
  is 
  usually 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  "silver 
  mullet," 
  or 
  "white 
  mullet." 
  It 
  

   may 
  be 
  readily 
  told 
  from 
  the 
  common 
  mullet 
  by 
  its 
  more 
  silvery 
  color, 
  

   the 
  absence 
  of 
  dark 
  longitudinal 
  streaks, 
  the 
  narrower 
  and 
  more 
  pointed 
  

   snout, 
  and 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  snuiU 
  scales 
  on 
  the 
  dorsal 
  an<l 
  anal 
  fins. 
  It 
  

   is 
  considerably 
  smaller 
  than 
  the 
  common 
  mullet 
  and 
  much 
  less 
  abuu- 
  

  

  