﻿238 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  daiit. 
  According- 
  to 
  some 
  dealers, 
  it 
  averages 
  only 
  about 
  half 
  the 
  size 
  

   of 
  the 
  common 
  mullet, 
  and' 
  not 
  more 
  than 
  one 
  out 
  of 
  every 
  hundred 
  

   mullet 
  taken 
  is 
  a 
  silver 
  mullet. 
  Very 
  little 
  could 
  be 
  learned 
  of 
  its 
  

   habits 
  as 
  distinct 
  from 
  the 
  common 
  species, 
  except 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  more 
  of 
  a 
  

   sea 
  fish 
  than 
  the 
  other. 
  

  

  TRIPLE-TAIL 
  {Luhutes 
  sitrinanicnsh). 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  does 
  not 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  very 
  well 
  known 
  to 
  the 
  fishermen 
  

   of 
  Indian 
  River. 
  None 
  was 
  observed 
  north 
  of 
  Fort 
  Pierce, 
  but 
  from 
  

   that 
  place 
  southward 
  a 
  few 
  were 
  found 
  at 
  each 
  fish-house. 
  Very 
  few 
  

   fishermen 
  were 
  certain 
  as 
  to 
  its 
  right 
  name; 
  it 
  is 
  known 
  locally 
  as 
  

   " 
  rockfish," 
  " 
  grouper," 
  ''black 
  grouper," 
  or 
  "black 
  drum." 
  The 
  greatest 
  

   numbers 
  were 
  vseen 
  at 
  Stuart. 
  At 
  Eden 
  one 
  of 
  8 
  pounds 
  and 
  one 
  of 
  10 
  

   pounds 
  were 
  noticed. 
  It 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  run 
  as 
  high 
  as 
  50 
  pounds. 
  The 
  

   average 
  of 
  those 
  taken 
  is 
  probably 
  8 
  or 
  10 
  pounds. 
  It 
  is 
  regarded 
  as 
  

   a 
  very 
  good 
  fish. 
  It 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  come 
  into 
  the 
  river 
  in 
  December 
  and 
  go 
  

   out 
  in 
  the 
  spring. 
  Nothing 
  is 
  known 
  of 
  its 
  spawning 
  habits 
  in 
  this 
  

   region. 
  

  

  PIGFISH, 
  SPOT, 
  AND 
  OTHER 
  MINOR 
  SPECIES. 
  

  

  The 
  pigfish 
  [Ortliopristis 
  chrysopterus) 
  is 
  a 
  small 
  fish 
  which 
  enters 
  

   only 
  sparingly 
  into 
  the 
  commercial 
  catch. 
  Only 
  a 
  few 
  could 
  be 
  found 
  

   at 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  fishing 
  centers 
  during 
  the 
  investigation. 
  

  

  The 
  spot 
  {Lciostomus 
  xantlmrus) 
  is 
  probably 
  abundant, 
  but 
  the 
  catch 
  

   is 
  small, 
  as 
  the 
  mesh 
  of 
  the 
  nets 
  used 
  is 
  not 
  suited 
  to 
  its 
  capture. 
  It 
  

   attains 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  a 
  foot 
  or 
  less 
  and 
  a 
  weight 
  of 
  half 
  a 
  pound. 
  Little 
  

   is 
  known 
  of 
  its 
  habits 
  in 
  Indian 
  Eiver, 
  but 
  it 
  probably 
  spawns 
  in 
  

   shallow 
  water 
  about 
  the 
  inlets. 
  Local 
  names 
  for 
  this 
  fish 
  on 
  Indian 
  

   Eiver 
  are 
  "mazuca" 
  and 
  "jimmy." 
  

  

  The 
  yellow-tail 
  {BairdkJla 
  chrysura) 
  is 
  a 
  small 
  species 
  that 
  is 
  not 
  

   abundant 
  and 
  not 
  taken 
  in 
  noteworthy 
  quantities 
  for 
  food. 
  It 
  is 
  very 
  

   different 
  from 
  the 
  yellow-tail 
  of 
  Key 
  West. 
  

  

  Gerres 
  olisthostonia, 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  mutton-fish 
  in 
  Indian 
  River, 
  was 
  

   not 
  observed 
  north 
  of 
  Fort 
  Pierce, 
  and 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  were 
  seen 
  there, 
  but 
  

   a 
  good 
  many 
  were 
  noticed 
  at 
  Eden 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  at 
  Stuart. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  

   highly 
  valued 
  and 
  is 
  thrown 
  away 
  by 
  most 
  fishermen. 
  The 
  specimens 
  

   seen 
  averaged 
  less 
  than 
  one-half 
  pound 
  in 
  weight. 
  

  

  The 
  pinfish 
  {Biplodus 
  Iwlbrooldi) 
  is 
  found 
  occasionally 
  in 
  the 
  catch, 
  

   but 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  sufiiciently 
  abundant 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  much 
  commercial 
  importance. 
  

  

  The 
  sergeant-fish 
  or 
  snook 
  {Ccntropomus 
  un 
  decimal 
  is) 
  is 
  not 
  uncom- 
  

   mon 
  in 
  the 
  river, 
  especially 
  in 
  the 
  southern 
  part. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  food-fish 
  of 
  

   some 
  value, 
  but 
  is 
  frequently 
  not 
  utilized 
  when 
  caught, 
  unless 
  better 
  

   fishes 
  are 
  scarce. 
  

  

  