﻿THE 
  FISHERIES 
  OF 
  INDIAN 
  RIVER, 
  FLORIDA. 
  241 
  

  

  Whether 
  or 
  not 
  Indiau 
  River 
  and 
  its 
  connecting 
  streams 
  furnish 
  favorable 
  

   conditions 
  for 
  the 
  establishment 
  of 
  a 
  large 
  run 
  of 
  shad 
  is 
  not 
  known. 
  No 
  

   examination 
  has 
  been 
  made 
  of 
  Sebastian 
  and 
  St. 
  Lucie 
  rivers 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  

   of 
  determining 
  the 
  presence 
  or 
  absence 
  of 
  suitable 
  spawning-grouuda. 
  The 
  

   Sebastian 
  is 
  probably 
  too 
  short 
  a 
  stream 
  to 
  promise 
  much 
  in 
  this 
  respect, 
  

   but 
  the 
  St. 
  Lucie 
  is 
  much 
  larger, 
  and 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  very 
  much 
  like 
  the 
  St. 
  

   Johns 
  in 
  general 
  character. 
  The 
  St. 
  Johns 
  has 
  long 
  been 
  known 
  as 
  one 
  

   of 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  shad 
  streams. 
  The 
  opening 
  of 
  Gilbert 
  Bar, 
  thus 
  

   making 
  a 
  good 
  inlet 
  from 
  the 
  sea 
  opposite 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  St. 
  Lucie, 
  will 
  

   probably 
  prove 
  very 
  helpful 
  to 
  shad 
  in 
  making 
  it 
  easier 
  for 
  them 
  to 
  reach 
  

   the 
  St. 
  Lucie 
  for 
  spawning 
  purposes. 
  The 
  possibility 
  of 
  establishing 
  a 
  run 
  

   of 
  this 
  valuable 
  fish 
  in 
  St. 
  Lucie 
  River 
  warrants 
  an 
  experimental 
  plant 
  of 
  shad 
  

   fry 
  in 
  that 
  stream, 
  and 
  this 
  has 
  recently 
  been 
  made. 
  

  

  20. 
  Opisthonema 
  oglinum 
  (LeSueur). 
  'Jltrcad 
  Herring. 
  Doubtless 
  common, 
  but 
  

  

  the 
  only 
  examples 
  seen 
  during 
  this 
  iuA'estigation 
  were 
  two 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  nest 
  

   of 
  a 
  brown 
  pelican 
  {Pelecav.Hs 
  fuscus) 
  at 
  Pelican 
  Island. 
  They 
  measured 
  &^ 
  

   and 
  7| 
  inches, 
  respectively. 
  D. 
  19; 
  A. 
  22; 
  scales 
  50-12; 
  scutes 
  17 
  + 
  12. 
  

  

  21. 
  Brevoortia 
  tyrannus 
  (Latrobe). 
  Menhaden; 
  Bunker; 
  Stink 
  Shad. 
  The 
  men- 
  

  

  haden 
  is 
  abundant 
  in 
  Indian 
  River 
  and 
  along 
  the 
  entire 
  eastern 
  coast 
  of 
  

   Florida, 
  and 
  is 
  considered 
  a 
  great 
  nuisance. 
  It 
  is 
  seldom 
  utilized 
  in 
  any 
  

   way 
  by 
  Indian 
  River 
  fishermen. 
  Among 
  the 
  names 
  heard 
  for 
  this 
  fish 
  on 
  

   Indian 
  River 
  are 
  menhaden, 
  bunker, 
  stink 
  shad, 
  bony 
  fish, 
  yellow-tailed 
  

   shad, 
  jack 
  shad, 
  hickory 
  shad, 
  yellow-fin 
  shad, 
  pogy, 
  and 
  bonefish. 
  

  

  22. 
  Stolephorus 
  mitchilli 
  (Cuvier 
  & 
  Valenciennes). 
  Anchovy. 
  Found 
  in 
  dansider- 
  

  

  able 
  numbers 
  in 
  small 
  coves 
  and 
  around 
  a 
  sand 
  spit 
  at 
  Cocoa. 
  Mgsny 
  seined 
  

   along 
  shore 
  of 
  St. 
  Lucie 
  River 
  5 
  miles 
  from 
  its 
  mouth. 
  D. 
  13; 
  A. 
  25. 
  

  

  23. 
  Fundialus 
  similis 
  (Baird 
  & 
  Girard). 
  Seven 
  examples, 
  1 
  to 
  If 
  inches 
  long, 
  are 
  in 
  

  

  the 
  collection 
  from 
  Pelican 
  Island. 
  Not 
  obtained 
  at 
  any 
  other 
  place. 
  

  

  24. 
  Fundulus 
  heteroclitus 
  (Linnfeus). 
  Common 
  KilUfish 
  ; 
  Mummichog. 
  This 
  spe- 
  

  

  cies, 
  which 
  was 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  common 
  in 
  January 
  and 
  undoubtedly 
  abundant 
  

   in 
  summer, 
  was 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  seines 
  at 
  Titusville 
  January 
  14, 
  at 
  Indian 
  River 
  

   Inlet 
  January 
  22, 
  Cocoa 
  January 
  17, 
  and 
  Pelican 
  Island 
  January 
  21, 
  1896. 
  

   The 
  specimens 
  measured 
  from 
  3 
  to 
  4i 
  inches 
  in 
  length, 
  and 
  the 
  species 
  is 
  

   doubtless 
  valuable 
  as 
  food 
  for 
  larger 
  fishes. 
  

  

  25. 
  Fundulus 
  chrysotus 
  Holbrook. 
  Indian 
  River 
  (Jordan, 
  1884). 
  

  

  26. 
  Fundulus 
  henshalli 
  (Jordan). 
  This 
  cyprinodont 
  was 
  originally 
  described 
  from 
  

  

  Sebastian 
  River 
  in 
  1879 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Jordan. 
  The 
  types 
  were 
  collected 
  by 
  Dr. 
  J. 
  

   A. 
  Henshall. 
  

  

  27. 
  Fundulus 
  rubrifrons 
  (Jordan). 
  The 
  types 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  were 
  also 
  obtained 
  

  

  in 
  Sebastian 
  River 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Henshall, 
  and 
  were 
  described 
  in 
  1879. 
  

  

  28. 
  Fundulus 
  nottii 
  (Agassiz). 
  Star-headed 
  Minnow. 
  The 
  specimens 
  collected 
  in 
  

  

  Elbow 
  Creek, 
  near 
  Eau 
  Gallic, 
  l>y 
  Dr. 
  Henshall, 
  and 
  described 
  in 
  1881 
  by 
  

   Goode 
  & 
  Bean 
  as 
  Ztigonectes 
  craliciila, 
  seem 
  to 
  belong 
  to 
  this 
  species. 
  

  

  29. 
  Lucania 
  ommata 
  (.Jordan). 
  The 
  types 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  were 
  obtained 
  near 
  

  

  Titusville 
  by 
  Mr. 
  R. 
  Edward 
  Earll 
  and 
  described 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Jordan 
  in 
  1884. 
  

  

  30. 
  Lucania 
  venusta 
  (Girard.) 
  This 
  small 
  killifisli 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  altundant 
  

  

  siiecies 
  of 
  Indian 
  River, 
  being 
  seined 
  along 
  the 
  grassy 
  shores 
  in 
  considera- 
  

   ble 
  numbers. 
  Examples 
  were 
  obtained 
  at 
  Titusville, 
  Cocoa, 
  Indian 
  River 
  

   Inlet, 
  Pelican 
  Island, 
  and 
  other 
  points. 
  D. 
  12; 
  A. 
  11; 
  scales 
  28-7. 
  

  

  31. 
  Cyprinodon 
  variegatus 
  Lac<^p(de. 
  Sheepshead 
  KilUfish. 
  This 
  species 
  was 
  

  

  abundant 
  at 
  Titusville, 
  Indian 
  River 
  Inlet, 
  Cocoa, 
  Pelican 
  Island, 
  and 
  Stuart. 
  

   The 
  individuals 
  vary 
  in 
  length 
  from 
  1 
  to 
  2 
  inches. 
  

  

  32. 
  Jordaiiella 
  floridae 
  Goode 
  »t. 
  Bean. 
  This 
  species, 
  originally 
  dcs<ril)ed 
  from 
  Lake 
  

  

  Monroe, 
  Florida, 
  has 
  been 
  recorded 
  from 
  Sebastian 
  River 
  (Jordan, 
  18S0) 
  and 
  

   from 
  Indian 
  River 
  (Jordan, 
  1884). 
  

  

  33. 
  Gambusia 
  affinis 
  (Baird 
  & 
  Girard). 
  Tojy-mmnow. 
  Recorded 
  from 
  Sebastian 
  

  

  River 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Jordan 
  in 
  1880. 
  

   F. 
  R. 
  96 
  IG 
  

  

  