﻿246 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  notes 
  are 
  from 
  specimens 
  examined 
  at 
  Eden 
  : 
  Premaxillary 
  

   space 
  narrow, 
  slightly 
  curved; 
  height 
  of 
  longest 
  dorsal 
  spine 
  IJ 
  in 
  head; 
  

   longest 
  anal 
  spine 
  IJ 
  in 
  head 
  ; 
  second 
  anal 
  sj)ine 
  strongest, 
  but 
  third 
  slightly 
  

   longer; 
  i)ectoral 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  head; 
  eye 
  about 
  4 
  in 
  head. 
  Color 
  plain 
  silvery, 
  

   with 
  purplish 
  iridescence 
  on 
  anal 
  sheath 
  and 
  on 
  part 
  of 
  sides 
  andopercles; 
  

   top 
  of 
  head 
  and 
  body 
  above 
  lateral 
  line 
  soujewhat 
  olivaceous, 
  with 
  steely 
  

   iridescence; 
  sides 
  with 
  fine 
  dark 
  punctnlations. 
  

  

  Another 
  example 
  had 
  anal 
  spine 
  2 
  in 
  head. 
  

  

  77. 
  Cynoscion 
  nebulosus 
  (Cuvier 
  & 
  Valenciennes). 
  "Trout"; 
  Spotted 
  Sqneteagne. 
  

  

  Abundant 
  throughout 
  Indian 
  River; 
  young 
  examples 
  taken 
  at 
  Titusville, 
  

   Cocoa, 
  and 
  Indian 
  River 
  Inlet. 
  

  

  78. 
  Scisenops 
  ocellatus 
  (Linnajus). 
  Red 
  Drum; 
  "Bass"; 
  " 
  Channel 
  Bass." 
  Very 
  

  

  alnindaiit 
  in 
  Indian 
  River. 
  Young 
  examples, 
  from 
  1 
  to 
  4 
  inches 
  long, 
  obtained 
  

   at 
  Pelican 
  Island 
  January 
  21, 
  and 
  at 
  Indian 
  River 
  Inlet 
  January 
  23. 
  

  

  79. 
  Leiostomus 
  xanthurus 
  Lact5pede. 
  "Spot," 
  confused 
  with 
  Croaker. 
  Examples 
  

  

  5i, 
  G, 
  and 
  6J 
  inches 
  long 
  were 
  seined 
  at 
  Titusville. 
  One 
  specimen 
  was 
  taken 
  

   at 
  Indian 
  River 
  Inlet. 
  A 
  large 
  example, 
  13^^ 
  inches 
  long, 
  was 
  obtained 
  at 
  

   West 
  Palm 
  Beach, 
  Lake 
  Worth, 
  from 
  Mr. 
  G. 
  W. 
  Jennings, 
  who 
  says 
  it 
  is 
  

   called 
  '"Jimmy" 
  by 
  the 
  fishermen. 
  D. 
  x, 
  1, 
  30; 
  A. 
  ii, 
  12; 
  scales 
  60. 
  

  

  80. 
  Micropogoii 
  undulatus 
  (Ijinn;ens). 
  Croaker, 
  confused 
  with 
  " 
  Sjjot." 
  Abun- 
  

  

  dant. 
  

  

  81. 
  Menticirrhus 
  aniericanus 
  (Linuieus). 
  " 
  Jrhitiiig." 
  Common; 
  examples 
  ob- 
  

  

  tained 
  at 
  Cocoa 
  January 
  17, 
  1896, 
  from 
  Mr. 
  Fred. 
  Church. 
  

  

  82. 
  Pogonias 
  cromis 
  (LinniBus). 
  Gray 
  Drum; 
  " 
  Drnmfisli"; 
  Black 
  Drum. 
  Com- 
  

  

  mon 
  in 
  Indian 
  River. 
  Reaches 
  a 
  large 
  size 
  and 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  destructive 
  to 
  the 
  

   oyster 
  beds 
  and 
  fishing 
  nets. 
  Not 
  esteemed 
  as 
  food. 
  Examples 
  from 
  Cocoa 
  

   and 
  Fort 
  Pierce 
  were 
  preserved. 
  Other 
  very 
  large 
  examples 
  were 
  seen 
  at 
  

   Santa 
  Lucia 
  Inlet. 
  

  

  83. 
  Cryptotomus 
  ustus 
  (Cuvier 
  & 
  Valenciennes). 
  A 
  single 
  specimen, 
  2|^ 
  inches 
  

  

  long, 
  from 
  Indian 
  River 
  Inlet. 
  Head 
  3^ 
  ; 
  depth 
  3^ 
  ; 
  eye 
  3f 
  ; 
  snout 
  3^. 
  D. 
  ix, 
  10 
  ; 
  

   A. 
  II, 
  9; 
  scales 
  2-23-6. 
  

  

  84. 
  Chaetodipterus 
  faber 
  (Broussonetj. 
  Angel-fish. 
  Not 
  uncommon, 
  especially 
  in 
  

  

  lower 
  part 
  of 
  river. 
  Said 
  to 
  reach 
  a 
  weight 
  of 
  20 
  pounds. 
  Examples 
  seen 
  

   at 
  Fort 
  Pierce 
  and 
  Eden. 
  

  

  85. 
  Spheroides 
  spengleri 
  (Bloch). 
  Southern 
  Puffer 
  ; 
  Swell-toad. 
  Probably 
  common. 
  

  

  Four 
  specimens 
  obtained 
  from 
  mouth 
  of 
  St. 
  Lucie 
  River 
  and 
  3 
  from 
  Cocoa. 
  

  

  86. 
  Spheroides 
  niaculatus 
  (Bloch 
  & 
  Schneider). 
  (Hohe-fish 
  ; 
  Puffer; 
  Blower. 
  Five 
  

  

  small 
  specimens, 
  f 
  to 
  If 
  inches 
  long, 
  from 
  Cocoa; 
  no 
  large 
  ones 
  seen. 
  These 
  

   specimens 
  can 
  be 
  readily 
  inflated 
  by 
  applying 
  a 
  blowpipe 
  at 
  the 
  mouth. 
  

   The 
  specimen 
  If 
  inches 
  long, 
  when 
  inflated, 
  measured 
  1 
  inch 
  wide 
  and 
  |- 
  of 
  

   an 
  inch 
  deep, 
  while 
  the 
  width 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  is 
  i 
  inch. 
  Eye 
  3* 
  in 
  head; 
  inter- 
  

   orbital 
  width 
  2 
  in 
  snout, 
  or 
  6 
  in 
  head. 
  

  

  Possessing 
  young 
  individuals, 
  of 
  approximately 
  the 
  same 
  size, 
  of 
  these 
  

   three 
  species 
  of 
  Spheroides 
  (S. 
  spengleri, 
  S. 
  testudinens, 
  and 
  S. 
  maculatus), 
  

   their 
  relative 
  inflating 
  abilities 
  have 
  been 
  compared. 
  The 
  one 
  possessing 
  

   this 
  power 
  in 
  the 
  greatest 
  degree 
  is 
  S. 
  maculatus. 
  When 
  fully 
  inflated 
  the 
  

   young 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  are 
  nearly 
  globular 
  and 
  look 
  like 
  marbles. 
  The 
  

   surface 
  is 
  evenly 
  rounded. 
  S. 
  spengleri 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  inflated 
  so 
  greatly, 
  and 
  S. 
  

   testudinens 
  is 
  inflatable 
  in 
  a 
  still 
  less 
  degree. 
  Moreover, 
  these 
  two 
  species 
  

   when 
  inflated 
  differ 
  very 
  materially 
  in 
  shape 
  from 
  *S'. 
  maculatus, 
  in 
  that 
  the 
  nose 
  

   projects 
  noticeably 
  and 
  the 
  inflated 
  belly 
  is 
  not 
  continuously 
  and 
  regularly 
  

   rounded 
  where 
  it 
  joins 
  the 
  back, 
  but 
  a 
  considerable 
  angle 
  is 
  formed 
  on 
  a 
  

   line 
  parallel 
  with 
  the 
  lower 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  pectoral 
  fin. 
  The 
  young 
  of 
  S. 
  macn- 
  

   latus 
  is 
  most 
  uniiorraly 
  covered 
  with 
  prickles, 
  differing 
  but 
  slightly 
  from 
  

   S. 
  spenfjlcrl 
  in 
  this 
  respect, 
  while 
  S. 
  testudinens 
  has 
  consideralile 
  areas 
  with- 
  

   out 
  i)rickles. 
  Of 
  the 
  three 
  species 
  S. 
  maculatus 
  is 
  best 
  entitled 
  to 
  the 
  name 
  

   glolxs-fish. 
  

  

  