﻿FISHERIES 
  OF 
  THE 
  COASTAL 
  WATERS 
  OF 
  FLORIDA. 
  281 
  

  

  were 
  protected 
  in 
  their 
  rights. 
  The 
  depredations 
  of 
  poachers, 
  com- 
  

   bined 
  with 
  losses 
  incurred 
  from 
  storms, 
  have 
  greatly 
  hampered 
  the 
  

   plan 
  of 
  increasing- 
  the 
  supply 
  by 
  cultivation, 
  and 
  the 
  tendency 
  is 
  to 
  

   abandon 
  the 
  business 
  unless 
  ample 
  protection 
  is 
  afforded. 
  

  

  FISHES. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  conduct 
  of 
  the 
  investigations 
  covered 
  by 
  this 
  report 
  the 
  

   food-hshes 
  of 
  the 
  principal 
  tishing 
  centers 
  of 
  Florida 
  were 
  studied, 
  

   with 
  the 
  object 
  of 
  determining 
  the 
  food-fishes 
  of 
  the 
  different 
  sec- 
  

   tions, 
  the 
  relative 
  abundance, 
  distribution, 
  spawning 
  habits, 
  food, 
  and 
  

   enemies 
  of 
  each. 
  Information 
  was 
  sought 
  regarding 
  the 
  present 
  abun- 
  

   dance, 
  size, 
  and 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  species 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  

   former 
  years. 
  The 
  chief 
  inquiries 
  were 
  made 
  in 
  Indian 
  lliver, 
  Lake 
  

   Worth, 
  Biscayue 
  Bay, 
  at 
  Key 
  West, 
  Tampa, 
  and 
  Tarpon 
  Springs. 
  

  

  As 
  regards 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  species 
  of 
  fishes 
  handled 
  by 
  the 
  fishermen, 
  

   Key 
  West 
  is 
  by 
  far 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  fishing 
  center 
  in 
  Florida. 
  This 
  

   is 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  in 
  the 
  waters 
  about 
  Key 
  West 
  are 
  found 
  more 
  

   species 
  of 
  fishes 
  which 
  are 
  used 
  for 
  food 
  than 
  can 
  be 
  found 
  at 
  any 
  other 
  

   single 
  locality 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  States. 
  If 
  to 
  the 
  food- 
  fishes 
  of 
  Key 
  West 
  

   are 
  added 
  all 
  the 
  other 
  species 
  found 
  there, 
  a 
  list 
  of 
  more 
  than 
  225 
  

   species 
  known 
  from 
  that 
  region 
  is 
  obtained. 
  The 
  species 
  which 
  are 
  

   used 
  as 
  food 
  are 
  not 
  fewer 
  than 
  100 
  in 
  number. 
  

  

  The 
  investigations 
  indicate 
  that 
  there 
  has 
  been 
  no 
  serious 
  decrease 
  

   in 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  food-fishes 
  of 
  this 
  region. 
  The 
  methods 
  

   are 
  calculated 
  to 
  conserve 
  the 
  fisheries 
  to 
  the 
  fullest 
  extent. 
  Few 
  fishes 
  

   are 
  lost 
  for 
  want 
  of 
  a 
  market. 
  Only 
  such 
  as 
  are 
  thought 
  salable 
  are 
  

   brought 
  into 
  market, 
  and 
  there 
  they 
  are 
  kept 
  alive 
  until 
  they 
  are 
  sold. 
  

   So 
  long 
  as 
  these 
  methods 
  continue, 
  no 
  serious 
  diminution 
  is 
  likely 
  to 
  

   occur 
  with 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  numerous 
  food-fishes 
  of 
  Key 
  West. 
  

  

  The 
  more 
  important 
  food-fishes 
  of 
  Key 
  West 
  are 
  briefly 
  discussed 
  in 
  

   the 
  following 
  pages. 
  The 
  ditt'erent 
  species 
  are 
  considered 
  by 
  groups 
  

   approximately 
  in 
  the 
  order 
  of 
  their 
  commercial 
  value. 
  The 
  common 
  

   names 
  given 
  are 
  those 
  in 
  use 
  among 
  the 
  Key 
  West 
  fishermen. 
  The 
  

   Spanish 
  names 
  in 
  use 
  among 
  the 
  Cuban 
  fishermen 
  of 
  Key 
  West 
  are 
  

   given 
  in 
  many 
  cases. 
  

  

  1. 
  Grunt, 
  Common 
  Grunt, 
  White 
  Grunt, 
  or 
  Ronco, 
  Uannulon 
  phimicri 
  (Lac^pide). 
  

   The 
  most 
  almmlant 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  Key 
  West 
  food-fishes, 
  and 
  raiiij^ht 
  all 
  the 
  year 
  

   round, 
  the 
  licst 
  season 
  beiuj^ 
  during- 
  the 
  fall. 
  Their 
  spawning 
  season 
  ia 
  

   during 
  August 
  and 
  September, 
  at 
  which 
  time 
  they 
  gather 
  )ip 
  into 
  schools 
  

   on 
  shoal, 
  feathery, 
  rock 
  bottom, 
  where 
  thej 
  spawn. 
  Each 
  roe 
  is 
  from 
  1 
  to 
  2 
  

   inches 
  in 
  length. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  "gritty 
  " 
  to 
  the 
  touch 
  and 
  about 
  

   the 
  size 
  of 
  a 
  No. 
  10 
  shot. 
  When 
  ripe 
  they 
  separate 
  and 
  (low 
  freely 
  from 
  

   the 
  tisli. 
  When 
  done 
  spawning 
  the 
  schools 
  break 
  np 
  and 
  the 
  lish 
  scatter. 
  

   They 
  are 
  so 
  abundant, 
  however, 
  that 
  they 
  can 
  usually 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  large 
  

   numbers 
  anywhere 
  on 
  suitable 
  bottom. 
  The 
  best 
  fishing 
  is 
  always 
  on 
  rock 
  

   bottom, 
  Crawlish 
  Kar 
  being 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  grounds. 
  

  

  These 
  tish 
  grow 
  to 
  about 
  18 
  inches 
  in 
  length 
  and 
  a 
  maximum 
  weight 
  

   of 
  1 
  pounds. 
  They 
  are 
  not 
  often 
  seen, 
  however, 
  weighing 
  more 
  than 
  2 
  

   pounds, 
  and 
  the 
  average 
  weight 
  does 
  not 
  exceed 
  one-third 
  of 
  a 
  pound. 
  

  

  