﻿FISHERIES 
  OF 
  THE 
  COASTAL 
  WATERS 
  OF 
  FLORIDA. 
  289 
  

  

  holes 
  wbicli 
  it 
  excavates 
  iu 
  the 
  saud. 
  It 
  attains 
  a 
  large 
  size, 
  adults 
  

   often 
  measuring 
  7 
  or 
  8 
  inches 
  across 
  the 
  shell. 
  People 
  living 
  along 
  the 
  

   coast 
  esteem 
  it 
  highly 
  as 
  an 
  article 
  of 
  food, 
  and 
  considerable 
  quantities 
  

   are 
  taken 
  for 
  sale 
  and 
  local 
  consumption. 
  

  

  The 
  common 
  blue 
  crab 
  {Callinectcs 
  hastatus) 
  is 
  distributed 
  along 
  the 
  

   entire 
  coast 
  of 
  Florida 
  in 
  the 
  bays 
  and 
  estuaries, 
  and 
  often 
  in 
  fresh- 
  

   water 
  rivers 
  and 
  lakes 
  having 
  close 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  salt 
  water. 
  It 
  

   lives 
  in 
  the 
  shoal 
  waters 
  during 
  the 
  warmer 
  months, 
  but 
  retires 
  to 
  deep 
  

   water 
  on 
  the 
  approach 
  of 
  cold 
  weather. 
  The 
  period 
  of 
  spawning 
  and 
  

   shedding 
  extends 
  over 
  several 
  months, 
  possibly 
  the 
  entire 
  summer, 
  for 
  

   some 
  individuals 
  are 
  found 
  carrying 
  spawn 
  and 
  others 
  in 
  a 
  soft 
  state 
  

   during 
  the 
  whole 
  season. 
  While 
  shedding 
  its 
  shell 
  and 
  until 
  the 
  new 
  

   shell 
  has 
  become 
  sufficiently 
  hard 
  to 
  protect 
  it, 
  the 
  crab 
  remains 
  hidden 
  

   in 
  the 
  mud 
  or 
  among 
  the 
  seaweeds. 
  Tlie 
  average 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  blue 
  crab 
  

   is 
  about 
  G 
  inches 
  across 
  the 
  shell. 
  It 
  is 
  so 
  generally 
  abundant 
  that 
  

   people 
  can, 
  in 
  most 
  places, 
  obtain 
  all 
  they 
  desire 
  without 
  much 
  trouble, 
  

   and 
  it 
  has 
  therefore 
  given 
  rise 
  to 
  no 
  special 
  fishery. 
  

  

  The 
  spiny 
  lobster 
  [ranulirii.s 
  americanus) 
  is 
  very 
  abundant 
  at 
  Key 
  

   West 
  and 
  generally 
  among 
  the 
  Florida 
  keys, 
  where 
  it 
  lives 
  on 
  the 
  bot- 
  

   tom, 
  concealed 
  among 
  the 
  coral. 
  It 
  attains 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  more 
  than 
  a 
  

   foot 
  and 
  has 
  excellent 
  food 
  qualities, 
  resembling 
  in 
  flavor 
  the 
  common 
  

   lobster. 
  It 
  is 
  at 
  this 
  time 
  of 
  commercial 
  importance 
  only 
  at 
  Key 
  West, 
  

   where 
  large 
  quantities 
  are 
  taken 
  annually 
  for 
  food 
  and 
  for 
  bait 
  in 
  the 
  

   line 
  fisheries. 
  

  

  FISHERIES 
  or 
  THE 
  NORTHEAST 
  COAST. 
  

  

  That 
  section 
  of 
  the 
  Florida 
  coast 
  north 
  of 
  Indian 
  liiver, 
  comprising 
  

   parts 
  of 
  the 
  counties 
  of 
  Volusia, 
  St. 
  Johns, 
  Duval, 
  and 
  Nassau, 
  and 
  

   containing 
  the 
  important 
  cities 
  of 
  St. 
  Augustine, 
  Jacksonville, 
  and 
  

   Fernandina, 
  has 
  valuable 
  salt-water 
  fishery 
  resources 
  and 
  interests. 
  It 
  

   was 
  not 
  feasible 
  to 
  canvass 
  this 
  section 
  in 
  the 
  recent 
  investigations 
  of 
  

   the 
  Florida 
  coast 
  fisheries, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  possible 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  statement 
  of 
  the 
  

   nature 
  and 
  general 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries 
  based 
  on 
  in<juiries 
  conducted 
  

   in 
  1S91. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  important 
  fishery 
  product 
  of 
  this 
  section 
  is 
  the 
  oyster, 
  which 
  

   is 
  taken 
  in 
  all 
  the 
  counties 
  named, 
  but 
  is 
  most 
  valuable 
  in 
  Nassau 
  County, 
  

   in 
  which 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  large 
  oyster 
  fishery 
  and 
  canning 
  business 
  centering 
  

   at 
  Fernandina. 
  The 
  mullet 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  prominent 
  of 
  the 
  lishcs, 
  the 
  

   catch 
  in 
  Duval 
  County 
  being 
  larger 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  other 
  three 
  counties 
  

   combined. 
  Other 
  fishes 
  of 
  this 
  region 
  of 
  noteworthy 
  commercial 
  

   importance 
  are 
  S(iueteague, 
  channel 
  bass, 
  and 
  sheepshead. 
  Turtles, 
  

   terrapins, 
  shrimps, 
  crabs, 
  and 
  clams 
  are 
  taken 
  in 
  small 
  quantities. 
  The 
  

   principal 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  caught 
  are 
  taken 
  in 
  gill 
  nets 
  and 
  seines, 
  

   although 
  cast 
  nets, 
  lines, 
  and 
  i)ound 
  nets 
  are 
  also 
  used. 
  

  

  In 
  1890 
  the 
  fishing 
  industry 
  of 
  this 
  section 
  gave 
  employment 
  to 
  493 
  

   fishermen 
  and 
  150 
  shoresmen. 
  The 
  vessels 
  and 
  boats 
  used 
  numbered 
  

   329, 
  with 
  a 
  value 
  of 
  i* 
  11,055. 
  The 
  apparatus 
  of 
  capture 
  was 
  valued 
  at 
  

   F. 
  R. 
  90 
  19 
  

  

  