Belding. — Preservation of the Alewife 93 



Its presentation naturally falls into three divisions: 

 I. Natural history of the alewife. 

 II. Present condition and decline of the fishery. 

 III. Application of remedial measures. 



I. Natural History. 



Distribution. — While the majority of the numerous herring 

 species are confined to the ocean, some ascend the rivers for the 

 purpose of spawning. In the latter class is the alewife, which is 

 taken commercially along the Atlantic Coast from Nova Scotia 

 to Virginia. In Massachusetts practically all the coastal streams 

 in former days were inhabited by this fish, but, at the present 

 time in many localities the fishery no longer exists. 



Reproduction. — During the spawning season, which lasts from 

 March to July, the alewife ascends the tidal streams to deposit 

 its spawn in the fresh ponds, and later returns to the ocean. Two 

 classes of spawning ponds are found in Massachusetts: (1) The 

 ordinary tributary tidal stream with one or more fresh water 

 ponds at its source, at a variable distance from the ocean, and (2) 

 the typical fresh or brackish water shore pond, separated from the 

 salt water by a narrow sand beach, through which passes a natural 

 or artificial channel. 



The adhesive eggs are deposited in shallow water, where they 

 adhere to stones, gravel, sand, logs and other materials. During 

 the act of spawning, the alewives swim in small schools around 

 the edges of the pond, one female being commonly accompanied 

 by 6 to 7 males. The temperature of the water is the principal 

 factor regulating the time of spawning and rate of development 

 of the eggs, warm water accelerating the process of hatching. 

 The incubation period for artificially hatched eggs ranges from 

 48 to 96 hours with a water temperature of 67 to 72 deg. F. 



Growth. — The alewife when hatched is about one-fifth of an 

 inch in length, but, under normal conditions, rapidly increases in 

 size, becoming a slim, translucent creature with broad tail, prom- 

 inent dorsal fin, and relatively large eye. The young alewife 

 attains the approximate length of two to four inches by fall, at 

 the time it descends from the breeding grounds to the ocean. At 

 one year, when detained in fresh water, it measures about 6 inches. 



