MARINE FOOD FISHES 127 



or young eel, ascends into fresh water. In due course 

 small eels make their way during floods and rains to the 

 inland ponds. 



Eels may live in ponds for many years, and grow 

 to several pounds in weight before they descend to the 

 sea to spawn. But after spawning they probably die, 

 for adult eels have never been known to return from the 

 sea to fresh water. 



From the brief description given, it will be seen how 

 very different are the life histories and habits of our food 

 fishes. Many of the methods employed by fishermen in 

 capturing fish from the sea, are based upon a knowledge 

 of these habits. For example, at sundown herring and 

 sprats turn their heads from the shore, and slowly advance 

 in immense shoals as they strain their food from the 

 water. For the capture of these fish, therefore, a wall 

 of netting known as a drift-net, is floated in the sea, 

 parallel with the shore. The fish as they advance push 

 their heads through the meshes of this net, and are held 

 captive by the strands slipping behind the gill covers. 

 In autumn eel-baskets are placed across the river to 

 intercept the passage of these fish on their migration 

 to the sea. The trawl on the other hand, sweeps up 

 everything from the bottom, mature and immature, use- 

 ful and useless fish alike. Though the trawl is the most 

 ready method of procuring fish, it is at the same time 

 the most harmful to our sea fishes. 



A brief description of the various methods of fishing 

 in the sea may be of interest to the reader. 



