-o NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



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weakfish was supposed to be connected with the reappearance 

 of the bluefish. A similar observation was made by Dr Storor 

 on the Massachusetts coast. Again, at Woods Hole Mass. in 

 1900, the weakfish was remarkably abundant, the traps at Men- 

 emsha having taken 10,000 in a single day; the bluefish, on the 

 other hand, was unusually scarce during the entire season, not 

 over 50 having been recorded from the adjacent bay and sound. 

 The weakfish ranges from the Bay of Fundy to the east coast 

 of Florida. It fluctuates in abundance from year to year. The 

 late Capt. N. E. Atwood is authority for the statement that in 

 1845 the weekly supply in the New York markets was not above 



1000 pounds. 



The species feeds in the channels upon shrimp, crabs and 

 small fish. In Great South bay we found them eating large 

 (piantities of anchovies, and the same observation was made in 

 one of llic inlets of Great Egg Harbor bay, N. J. The fish enters 

 the mouths of rivers and migrates freely with the tide. 



The species swims in large schools near the surface and is 

 very voracious, destroying the young even of its own kind. A 

 specimen of about 4 pounds, taken at Islip October 1, 1890, had 

 in its stomach a weakfish weighing about 6 ounces. Fish of 

 4 pounds and a little larger were moderately abundant at this 

 date. 



Weakfisii spawn in New York waters in May, and at Cape 

 Cod about the first of June. The egg is ^"inoli in diameter and 

 hatches in two days at an average temperature of 00 F. It is 

 buoyant and, under natural conditions, is subject to the influ- 

 ence of wind and current. The spaw-ning season is evidently 

 proloiij^rd in some localities; in Great Egg Harbor bay, for 

 exaiiipK'. yniiiig weakfish only 1^ inches long were taken in Au- 

 gust, lliiii is, several months after spawning began. 



The earliest arrival in New York was on May 12, 1889, at 

 <".i"'a( Hills, GilTord, Staten Island. During the latter part of 

 Au.uusi 188!). ilif west channel ef Great South bay furnished 

 giiiii miiiihers (r weakfish. The young were found in Blue 

 Toint cove late in September; also some half grown individuals. 



