410 RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. 



exceed one pound. They frequent the shallow waters of the 

 Bay of San Francisco, and are caught abundantly in nets at 

 all seasons of the year. The flat-fishes do not bury them- 

 selves in the mud here through the winter, as they do in the 

 North Atlantic. The soles feed on Crustacea, little fishes, and 

 marine animaculse. 



329. Mackerel. The mackerel, (Scomber diego) found 

 north of Point Conception, is good, but not more than half as 

 large as the Atlantic mackerel, rarely exceeding ten inches in 

 length. It lies near the surface of the water at sea, and is not 

 fond of entering bays, or going very near the shore. Like its 

 Eastern congener, it bites readily at any white rag or shining 

 white substance jerked through the water. 



330. Hock-Fish. The rock-fish furnish the main supply 

 of fish in the San Francisco market. All belong to the genus 

 fiebastes, of which there are eight species, the most important 

 being the red, (rosaceus) black, (melanops) and wharf rock- 

 fish (auricidatus). The red rock-fish grows to weigh twenty 

 pounds ; the other species rarely exceed four or live. The 

 wharf rock-fish is the only one caught in the bay ; the others 

 live out at sea, in deep water and on rocky bottoms ; they eat 

 crabs and shell-fish, and bite freely at hooks. They are al- 

 ways in market, and their meat is excellent at all seasons. 



331. Sturgeon. The sturgeon is represented in this 

 State by three species, the only important one being the Cali- 

 fornian sturgeon, which sometimes reaches a length of nine 

 feet, with a weight of 300 pounds. It is a sea-fish, but 

 spawns in fresh water, and it is caught in the Bay of San 

 Francisco and tributaries at all seasons of the year ; whereas 

 in the Eastern States there are seasons for sturgeon in the 

 market, as there are for beans and peas. 



The sturgeon eats the slimy matter, both animal and vege- 

 table, at the bottom of the sea. It never bites, its mouth 

 being circular in form, and fitted only for sucking. It has a 

 habit of shooting up from the bottom and springing out of 



