17 



REPORT UPON THE FOOD FISHES OF SAN FRANCISCO 



BY W. N. LOCKINGTON. 



About ninety species of fishes are brought in greater or less num- 

 bers to the markets of San Francisco, eitiier at certain seasons or 

 during the greater portion of the year. Most of these are in esteem 

 as food fishes, while the remainder, either from their scarcity, their 

 small size, their repulsive appearance, or their actual deficiency of 

 flavor, are not usually eaten by people of European descent, tliough 

 some of the more abundant kinds are in favor with the Mongolians. 



In the following pages it is proposed to bring together a few facts 

 relating to the comparative abundance, seasonal and geographical 

 distribution, size, etc., of the various species used to any extent as 

 articles of food, together with such notes upon their food and habits 

 as the limited opportunities of the writer have enabled him to col- 

 lect. Particular care will be taken to point out some of the more 

 obvious characters of each species, so that any one interested in the 

 important subject of our fish supply may be able to distinguish 

 them. Little attempt at technical description will be made, and the 

 synonymy will be limited to the recognized name of each species, 

 together with, in some cases where a change has recently been made, 

 the title given by its original describer. The writer regrets the 

 paucity of his original information, but a beginning must be made, 

 and he trusts that all who are in possession of facts relating to our 

 fishes will report the same to him or to the Fish Commissioners. 



The groups of fishes which are of most importance, from an eco- 

 nomical point of view, are the Salmonidas (using the word in its old 

 meaning), the Embiotocidx or viviparous perch, a family almost con- 

 fined to this coast; the Fleuronedidse or flat-fishes, and the rather 

 heterogeneous group commonly known by the English name of rock- 

 fish or rock-cod, and comprising numerous species of the family 

 Scorpcenidae, with others belonging to the Chiridse. 



Probably the Salmonidse, including as it does the quinnat and other 

 anadromous salmon, together with the lake and brook trouts aiid the 

 smelts, is the most important of these groups, since the quinnat and 

 other species of the genus Oncorhynclius not only furnish a large pro- 

 portion of the fish supply of this coast, but are canned in large quan- 

 tities for exportation. 



As the particulars of the salmon supply, with the details of the 

 work done in hatching and preserving the young of these valuable 

 fishes, have been given in the regular report of the Fish Commis- 

 sioners, the present report will deal only with the small marine spe- 

 cies of the group. It would not be easy to say which of the other 

 three groups mentioned above is of most importance as food, since 

 each of them contains from thirteen to eighteen species, some or 

 other of which are plentiful during every season of the year; but 

 the three contain the greater proportion of the individuals and spe- 



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