FORTY-THIRD BIENNIAL REPORT 



71 



never have been really successful, and until recently 

 no coordinated program of study to determine the po- 

 tential has been made. 



However, in 1953 the Wildlife Conservation Board 

 authorized $86,000 for a three-year study, known as 

 the Salton Sea Project. The study was placed under a 

 service agreement with the University of California at 

 Los Angeles in February, 1954. Active work began at 

 Fish Springs late in Alarch after necessary personnel 

 was hired and basic equipment obtained. To date re- 

 search people feel that the sea must be considered only 

 a temporary habitat for fishes, but believe it will be 

 productive for at least 30 years. 



Situated in the Imperial Valley in Imperial and Riv- 

 erside Counties, the sea is 235 feet below mean sea level 

 with a surface area of some 280 square miles. Its aver- 

 age depth is 10 feet with some spots more than 50 feet. 

 Its salinity, which varies according to depth, currently 

 is somew hat below that of normal sea water. Surface 

 temperature varies from around 50 degrees in the win- 

 ter to about 100 degrees in the summer. 



Sporadic Plantings 



First fish plantings (striped bass, silver salmon and 

 mudsuckers) \\ere made by the Division of Fish and 

 Game between October 20, 1929, and late in 1934. 

 Mudsuckers which now abound in the marginal areas 

 of the sea are presumed to have resulted from a No- 

 vember, 1930, planting of 500 individuals. Nothing has 

 ever been seen or heard of the striped bass and silver 

 salmon. Not until 1948 was fish introduction again 

 attempted and not until 1950 were these efforts any- 

 thing but sporadic. Between 1950 and 1953 one kind of 

 squid, four kinds of clams, three of mussels, two of 

 oysters, one of shrimp, and one of crab were intro- 

 duced from California, Japan, and Mexico in attempts 

 to increase the food available to fish life. Of these 

 forms two of the four species of clams, both species of 

 oysters and the crab have survived from one to sev- 

 eral years. 



Mangrove seeds brought from Magdalcna Bay, Baja 

 California, in an attempt to modify the ecolog\- of Sal- 

 ton Sea did not survive. 



Of numerous fish species introduced during this pe- 

 riod two from the Gulf of California (a croaker and a 

 corvina) are known to have survived and spawned, 

 and the resultant offspring to have survived and 

 spawned. 



SURF FISHING INVESTIGATIONS 



Continued investigation of the surf fishing off South- 

 ern California, to determine information needed for 

 proper management of the major species, was carried 

 out as Dingell-Johnson Project F-5-R. Work consists 

 of studies on age and rate of growth, maturity and 

 fecundity, and food analysis. Some tagging has been 



done and more is planned to determine movements and 

 migrations. Recently underwater observation has con- . 

 tributed substantially to a better understanding of the 

 ecology and habits of the species, and of the design and 

 operation of beach seines. 



Investigations are concerned with four species, all of 

 which have been designated by law for sport fishing. 

 In order of importance by numbers caught, they are 

 the barred perch, spotfin croaker, California corbina, 

 and yellowfin croaker. (North of Point Arguello the 

 barred perch may be taken commercially.) 



Statistics based on information supplied by surf 

 fishermen in the form of daily catch records show that 

 the barred perch makes up 78.5 percent of the catch. 

 The other three are taken in the following percent- 

 ages: spotfin croaker, 9.5; corbina 9.0; and yellowfin 

 croaker 3.0 percent. Other species of surf fish taken in 

 order of their importance are white croaker, opaleye, 

 pile perch, and blactc perch. Several kinds of shark 

 also are taken incidentally. 



Some Tagging Done 



Biological material for the studies is supplied by 

 beach seining monthly throughout the year at six sta- 

 tions from the Santa Barbara area to San Diego. Some 

 tagging has also been done and more is planned for 

 the future in order that movements and migrations can 

 be learned. Returns to date indicate that two of the 

 croakers, the spotfin and yellowfin, move as much as 

 45 miles in three months. The other two species, cor- 

 bina and barred perch, have shown only minor move- 

 ments no greater than two miles, recoveries being 

 usually at the point of tagging. 



Data taken routinely by beach seining have been 

 supplemented at several perch derbies held by sports- 

 men during the last two years. 



Maturity and fecundity studies of the egg-bearing 

 croakers must be done by microscopic egg measure- 

 ment and by egg counts. Information about food habits 

 is being learned from microscopic examination of 

 stomach contents. Age work is progressing on three 

 of the four species. The barred perch, because of its 

 importance, is taking priority. 



Yellowtail Investigations 



More than 3,000 yellowtail were tagged during the 

 past two years to make a good start toward obtaining 

 the life history knowledge necessary for sound man- 

 agement of the fishery. A boat catch analysis of the 

 commercial yellowtail fishery has been difficult be- 

 cause of the economic uncertainty of the fishery. Boats 

 landing these fish usually are after the more valued 

 species and take yellowtail only when the others can- 

 not be readily found. 



Data for life history studies have been obtained from 

 cannery sampling whenever possible. Among the ques- 

 tions which need to be answered are whether the fish- 



