204 



BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



The fish fauna of the Florida Keys resembles that of Cuba very closely. Nearly 

 all the food aud game fishes at Key West are also found at Havana. The warm waters 

 of the Keys serve as a more or less effective barrier to the passage of fishes living in 

 colder water. As a result many species are found on the east coast of Florida which 

 do not occur on the Gulf coast, and vice versa. There are so many species found on 

 the west coast of Florida that are not known from the east side that the two coasts 

 may be regarded as having separate faunas. This west-coast fauna extends from the 

 " bay " to Pensacola and beyond, and is not essentially different from that found 

 elsewhere on the Gulf coast. 



In the fresh waters of the northern part of the State the fishes are essentially the 

 same as occur in the streams and ponds of the other Gulf States, and include several 

 species of minnows, sunfishes, catfishes, suckers, Amia, and a few darters. From the 

 little that is known about the fresh-water fishes of the extreme southern part of the 

 State, it is believed that the species are to a large extent distinct and peculiar to that 

 region. There is great need, however, of further investigation in this region. 



Of the 600 species of fishes credited to Florida waters about 51 are fresh-water 

 species, 20 may be regarded as brackish-water species, and the remaining 529 consti- 

 tute the salt- water fish fauna of the State. 



FRESH-WATER SPECIES. 



The number of fresh- water species known from the State is not large, 

 belong to the following families: 



They 



Petrvmyzonida ( Lampreys) 1 



Lepif09teid(B (Gars) 3 



Aniidas (Bowfins) 1 



Siluridat (Catfish) 8 



Catostomidv (Suckers) 1 



Cyprinidce (Minnows) 7 



Luciidte (Pikes) 2 



Pceciliidce (Killifishes) 13 



Aphredoderidce ( Pirate Perch) 1 



Atherinidce (Silversides) 1 



Elassomidos (Pygmy Sunnshes) 1 



Centrarclridce (Sunfish and Bass) 10 



Percidw (Darters) 2 



Of these 51 species the only ones of commercial importance are the catfishes, 



. sunfishes, and the large-mouthed black bass. This list is remarkable in that 



it contains so few of the Catostomidce, Cyprinldce, and Percidce. Each of these is a 



very large family, the approximate number of species of each in American waters 



being as follows: Catostomidaz, 70; Cyprinidce, 227 j Percidcc, 88. 



The most southern locality in Florida from which specimens of fresh- water species 

 have been obtained is Miami, 8 species having been collected there in the Miami and 

 Little rivers in 189(>. Doubtless many additional species will be discovered when 

 the waters of the State are more thoroughly explored. The regions which promise 

 tin- richest and most important results are the Everglades, the lakes in the interior 

 south of Lake George, and the streams crossing the northern boundary of the State. 



BRACKISH-WATER SPECIES. 



Iii this category maybe included all those species which live habitually in brackish 

 water, those more truly salt- water species which are also found more or less commonly 

 in brackish and even fresh water, and also those more truly fresh-water species which 

 are occasionally found in brackish water. In this division will fall, of course, all 

 anadromous aud catadromous species, such as the shad and the common eel. The family 



