﻿8 BULLETIN 2, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



posedly had its origin in the Indian word " munnawhatteaug," 

 applied to that fish, as well as to others, which means " fertilizer " or 

 that which " manures." x The other names for the most part are like- 

 wise descriptive. 



DESCRIPTION. 



For a detailed description of anatomical characteristics and meas- 

 urements of the Brevoortia tyrannus see the report by Goode, referred 

 to above. The following description of the appearance of the adult 

 fish is quoted from the same author : 2 



The adult menhaden is a most beautiful fish. Its color' is pearly opalescent, 

 like that of the cyprinoid fishes from which the commercial " essence d'orient," 

 or liquid pearl, used by artists, and in the manufacture of paste jewelry, is 

 prepared. Each scale has all the beauty of a fine pearl, and the reflections 

 taken from the mailed side of a fish just taken from the water are superb. 

 The scales of the back and of the top of the head are of a purplish blue. The 

 blotch of black upon the scapular region, just above the origin of the pectoral, 

 is very constant, although I have seen fish in which it did not occur. Many, 

 especially of the older and fatter ones, have a number of irregular, roundish, 

 blue-black blotches upon the sides and flanks. The young fish are not so bril- 

 liantly colored, and, in general appearance, resemble the young of shad. 



Other species of the genus Brevoortia are found in the Gulf of 

 Mexico and on the shores of Brazil. 



From a study of the young of related fish, it appears probable that 

 the menhaden requires three or four years in which to attain full 

 growth. At the end of the first year they are from 3 to 5 inches in 

 length; at the end of the second, 7 to 10 inches; the third, 12 to 14 

 inches ; and the full grown fish is from 16 to 18 inches in length. The 

 largest specimen of menhaden recorded was 20 inches in length. 



OCCURRENCE AND MOVEMENTS. 



The geographical limits of the northern menhaden seem to be the 

 Bay of Fundy at the north and the southern coast of Florida at the 

 south. It can be expected to make its appearance annually in the 

 coastal waters of all the States from Maine to Florida (between the 

 parallels 25° and 45° north). To the landward it is limited by 

 brackish water; oceanward, by the Gulf stream. 



The menhaden is regarded universally by fishermen as a migra- 

 tory fish in the sense that it migrates northward in the spring and 

 southward in the fall. The matter of its migration has been studied 

 by Goode. Available information from numerous sources, as well as 

 from a priori considerations, has been brought to bear on this inter- 

 esting question. 



Two sorts of piscatorial migration are recognized, equatorial and 

 abatic. The former takes a northern and southern direction, like 



1 Quoted from Goode, U. S. Fish Comm. Rept. 1877, 11. 



2 Goode. loc. cit. Cf. p. 33. 



