ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



1477 



SAND SHARK, JEWFISH AND GROUPER 



Representatives from Chicago and San Fran- 

 cisco visited the New York x\quarium during the 

 summer and devoted considerable time to study- 

 ing its equipment and methods of operation. 

 All of these cities are to be congratulated on 

 their prospects for good public aquariums which, 

 if we may judge by the experience of New York 

 and other cities which have such institutions, 

 will prove so attractive to the public that, in 

 the matter of attendance, they will lead all other 

 local museums. 



A Large Sea Horse. — The largest known 

 species of sea horse (Hippocampus ingens), is 

 found along the Pacific Coast of Mexico and 

 reaches a length of nearly twelve inches. Dur- 

 ing the voyage of the United States Steamer 

 Albatross in the Gulf of California in 1911, 

 the writer obtained a few small living speci- 

 mens. The only large example found is shown 

 in the accompanying cut, together with a full- 

 sized sea horse from Long Island (Hippocam- 

 pus hudsonius). The Mexican specimen meas- 

 ures eight inches. 



Habits of the Black Angel-Fish. — The blacky 

 angel-fish, (Pomocanthus arcuatus) so well por- 

 traj^ed in the frontispiece, is one of the regular 

 occupants of the Aquarium, where there are 



now nearly thirty specimens. It is always 

 active and lives remarkably well under the con- 

 ditions of captivity. 



The conspicuous whiteness of the mouth of 

 this dark colored fish is usually noticed by visi- 

 tors. The center of each scale is occupied by a 

 distinct black spot. 



Young specimens, of which there are several 

 in the Aquarium, differ greatly from the adults 

 in having yellowish vertical cross bars on the 

 fore part of the body. 



The black angel-fish is rather abundant about 

 Key West, P'lorida, where it inhabits broken 

 reef bottom. It is easily captured in fish traps 

 and is sometimes taken with the hook. It 

 reaches a length of two feet, and the larger 

 specimens are used for food. This species oc- 

 curs throughout the West Indies and in sum- 

 mer has been found as far nortli as New Jersey. 



The Crabeater (Elecate canodus). — This fish, 

 which sometimes appears on our coast in sum- 

 mer, has been received at the Aquarium only 

 twice in recent years ; a specimen taken in New 

 York Bay in 1914 and another from Florida 

 the same year. It is known to reach a length of 

 five feet. A specimen recorded by Mitchill from 

 New York Bav contained twenty sand crabs. 



