0. — THE FISHERY RESOURCES AND EISHING-GR0UND8 



OF ALASKA. 



By Taeleton H. Bean.* 



15. THE FISHERY EESOUECES OF ALASKA. 



The Territory of Alaska has seventy-five species- of food-fishes, seven-eighths of -which are 

 sti'ictly adapted to the use of man, the balance being more suitable for bait. More than one-half 

 of this number are widely distributed. More than two-thirds of the whole' number exist iu great 

 abundance where they occur. 



The flat-fishes and flounders [Pleuronectidw] have representatives on all parts of the coast ; 

 the number of species is, however, smaller north of Unalashka than is found around the shores of 

 the Gulf of Alaska and its groups of islands. 



The codfishes {Gadidce) are equally divided between Southern and Northern Alaska, the 

 southern species excelling the northern in size ; of these the pollock is one of the best baits- 

 known for cod. 



There are thirteen species of sculpins {Goftidw), nearly all of which are imiiortant as foody 

 the scaly sculpins (Hemilepidotus) being especially good. 



Although the number of species of Sebastichthys is much smaller than on the Californiart. 

 coast, the five that do occur in the waters of Southern Alaska are all excellent, and two of these 

 are known from as far north as Kodiak. 



The so-called "rock-cod" (species of Mexagrammus) rank with the preceding in good qualities,, 

 and they are extremely abundant, some species reaching as far north as Port Clarence ;. 

 Hexagrammua asper of Steller is found all along the coast from Sitka westward to Attu. These 

 fishes are generally known to the Eussians and largely to the Aleuts as the "tor-poog"; one 

 species {H. ordinatus, Cope) is the " green-fish," so called on account of the green color of its flesh, 

 which is nevertheless quite palatable; the green color disappears in the process of cooking; the 

 " green-fish " is remarkable for another peculiarity in its smoky brown ova. One of the most 

 important members of this family of Ghiridce is the "striped fish," " yellow-flsh," or "Atka 

 mackerel," Pleurogrammns monopterygius (Pallas) Gill, which, besides its own intrinsic value as an, 

 edible fish, possesses rare worth as a bait for cod. 



The family of TracUnidce is represented by one species called "cusk" at the Shumagius, 

 a fish which was too rare in museums for us to try its table qualities, although it forms an 

 element in the bait-supply for cod. 



'The report .of Pr. Beau might, -with almost equal propriety, be included in the section devoted to the methods 

 of the fisheries, bnt since it is in the main a discussion of undeyeloped resources it is deemed more fitting to iiicUida 

 it iu the section devoted to the fishing-grounds.— G. Brown Goodb. 



SEO III 6 81 



