PRODUCTS OF THE PRINCIPAL FISHERIES IN DETAIL. 



51 



1 Less than 1 per cent. 



Catfishes (Siluridx). — The American species include 

 the sea catfishes of the Atlantic coast, the channel cats 

 of all the rivers east of the Eocky Mountains, the 

 horned pout, which is widely distributed through the 

 brooks and ponds of the states, and the diminutive 

 mad-toms. The different varieties are distinguished 

 by the common names of "channel cat," "blue cat," 

 "Mississippi cat," "mud cat," "flannel-mouth," 

 "horned pout," "bullhead," "minister," "goujon," 

 "bashaw," "gaff-topsail," etc. They vary in length 

 from 1 to 5 feet and in weight from 2 to 150 pounds, 

 are caught by means of nets, traps, hand lines, and by 

 jugging, and are used extensively for food. 



The Value of the catch in 1908 was $785,000, or 

 more than 1 per cent of the total value of the fishery 

 products. Catfish are taken in all waters of the 

 United States, but in 1908 nearly one-half of the total • 

 product came from the Mississippi River and its trib- 



utaries. In these waters catfish ranked third -in value 

 among fishery products, contributing 13 per cent of 

 their total value. Of the 38 states included in the 

 canvass of 1908, all, with the exception of four of the 

 New England states, reported this fish. The catches 

 reported from Louisiana and Illinois greatly exceeded 

 those from any of the other states, in both quantity 

 and value, but the product was otherwise distributed 

 with unusual equality. The weight and value of the 

 catfish taken in the leading states and the per cent 

 distribution of the value are given in the following 

 tabular statement : 



1 Includes 26 states. 



With the exception of the period 1889-1894, the 

 product in 1908 was larger than that of any other 

 year for which statistics are available, as shown by the 

 following comparative statement giving the quantity 

 and value for 1908 and previous canvasses: 



1 None reported. 



The value of the product of the Mississippi River 

 and its tributaries constituted more than 50 per cent 

 of the value of the total catch of this fish in 1908, and 

 the product of the Gulf of Mexico ranked next, with 

 a value equal to 18 per cent of the total. The Atlantic 

 coast and the Pacific coast divisions contributed, 

 respectively, 17 per cent and 8 per cent of the total 

 value, while the catch of the Great Lakes division 

 represented only 6 per cent. 



The following tabular statement presents the sta- 

 tistics of the catch, by the leading apparatus of cap- 

 ture: 



» Less than 1 per cent. 



