REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR AND STATE GEOLOGIST 1901 rlOD 



REPORT ON THE FISHES OF GREAT SOUTH BAY, LONG 

 ISLAND, COLLECTED IN THE SUMMER OF 1901 1 



BY DR TARLETON H. BEAN 



Investigations carried on for the New York State Museum 

 during July and August, 1901, in Great South bay, L. I., resulted 

 in the collection of 49 species of fishes, all of which but three 

 are marine. Notwithstanding the great increase in the amount of 

 netting and other appliances employed in fishing, the aggregate 

 of species secured was disappointing. This was doubtless due 

 to the unusual freshness of the water of the bay, caused by ex- 

 cessive rains in the spring and early summer. The methods 

 pursued in the investigation were the same as those followed in 

 1898, with this exception, that, in accordance with the instruc- 

 tions of Director Merrill, attention was paid chiefly to the habits 

 of the fishes, and not so much to obtaining duplicates for the 

 museum. 



The excessive abundance of jellyfishes of various species was 

 one of the noteworthy features of the season. The common 

 Cyanea was the most characteristic of the species observed, and 

 this was so abundant as to constitute a perpetual nuisance not 

 only to fishermen, but, in many localities, to bathers. The great 

 mass of gluey particles which attached themselves to the nets 

 set in the water, especially at night, rendered the work of fishing 

 unusually difficult and, of course, generally resulted in a small 

 catch. 



On July 20 a number of Cyaneas were caught in a dip net at 

 Colonel's Island on the south side of Great South bay, and in 

 their stomachs were seen several species of little fishes: 

 Fundulus heteroclitus, Cyprinodon variegatus, and Apeltes quad- 

 racus. In some cases the fish were half digested. 



The low salinity of the water was probably responsible for the 

 absence of most of the southern fishes which migrate northward,, 

 as a rule, in summer. Of these, only about a half dozen species 

 entered the bay at any time during the two months; and these 



] Not edited according to the rules of the University. 



