FOOD OF MARINE FISHES. 397 
coral faunas. This character is enhanced by the persistence of 
types; but still the representative faunas are separable by vast 
intervals of time. — Proceedings of the Royal Society. 
ON THE FOOD AND HABITS OF SOME OF OUR 
MARINE FISHES. 
BY PROFESSOR A. E. VERRILL. 
—~.oe——— 
Wuen we consider the great importance and extent of our fish- 
eries, it seems very remarkable that so little reliable informa- 
tion has been recorded concerning the habits, even of our most 
common and important species of fishes. It is certainly true 
that the habits of fishes, and especially of marine fishes, are more 
difficult to observe than those of birds and beasts, but this ought 
not to be a sufficient excuse at the present day, for the marked 
neglect of this department of Natural History. The nature of 
the food of the more abundant species, even including those that 
are most commonly sold as food, is still very imperfectly known. 
Observations must be made in great numbers in various localities 
and at all seasons of the year before we can obtain adequate 
knowledge of this subject. _ 
During several years past I have improved such opportunities 
as have occurred to make observations of this kind, and although 
they are very incomplete, and often isolated, I am induced to 
present some of the facts thus ascertained ; hoping that the atten- 
tion of others may be directed to the same subject. 
While spending a few days at Great Egg Harbor, on the coast 
of New Jersey, in April of this year, I dissected the stomachs of 
many specimens of the common fishes, which were at that time 
being taken in seines in the shallow waters of the bay, near 
Beesley’s Point. The following were the principal results, in re- 
gard to their food. The Striped-bass or “t Rock” (Roceus lineatus 
Gill) had its stomach filled with large quantities of shrimp (Cran- 
gon vulgaris) unmixed with any other food. This shrimp is very 
abundant on all sandy bottoms in shallow water along the whole 
coast, from Labrador to Cape Hatteras, and seems to contribute 
very largely to the food of many of our most valuable fishes. 
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