NOTES ON AN INVESTIGATION OF THE MENHADEN FISHERY. 
299 
OBSERVATIONS ON THE HABITS, MOVEMENTS, SPAWNING, ETC., OF MENHADEN. 
The full notes obtained by the agents while on the menhaden vessels contain a 
great deal of interesting general information on menhaden and the fishes associated 
with them. While much of it does not add to existing knowledge of these fish, some 
of it may be properly incorporated in this paper because of its bearing on the special 
points under consideration. 
Enemies of the menhaden. — The observations of the agents on the Arizona indicated 
that of all the enemies of the menhaden the bluefish appear to be the most destructive. 
This predaceous fish destroys immense numbers of menhaden in pure wantonness, 
killing many timos more than are actually eaten. Each of 50 stomachs of bluefish 
examined by Mr. Marschalk contained fragments of menhaden, but none had a whole 
fish. 
Sharks also destroy enormous quantities of menhaden, but do less damage to the 
fishery than d > bluefish, as they consume the menhaden quietly and do not as a rule 
scatter the schools. Two bluefish will cause more disturbance in a body of menhaden 
than a dozen sharks. 
Examination of the stomachs of a number of sharks caught by the Arizona showed 
that these fish were subsisting chiefly on menhaden, although croakers and occasionally 
squeteague were found in a few. 
Of fish taken with the menhaden on the Arizona , the weakfish, next to the 
bluefish and sliai ks, appeared to be the most destructive. The agent on the vessel 
examined the stomachs of 22 of these fish, finding in them 13 whole menhaden and 
parts of 32 others. 
Flounders do not seem to prey on menhaden. Most of the flounders taken in the 
seines were too small, however, to afford ground for satisfactory conclusions. Of 15 
opened, none contained any menhaden, except the largest, a fish 18 inches long, which 
had one menhaden in its stomach. 
Six mackerel caught by the Arizona in September were examined with reference 
to their food. No signs of menhaden were discovered in their stomachs. 
Notes on the movements of the schools. — The well-defined migrations of the 
menhaden to and from the coasts of the Atlantic States, and their movements in 
the bays and rivers, depending largely on temperature, are often, in the case of even 
large bodies of fish, much modified by the presence of such predaceous species as 
bluefish, squeteague, and sharks. Several well-marked illustrations of this were 
observed in 1894. 
The autumnal migratory movement of the menhaden begins with the fish on the 
shores of Maine and Massachusetts and gradually embraces tbe entire coast. The 
menhaden frequenting the bays and inlets of New England are driven out by the 
falling temperature and begin to move toward the south, following the shores as far 
as the eastern end of Long Island. In that region, according to the observations of 
the fishermen, by far the greater part of the fish leave the coast, move directly out 
to sea, and are seen no more. In tbe fall of 1894, owing to the remarkable abundance 
of bluefish and squeteague in the vicinity of Mon tank Point, vast schools of menhaden 
were detained in Gardiner and Neapeague bays for several weeks beyond their 
accustomed time and were unable to reach tbe ocean until their enemies had left. 
About October 21, the bluefish disappeared from that region and the departure of 
the menhaden rapidly ensued. 
