354 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
The species most like the squeteague as regards its food material in this locality is 
the blueftsh ( Pomatomus saltatrix). Only thirty-eight of these, however, were obtained 
by me during the summer; not a sufficient number for any complete analysis, yet 
they indicate somewhat the feeding habits of this notably predaceous animal. Thirty, 
two per cent contained adult menhaden, IS per cent contained butter-fish, 10 per cent 
herring, 8 per cent squid, and 3 per cent young fish. Thirty-nine per cent contained 
nothing at the time of capture, although not much can be based upon the last fact, since 
this fish is well known to disgorge its food when captured by hook and line. Moreover, 
all that can be said of the food of the squeteague applies equally well to the bluefish, 
and as regards habits of feeding they may be in most respects associated together. 
Another class of food of fishes may be illustrated by the sea bass ( Serramis 
atrarius ), which is a bottom feeder. Though only forty specimens were obtained in 
the period studied, they probably give a fair representation of the general feeding 
habits of the fish, and the results may perhaps be more easily considered if tabulated: 
Date. 
Sea bass 
examined. 
Contain- 
ing lob- 
sters. 
Green 
crabs. 
Lady 
crabs. 
Hermit 
crabs. 
Amphipods. 
Young fish. 
Mollushs. 
Nothing. 
July 6 
7 
10 
1 (2) 
1 (1) 
1 (2) 
3 (9) 
1 (4) 
1 (2) 
1 (1) 
1 (1) 
1 (2) 
1 (1 Crepidula) . 
1 (1 Urosalpinx) 
1 
4 
3 (6) 
1 (1) 
18 
2 
1 (1) 
26 
5 
2 (3) 
28 
7 
3 (22) 
1 (2) ..V. 
2 (9 sculpins) 
1 (2 sculpins) 
2 (2 sculpins) 
1 (1 sand eel) 
1 (2 sculpins) 
1 (1 Urosalpinx) 
2 
Aug. 3 
4 
1 
4 
3 (5) 
3 (5) 
2 (8) 
1 
4 
2 (2) 
2 (5) 
13 
3 
i 
Total. 
40 
4 (5) 
15 (49) 
10 (25) 
3 (4) 
10 (many) 
7 (16) 
5 (5) 
5 
Note. — The figures and words in parentheses denote the number of victims. The figures without parentheses 
indicate the number of sea bass containing such victims. 
From this table will be seen how largely the sea bass depends for its food upon 
various Crustacea; not a single fish containing food was without them, while most of the 
specimens examined contained many Crustacea of several genera. The young lobster 
from the bottom is especially conspicuous with the other Crustacea taken by the sea 
bass; four fish obtained by me contained five young lobsters averaging 54- inches in 
length. Several specimens of young lobsters, all of about the same size, were also 
obtained from a fish-market at Vineyard Haven, where this fish is dressed. Young 
fish— but only those of strictly bottom habits — were also much preyed upon by the 
sea bass; also lamellibranch mollusks of several genera. The habits of this species 
are therefore eminently carnivorous, and yet its immediate food is widely removed 
from those species of fish heretofore considered. 
A few specimens of two other of our migratory fishes were also examined to 
illustrate somewhat further the material used by bottom-feeding fish; these were the 
scup (Diplodus argyrops) and the tautog ( Tautoga onitis). While only a few were 
examined, the various constituents seemed so constant, both in quantity and general 
make-up, that one may get a fairly good detailed idea of their food from studying a 
relatively few specimens. Thus in these rocky-bottomed localities, covered over with 
thick banks of algae, the large simple alimentary tract of the tautog is almost invari- 
ably filled with lamellibranch Mollusca — Solen , Mytilus , and the like, together with 
many of the smaller similar forms — all of which have evidently been torn from their 
attachments and broken up by the sharp incisor-like teeth at the front of the mouth; 
the shells and all are consumed in incredible numbers by this sluggish hunter. The 
