THE OYSTEK FISHERY OF CONNECTICUT. 
485 
It is estimated that 25 or 30 adult oysters produce eggs enough each season to 
equal the annual product of Connecticut waters, if all reached maturity. This excep- 
tional fertility is nature’s provision against the almost equal mortality in that critical 
period when the eggs or young are floating and when countless millions are destroyed 
by many agencies. It is believed that crabs and several species of fish consume large 
quantities of young when in the spat stage. All this affects the prosperity of the 
planter, but he feels most severely the loss of oysters after they reach a marketable 
size as “seed,” “plants,” etc. Much of this loss is unpreventable ; but if some plan 
could be successfully adopted to protect the spat for at least a few weeks in its earlier 
stages, much might be gained. Some method like that suggested by Prof. John A. 
Eyder, embryologist of the U. S. Fish Commission (see Bull. U. S. Fish Com., vol. lii, 
1883, p. 281-294), might be found advantageous to oyster-planters. There are many 
ponds along the Connecticut coast suitable for experimenting with this method, and 
many others could readily be constructed at small expense. 
In an appended table the estimated losses by starfish and other injurious agencies 
are given. 
44. Suggestions for removing starfish from oyster grounds . — Much labor and inven- 
tive skill have been employed to accomplish this object, but with only partial success so 
far. The first plan was to dredge both oysters and starfish together, replant the former 
and destroy the latter. This method was too laborious, and much effort was put forth 
to discover some way of taking starfish without disturbing the oysters. Among the 
devices produced was a dredge, consisting, in general, of a pair of runners, to which 
was attached a net bag raised by framework a few inches above the runners. A val- 
uable improvement to this consists of a line fastened between and connecting the two 
runners, and to it is attached numerous drags. These drags cause the starfish to rise 
from the oysters, so that the former are caught in the bag and secured without dis- 
turbing the mollusks. 
In the investigations of the U. S. Fish Commission the ordinary tangles (made of 
hemp rope) have been found very effective in bringing up starfish and similar animals 
from the bottom of the sea, even in much greater depths than occur over the oyster 
beds in Long Island Sound. Several forms of tangles have been used. One consists 
of a triangular bar, shaped something like a harrow, with numerous bunches of rope 
yarn, like deck swabs, fastened to it. This would probably not be suitable for wmrk on 
an oyster bed, because the iron frame would injure the oysters. Another form (see illus- 
tration, plate CLXVi) used by the Fish Commission would doubtless be very serviceable; 
this consists simply of an iron bar, with a fixed wheel at each end, and several series 
of tangles attached to the bar, at proper distances. Two or perhaps more of these 
could be used from a steamer at the same time, and it is believed they would be very 
eftective in cleaning the ground. I would, however, suggest that revolving instead 
of fixed wheels be used. This style of apparatus has been thus described in a “Ee- 
port on the construction and outfit of the U. S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross f 
published in the Eeport of the U. S. Fish Commission for 1883, p. 91 : 
This form of tangle bar * * * consists of an iron bar supported at each end by a fixed 
wheel or iron hoop. Six chains about 12 feet in length are attached to the bar at intervals of 1 foot. 
To these chains are secured deck swabs, or bundles of rope yarns,' at intervals of about 18 inches. It 
is very useful on rocky bottoms, where it will capture specimens when no other device could be made 
available. 
