FISHES OF THE NORTHERN COAST OF NEW JERSEY. 
369 
erated when caught. In 1892 there was a small run of herring in the pound nets in 
September, October, and November. 
7. Clupea sapidissima Wilson. Shad; Jack. 
The shad occurs regularly, but not abundantly, on the outer shore in spring, and 
is caught in the pound nets at that season. The largest numbers are taken in April 
and May, as shown by the following table, giving the catch at a pound-net fishery in 
Monmouth County. Stragglers, however, occur through the summer, and on October 
9, 1891, a ripe roe shad was caught in a pound net in Ocean County. 
Months. 
1891 
(1 net). 
1892 
(2 nets). 
Number. 
13 
856 
49 
2 
Number. 
370 
78 
50 
2 
Mav 

J uly . . . 
August 
Total 
921 
500 
Young male shad are called “ jacks” at a number of places on the coast. 
The fish are mostly shipped to New York, where the bucks bring 8 to 20 cents 
each and the roes 15 to 50 cents. 
8. Brevoortia tyrannus (Latrobe). Bunker; Mosshunker; Mosshanker. 
Yery scarce on this shore in 1891 and 1892. Two pound nets in about the middle 
of the pound-net section had, up to the end of August, 1892, caught only 7 bushels of 
menhaden. The fish appeared in good-sized bodies in the spring of 1892, but they 
were driven off by the bluefish and weakfish and only stragglers were caught through 
the summer. The professional line fishermen are dependent on menhaden for their 
bait supply, and have to undergo considerable additional expense when the fish are 
scarce. 
9. Stolephorus mitchilli (Cuvier & Valenciennes). Sperlin. 
Exceedingly abundant at times and having an important relation to the occur- 
rence of other fish which feed upon them. When weakfish have been scarce the 
advent of large schools of u sperlin ” is regarded by the fishermen as an auspicious 
circumstance and they look for the early arrival of the weakfish. Large schools were 
often observed in and around the pound nets, where they were doubtless attracted by 
the presence of food. Two other species of anchovy ( S . browni and S. eurystole) occur 
in abundance on this coast under the same conditions as S. mitchilli. 
10. Anguilla chrysypa Rafinesque. Eel. 
Some very large examples are often caught by the line fishermen when fishing 
for bluefish, sea bass, etc. 
11. Conger conger (Linnaeus). Conger Eel; Sea Eel. 
Small numbers are taken in the pound nets, chiefly in April and May. They weigh 
5 to 7 pounds and have a value of about 2 cents a pound. They are also taken in 
some quantities in the trawl fisheries for cod, carried on in winter. 
12. Tylosurus marinus (Bloch & Schneider). Billfisli ; Gar. 
Large schools of fish from 8 to 12 inches long were often observed in the pound 
nets, which they enter in search of food. When the nets are lifted they go through the 
meshes and are seldom caught. 
F. C. B. 1892 24 
