Marquesan Sardine- — MURPHY 
187 
large adults off Barbers Point by a fisherman, 
using a gill net. This recapture was significant 
because ( 1 ) the fish recaptured were larger than 
any planted in Hawaiian waters (in fact the 
largest were longer than any measured in Mar- 
quesan waters), and (2) examination of the 
specimens suggested that they were very close 
to spawning. There were no additional recov- 
eries for another six months and these followed 
close on the heels of an additional release, as 
did the two recoveries in June, 1958. 
In July, September, and October, 1958, there 
were recoveries that did not fall into the usual 
pattern. First, the sardine was reported from 
Kauai and Maui where they had not been 
planted, and, perhaps more significant, some of 
the specimens were very small in size, strongly 
suggesting that there had been successful re- 
production. 
Of 1,300 fish measured in the Marquesas dur- 
ing the spring of 1958, only 81 were smaller 
than 75 millimeters. Considering only the last 
two stockings, only 3 of 50 fish measured were 
less than 75 millimeters and these were planted 
in May of 1958. For these small specimens to 
have originated from the stockings would re- 
quire both that the fish did not grow during 
their three or four months’ stay in Hawaii, and 
that there was a highly improbable statistical 
accident. In view of the growth evinced by the 
six specimens taken off Barbers Point on Sep- 
tember 9, 1957, this seems remote. 
In summary, substantial numbers of Mar- 
quesan sardines have been released in Hawaiian 
waters; there have been numerous casual recov- 
eries by commercial fishermen in Hawaii, all 
indicating that the individuals released were 
healthy. Finally, there is now at hand good evi- 
dence that the species has spawned. To the 
writer’s knowledge, this is the first successful 
introduction of a purely marine fish species; 
perhaps the success is not unexpected because 
of the general impoverishment of the Hawaiian 
marine fauna and the attendant vacant niches. 
This type of faunal impoverishment has gen- 
erally been the basis of the numerous successful 
fresh water introductions of exotic fishes. 
REFERENCES 
Gosline, W. A. 1955. The inshore fish fauna 
of Johnston Island, a central Pacific atoll. 
Pacif. Sci. IX (4): 442-479. 
Royce, W. F. 1954. Tuna bait survey in the 
Marquesas and Tuamotus. Pan-Amer. Fisher- 
man 9(1): 10-11. 
