ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 
14 
THE SEAHORSE ANCHORED BESIDE A POUND NET 
with seines varying from twelve feet to three 
hundred in length. These latter operations 
yielded many shore seeking forms as well as 
smaller fishes which could not be taken in the 
large trap nets owing to the comparatively 
coarse meshes of the latter. 
A total of fifteen trips was taken between the 
months of May and November varying in length 
from two to five days, and the performance of 
the craft was entirely satisfactory. 
Local anglers and commercial fishermen tes¬ 
tify to the fact that fishing was particularly poor 
this season especially in these bays, except dur¬ 
ing the last month of the boat’s activity. The 
paucity of fishes was especially noted in regard 
to the summer visitants that reach these waters 
from points southward by riding the warm 
waters of the Gulf Stream for frequently long 
distances from their normal habitat. However 
the lack was more in numbers than in varieties. 
A total of seventy-seven species were encoun¬ 
tered while fifty-three were brought to the 
aquarium for exhibition. 
It is interesting to note the habits of the 
various species as correlative to their ability to 
survive confinement. In general those forms 
which are of a free ranging and fast moving 
habit only visiting these bays from the vastness 
of oceanic expanses chafe at the confines of even 
the largest aquarium, while on the other hand 
forms which dwell in the smaller bays and estu¬ 
aries, and usually found close to shore, adapt 
themselves to confinement much more readily 
as the shock of the change in environment is 
not nearly so considerable. 
Among the former we find 
such species as, the brown 
and hammerhead sharks, 
menhaden, butterfish, mack¬ 
erel, bonito, and headfish; 
and among the latter are, 
the sturgeon, nummichog, 
striped mullet, swellfish, 
spiny toxfish, toadfish and 
American sole. There are 
however numerous excep¬ 
tions, although most of these 
can be accounted for by 
some structural or func¬ 
tional peculiarity of the 
species concerned. It is 
partly for this reason that 
the shore inhabiting forms 
are always better repre- 
ented in the aquarium than 
those of the open sea. 
In addition to the fishes, many specimens of 
other groups were also taken, including coelen- 
trates, mollusks, crustaceans, and tunicates. Be¬ 
sides these specimens for exhibition purposes 
it was possible to gather much natural food 
which has done its bit to add to the health of 
certain of the specimens. The large sea turtles 
were supplied copiously with various sea weeds, 
while many of the fishes were offered crusta¬ 
ceans and molluscs, both of which are so neces¬ 
sary for keeping a considerable number of the 
species in proper condition. 
Twice during the season the Director of the 
Detroit Aquarium visited this institution, and 
fortunately it was possible to give very material 
aid to him in gathering a good collection of 
local marine fishes, which of course are particu¬ 
larly interesting to our inland countrymen. 
Numerous incidents and pleasing sights 
smacking of the “great outdoors” will be remem¬ 
bered by those fortunate enough to be partici¬ 
pants on these trips, even if it be recalled that 
they were within the very shadow of the great 
commercial center of the nation, and that the 
water for most part was littered with all man¬ 
ner of sewage and lost by-products of its ac¬ 
tivity. The constant presence of this obnoxi¬ 
ous debris was forgotten as soon as the fall of 
night hid its obtrusive character in dim half- 
lights, while by way of compensation myriads of 
tiny phosphorescent medusae twinkled just be¬ 
neath the water’s surface, which could almost 
be mistaken for exaggerated reflections of bril¬ 
liant stars. 
