144 
ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 
JAWS OF A BARRACUDA 
The photograph gives an idea of the formidable 
dentition of this remarkable fish. 
Photo by Dr. E. W. Gudger 
the barracuda dashes at unsuspecting fishes that 
pass near. It strikes at moving objects, often 
without discrimination and from the fact that 
the swimming girl was not attacked a second 
time, there can be no doubt that a barracuda 
was responsible for ber fatal injuries. 
When the barracuda seizes, it shakes its head 
and, with its double-edged teeth, it inflicts a 
terrible wound. Only a year ago I was catch¬ 
ing large barracuda on the edge of the Gulf 
Stream off the Florida Keys. Seven were 
caught in about two hours’ run. In placing 
the third or fourth fish in the live well, two males 
happened to have been taken, and in a few 
moments their backs and bellies had gashes 
large enough to place one’s hand in. The large 
barracuda do not travel in schools; usually one 
or two, sometimes five or six. Very rarely 
more are seen together, except when they are 
attacking a large school of small fish, and then 
sometimes one can see hundreds, dashing into 
the compact mass of small fish. When mullet 
are swimming, barracuda are seen in the great¬ 
est numbers. As a game fish the barracuda is a 
good fighter and can be readily taken by trolling 
at a speed of six miles an hour. A small fish 
or a piece of fish cut eight or ten inches long by 
one or two inches wide, makes an excellent bait. 
A strip of white canvas is readily taken. A 
silver trolling spoon is used in trolling for the 
barracuda. 
The flesh is sweet and firm and greatly 
esteemed among the fishermen. Cases of poison¬ 
ing have been known from the eating of bar¬ 
racuda, which was no doubt decomposed. 
THE LOBSTER FISHERY IN 
NEW YORK BAY 
By S. A. Callisen 
T HE Lower Bay of New York and the region 
just outside of Sandy Hook offer all the 
requisites for a profitable pursuit of the 
lobster fishing industry. Over large areas, the 
bottom is level and fairly hard, composed of 
sand or gravel with a few, scattered ledges of 
rock. There are also patches of mud to which 
the lobsters can retreat in cold weather for par¬ 
tial hibernation, forming an ideal habitat. The 
depth of water over the fishing grounds ranges 
from three to fifteen fathoms, so that even the 
maximum depth does not entail too strenuous 
labor in the lifting of lobster pots. The shores 
of the Lower Bay are indented by numerous 
small streams and lesser bays—such as Graves¬ 
end Bay, the Shrewsbury River and Compton 
Creek—which afford ample protection for the 
fishermen’s boats. The extensive pound net and 
menhaden fisheries of the Lower Bay furnish 
almost limitless quantities of bait, procurable 
at low cost and minimum effort, while the prox¬ 
imity of New York City offers an easily acces¬ 
sible market with a steady demand. The chief 
difficulties with which the lobster industry has 
to contend, seem to lie in the keen competition 
among the individual fishermen and the fluctua¬ 
tion in numbers of the lobsters present on the 
fishing grounds. 
This fluctuation has given the industry a very 
uncertain character, and made the accumulation 
of accurate data difficult. Many men engage in 
lobstering spasmodically, setting out their gear 
only when fair sized catches are being made. 
Some are only transitory visitors, working in the 
region for a while and then moving on, while 
others again try clamming or gill netting when¬ 
ever these appear to be more profitable. Quite 
a number of men on the other hand carry on 
lobstering steadily despite the many hardships 
and discouragements incumbent upon the work, 
and seem capable of making a living by this 
means even becoming at times fairly prosper¬ 
ous. During the last year (1921) the industry 
was distributed about the Bay approximately 
as follows:—Gravesend Bay, seven boats, Prin¬ 
cess Bay, three; Keyport, ten; Belford, seven; 
Atlantic Highlands, six; Highlands, twenty; 
Seabright, ten; making a total of sixty-three 
boats and one hundred twenty-six men more 
or less aetivily engaged during the greater part 
of the season. 
The gear used in lobstering is fairly simple. 
A trap constructed of lath and coarse net¬ 
ting is employed by all the lobstermen. These 
