Fast Nine Part 23

THE ROSE-FISH.

This fish on the Pacific coast is known as the Rock-Cod or Rock-fish.

They are found in great abundance on the southern coast of California.

THE TREE-FISH.

The Tree-fish is also found on the coast of California and is beautifully colored and marked.

THE PIKE AND MUSKELLUNGE.

The Pike is a fish of the North; it is abundant, however, as far south as Ohio.

The Muskellunge is found in the Great Lakes region and St. Lawrence River. It is similar to the Pike.

THE PICKEREL.

The Pickerels, another group of this family, are much smaller fishes.

The Chain Pickerel, so called on account of the peculiar chain-like markings on its sides, is found in streams along the Atlantic coast. The Brook Pickerel is of a similar variety. This variety of fish are not particular as to their diet; they will eat nearly all other kinds of fish, frogs, rats, mice, and even young ducks. They lay in wait for their prey and take it with a spring.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MUSKELLUNGE.]

THE SEA ROBINS.

The Sea Robins are a nuisance to fishermen, stealing their bait. They are also known as sculpins, grub, bullhead, seatoad, pig-fish. They feed upon the animal life at the bottom of the water. Owing to their ugly appearance their spines are rumored to give a poisonous wound. They are capable of inflicting a painful injury, but not a poisonous one.

THE HALIBUT.

The Halibut is a cold-water fish. These fish at times reach an enormous size and there are traditions of fish having been caught that weigh over 600 pounds. They lie upon the bottom, and because of their flat body, which is similar in color to that of the sand, they are able to ambush their prey.

THE FLOUNDER.

The Plaise, Summer Flounder, or Turbot Flounder. This is a fish abundant upon the eastern coast of the United States. They feed upon small fish, crabs, squids, sand-eels, etc. Large quant.i.ties of these fish are sold in the markets of New York.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FLOUNDER.]

THE COD-FISH.

The Cod-fish; the waters off the coast of New England formerly abounded in this fish, but now only stragglers are to be caught. From the stomachs of Cod-fish sh.e.l.ls of all kinds have been taken, as well as many miscellaneous objects, such as rings, scissors, corn-cobs, oil cans, and other incongruous things of this kind. The Tom-Cod is a small cod-fish seldom a foot in length.

[Ill.u.s.tration: COD-FISH.]

THE HADDOCK.

The Haddock also has a habit of feeding on sh.e.l.ls. Both the Haddock and the cod will take stale clams as food, these seeming to be more attractive than fresh ones. As food fish the Scotch smoke Haddock, and they are then known as "Finnan Haddies."

THE MULLETS.

The Mullets are widely distributed; it is a very popular fish in the southern sea-coast states. It prefers still, shoal water with sandy and gra.s.sy bottom. It does not take the hook well, but is sometimes caught with bait manufactured from cotton and flour or banana.

THE CAT-FISH.

The Cat-fish is very popular with the colored people in the South.

"Don't talk to me o' bacon and fat, O' taters, 'c.o.o.n or 'possum, Fo' when I'se hooked a yellar cat I'se got a meal to boss 'em."

Its spines are capable of inflicting painful wounds. Salt mackerel, worms, or live minnows are good bait. Another thing it is well to remember is that the cat-fish never bite when an east wind is blowing.

Professor Jordan, of Indianapolis University, says: "Cat-fishes are vivacious and indiscriminate feeders, any of the animal substances, living or dead, being greedily swallowed by them. They are also extremely tenacious of life, living for a long time out of water and being able to resist impurities in the water better than any other of our food fishes."

THE HERRINGS.

The Herring is an important food fish. Hundreds of millions of pounds of these fish are taken yearly, and yet their numbers do not seem to be in any wise lessened. Herrings are smoked, dried, and salted.

THE MENHADEN.

The Menhaden make their appearance in the spring with the arrival of the shad, alewife, blue-fish, and weak-fish. They swim in schools close to the surface and crowd together, but if alarmed sink to the bottom. They are phosph.o.r.escent at night, fond of inlets and bays and shoal waters protected from wind. Their food seems to consist of organic matter and vegetation contained in stagnant water. They have many enemies; whales, sharks, sword-fish, ba.s.s, cod, weak-fish, blue-fish, bonito, dolphins destroy them in vast quant.i.ties. They are largely used as fertilizers by the coast farmers. They are also a source of fish oil.

THE ALEWIFE.

The Alewife is an abundant river fish throughout the South. They are also found where shad run.

THE SHAD.

Shad is found along the Atlantic coast of the United States. The larger part of the shad's life is spent in salt water, coming into the rivers in the spring.

THE TARPON.

Tarpon, Tarpum, Silverfish, or Grande Ecaille, is common on the Gulf coast. It will take a baited hook, but is difficult to handle, and is seldom landed. Persons have been known to be killed or injured severely by its leaping against them from the net in which it had been caught.

Its scales are prized and are sold in the Florida shops.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SALMON.]