Fast Nine Part 21

The oil which its liver yields is valued and it is hunted on this account. It will not attack man.

Dog-fish is the general name for sharks of the families Scyllidae and Spinacidae. Dog-fish are the smaller types of sharks. They are sometimes eaten by fishermen on the Orkney Islands, a group of islands off the northern coast of Scotland, where they are dried for winter use. Their rough skins are used for polishing wood and is called s.h.a.green. The dog-fishes reach a length of three or four feet. They frequently carry off the fishermen's captures from the lines.

SKATES AND RAYS.

These are flat-bodied elasmobranchii. Skate is the common name applied to any one of the numerous species of flat elasmobranchii whose large, broad fins give it a somewhat diamond-shaped form. The commonest and smallest skate of the Eastern coast of the United States is the "Tobacco Box." The "Barn Door" Skate sometimes reaches a length of four feet, and the great Pacific Coast Skate is sometimes six feet long.

The Sting Ray bears on its tail a toothed spine some eight inches long and capable of inflicting a painful wound. Its tail is long and slim. As a rule they are confined to warm seas, but at least one species extends throughout the Atlantic and Pacific.

The Devil-fish or Eagle Ray is a member of the family of Millstone Rays, so called because of their peculiar teeth, which are adapted to crush the sh.e.l.ls of the mollusks on which they prey. The tail is long and slim. Some devil-fish occasionally measure from fifteen to eighteen feet across. Pearl and sponge divers greatly fear these ugly creatures.

The name devil-fish is also given to the Octopus and to the Goosefish or Angler.

The Torpedo or Electric Ray is a name given to any one of the numerous rays having the power of giving electrical shocks. They thus stun the fish upon which they feed. They also use this power in self-defense. The large torpedoes can stun a man.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SAWFISH--FROM BELOW.]

The Sawfish is a ray in which the snout is elongated and edged with strong teeth. These sawlike edges have given the fish its name. It strikes with this weapon and slashes open the bodies of its prey.

THE HOLOCEPHALI.

This is not a large order. The name is made up of two Greek words, meaning "all head." A few peculiar forms belong here, princ.i.p.ally the Chimera, popularly known as the Sea Cat.

These fish resemble sharks. They are found in the colder sea water.

Their tail is long and thread like. The head is large and the fish's remarkable appearance has given it the name Chimera, after the legendary animal that Homer describes as shaped like a lion in the fore part, a dragon in the hind part and a goat in the middle.

THE GANOIDS.

There are seven living kinds of ganoid fish and all are found in fresh water. Only six of these are found in waters of the United States. All of them have skin with bony scales which shine as though enameled.

The Sturgeon inhabit waters of the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. They reach a length of over ten feet and feed upon worms and sh.e.l.l fish, which they pry out of the sandy or muddy bottoms with their sharp snout. They have five rows of bony scales. Their eggs form an article of commerce, caviar being prepared from them. The material known as isingla.s.s is made from the air bladders of the sturgeon. They are found in the Great Lakes and the larger rivers. The type most commonly found in the Mississippi is called the Shovel-nose Sturgeon. The Columbian Sturgeon of the Pacific coast states is a large species.

The Bow-fin or Mud-fish is a fish found in the still waters of the United States. It is known by many names. The flesh, while eatable, is not good. In length it does not exceed a couple of feet.

The Gar-pike, Bony-pike, or Bill-fish. The body of this fish is covered with bony scales. It has a peculiar snout containing sharp teeth. In the lower Mississippi occurs a large type known as the Alligator Gar or Manjuari.

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

The Paddle-fish is peculiarly characterized by its broad, thin, oarlike snout. Many popular names have been given to it, such as Spadebill, Spoonbill, Duckbill. It is found in the rivers of the Mississippi Valley and reaches a length of about five feet.

The Shovel-nose Sturgeon, or White Sturgeon, is confined to the Mississippi and its tributaries, and is quite common in certain localities. It has a slender body, especially so behind the fins, and its peculiarly shaped snout has given it the name it bears.

THE BONY FISHES OR TELEOSTEANS.

By far the largest and the most important order of fishes, containing the large majority of living types. They differ from the ganoid fishes by having soft scales and a complete bony skeleton.

THE YELLOW PERCH.

The Yellow Perch is found in all the waters of the Atlantic slope. It does not occur in the lower Mississippi valley. It frequents quiet pools of meadow brooks, creeks, etc., preferring the stream's sides or the sandy, pebbly bottom. The larger specimens come from rivers and creeks.

Perch seldom weigh more than one or two pounds. They feed on grubs, worms, insects, and small fishes. They are graceful in movement and the coloration is beautiful. The sides are streaked with dusky bands and the fins are ruddy.

One way to catch perch is with a pole, stout line, large float, and heavy sinker, using a worm or minnow for bait. This will do when the water is muddied and the fish are hungry. In clear water, use a finer line and reel, a small float and a sinker only heavy enough to keep the float steady. The bait should be suspended about a foot from the bottom.

THE STRIPED Ba.s.s.

[Ill.u.s.tration: STRIPED Ba.s.s.]

The Striped Ba.s.s in the South is known as the Rock Fish, or the Rock.

This fish is particularly common in the open stretches of large rivers.

It is a popular food fish and it is estimated that over 200,000 pounds of Striped Ba.s.s are eaten each year in the United States. They are voracious feeders and when in the rivers they prey upon small fishes.

They frequent the surf of ocean beaches and rocky sh.o.r.es. The fisherman holds this fish in deservedly high esteem. They are caught in creeks, using shrimps or clams for bait. When fishing for these in the swift tideways, menhaden bait is used. Scott, in his "Fishing in American Waters," says: "Casting menhaden bait for striped ba.s.s from the rocky sh.o.r.es of the bays, estuaries, and islands along the Atlantic coasts const.i.tutes the highest branch of American angling. It is, indeed, questionable--when considering all the elements which contribute to the sum-total of sport in angling--whether this method of striped ba.s.s fishing is not superior to fly-fishing for salmon, and if so, it outranks any angling in the world." The rod to use in this style of fishing should not be longer than nine feet and should be very light, the lines about two or three hundred yards long. The ba.s.s are attracted by casting chopped menhaden upon the water. An oil gathers upon the surface of the water and the fish swim toward the fishermen.

THE WHITE Ba.s.s.

The White Ba.s.s, or Striped Lake Ba.s.s, is often mistaken for the Striped Ba.s.s. It is common in the Great Lakes region and especially the Ohio. It is found chiefly in lakes, ponds, and deeper parts of rivers. It feeds upon small fish. As food it is highly prized.

THE YELLOW Ba.s.s.

The Yellow Ba.s.s is sometimes called the Bar-fish. It frequents the lower Mississippi, where the water is deep and sluggish. The color is yellow and the black stripes are prominent.

THE WHITE PERCH.

The White Perch is found in the waters at the mouths of rivers. Its average length is eight or nine inches. Fish for them off a deep-sunk pier or a bridge, baiting with a live minnow.

THE SEA Ba.s.s.

The Sea Ba.s.s exists in a great many varieties and has been given many names, such as Black-fish, Rock Ba.s.s, Black Will, Black Ba.s.s, etc. The favorite haunts of Sea Ba.s.s are the rocky bays and sounds of the Atlantic coasts. It feeds at the bottom and rarely comes to the surface, being fond of lying under loose stones and in rock cavities. Its food is made up of crabs, squids, small fish, etc. On account of the toughness of its mouth this fish, when once hooked, is not easily lost. The best time to catch them is between tides. In New England they average about a pound and a half. The flesh of the Sea Ba.s.s is firm and sweet. The fishing banks off Sandy Hook and Long Branch yield thousands of these fish annually. The bait most often used is clams.

THE GROUPERS.

The Red Grouper, or Groper, is a large fish, reaching an occasional weight of forty or fifty pounds, but is not common on our coasts, except in the far South. It is voracious in feeding. In the Gulf of Mexico it is abundant. It feeds on crustaceans and small fish, and even large crabs. As a food fish it is considered excellent.

The Black Grouper is called the "Jew-fish." It is a common fish along the Gulf coast. The Jew-fish attains a large size and will swallow a hooked fish, hooks, lead, line and all.

The Pacific Jew-fish is sometimes called the Black Sea Ba.s.s and is the largest food fish of this coast, reaching a weight of five hundred pounds.

BLACK Ba.s.s.