The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-01-20
The Dogfsh.

A Maine correspondent of the New York
Post says The writer, in company with
one fisherman, about ten miles off this
place caught over three hundred pounds of
cod by hand lines, the fish biting almost
continually, so that the sport gradually be-
came arduous and finally merged into hard
work, when the fish reached twenty pounds
or more. This was during the last of
August. The following day, the same
ground being fshed by fifteen or more men,
hardly thirty pounds were caught and the
day after not a cod, haddock, or hake could
be found. Thus in the space of COM
paratively few hours there was complete
closing up of good fishing. This was more
or less the case along many parts of Maine,
and the effect upon these grades of FISH
will probably be noticed by comparison of
the prices Of the first two weeks of August
and the last.
The cause of this peculiar disappearance
was the sudden appearance of immense
schools of dogfsh, the Squa1us A0aericanus
of the naturalist 1t would be impossible
to estimate the vast numbers of these fish.
All other fishing was consequently given
up; everybody went dog-ishing, and after
several hours the twenty or more dories
would come in loaded to the waters edge
Every afternoon from four to six thousand
were brought to Ogunquit alone. They
were so ravenous that the men speared them
while waiting to haul their travis, and they
told us they bit at the sails that dragged
overheard, and even at the oars and boat.
The water was fairly alive with the starry
ing horde that bit and devoured each other
on the hooks. Their livers are worth three
quarters of cent apice for the oil, while
the bodies are taken by the goldfish ped
dlers now out of work, and carried to their
farms for manure. The skin is also valued
in the manufactures for sword-handles,
covering for boxes, card cases, etc. In
form the dog-fsh resembles the typical
shark, only before each dorsal fin is sharp
spine that is disagreeable and effective
weapon. ....
Their food consists of whatever they can
get. The writer examined several hundred
for the purpose of finding out if there was
any special food, but in the stomachs of
only one or two was anything found, this
this being a deep water starfsh-Ophia-
cantha. This month vast quantities of
jelleyfsh, cyanea, aurelia, etc, are found in
the Maine waters, and one of the fisher
men said that the dog6sh ate them, biting
out piece from the center of the jelley.
He had seen it done repeatedly, and exam
ined quantities of jellies with round holes
eaten out of them. Concerning the vorac-
ity of these fish there is little doubt, and to
fall overheard out upon the Banks would
be fatal. Some years ago, during run of
dogfsh, child fell from a schooner on the
Georges Bank, and the men reached the
rail only to see ball of dogfsh so large
about the body that it could not be seen.
A man at Town End was caught by them
while swimming out to his boat, and the
lookers-on from the shore saw him leap out
of the water when attacked, seeming liter
ally covered with dogfsh, that tore him in
pieces quicker than would pack of wolves.
The visitation of these fish is of year
ly occurrance, but this year their numbers
are unprecedented. The fishermen believe
them to come from the Gulf Stream and
warmer water as they disappear upon the
approach of cold weather. Most of them
are females containing nearly full-grown
young, but they breed at all seasons.