The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1891-06-17
THESE ARE QUEER FISH,
ODD SPECIMENS OF THE FINNY
TRIBE IN NEW YORK MARKET.

'The Silver Kingn-A Fish That
Sleeps on the Water--The Drum
Fish-Thc Dude of Fishes.
A great many new and odd fish occa-
sionally come into Fulton Market. They
feast the eyes rather than the stomach.
Among them is the tarpon, the prince of
the finny tribe in the tropic seas. He
wears shining armor and so is called
"The Silver King" His weight is sell
dom less than fifty pounds and some
times reaches 200. A small silver king
is four and one-half feet long, and some
stalwart specimens have been caught
which measured six feet six inches.
Not long since a silver king was dis
played on Commissioner Blackford's
stand in Fulton Market, to the dismay
of people who tell fish stories. He
weighed los pounds and was almost six
feet in length. His body was enveloped
by an argent coat of mail made up of
brilliant scales. He looked like a fish
that had been silver-plated. Ladies
came to get these scales to have them
set by jewellers, with view of wearing
them as ornaments. Indeed, the fair
sex is wont to make this aesthetic use of
the glittering scales of this beautiful
fish, and to wear them as bangles, neck
laces and charms. The scales of the sill
yer king thus have commercial value
and bring more than his flesh. He is
the only known fish that is worth moro
to wear than to eat. The haunt of the
silver king is the coast of Florida. At
present he is the delight of the sports
man.
Another odd fish, sometimes brought
to Fulton Market in fishing smack, is the
"Jew fish" 1t is almost as big as a
young whale, and has a mouth as big as
a washtub. Some of them weigh more
than 900 pounds. 1t is yellow or amber
in color, and is mottled with dark brown
spots. Its lateral fins are larger than an
elephants ears. At first sight it would
not seem to be good to eat. Yet this fish
is edible, when young is rich and we'll
favored, like black bass. 1t is caught
of the coast of Florida and in the West
Indies. 1t has the popularity, unusual
in fish, of sometimes falling into doze
or falling asleep on the surface of the
water. On these occasions of somno-
lence it is frequently shot like duck
and thus captured. The largest one ever
brought to Fulton Market weighed 1876
pounds.
A tropical iish which has become
very popular in New York in the past
few years is the pompano. 1t is caught
in the Gulf of Mexico and shipped from
Pensacola to this city. 1t favorite haunt
is the east coast of Florida. The pom
pano is a delicious fish and tastes some
what like a Spanish mackeral. In explain
tion of this, it may be said that the fish
served in ordinary restaurants as Spanish
mackeral is not Spanish mackeral at all,
but venerable, moss-grown and tough
species of fish sometimes facetiously
called "horse mackerel." The pompano
is very short and very fat. 1t has
smooth skin and is dark steel color
The pompano as it flashes through the
waters of the Gulf of Mexico, shows sap
phirc and emerald, and topaz and silver.
1t is a deep-water fish and likes to keep
near the bottom, where it can feed on
shell-fsh.
A channel bass may now and then be
seen in Fulton Market. 1t is a brilliant
golden red in color, and is the iridescent
dream of all the fish that swim. 1t is
one of the many beautiful and brilliant
fish that come from the sub-tropics. 1t
is good fish to eat, but it is like or
chids and roses, better for adorning the
table. 1t is the Oscar Wilde of the funny
world, the courtier of the court of Nep-
tune, the dandy of mermaids' grottoes.
An occasional visitor who comes to
Fulton Market to pay his compliments to
Fish Commissioner Biackford is the
crevale. 1t rejoices in the picturesque
names of Crevalle Jack, Yellow Jack and
Amber Jack. Its color is usually the
delicate amber of lager beer. 1t is
little larger than the average pompano
and, like the latter, is a short, plump
fish.
The drum fish sometimes manages to
drum its way into the market. 1t some
times weighs as much as eighty pounds.
Its forte is music. A school or musical
academy of drum fish will sometimes
proceed up a river, drumming like a
New York drum corps, and leading the
fishermen to think that an invading
army is approaching. This drumming
is peculiar noise which the fish makes
under water. New York journal.