The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-11-24

(The following interesting paper was
read by &. F. Holder before q recent
meeting Of the Southern California Sci
snce association and excited great deal
Of interest and comment.-Ed.)
Even q cuIsory examination of the lit
tOral and deep-sea fauna of Southern Cal
ifornia is sufficient to impress us with its
richness and the wide diversity OF forms
represented The conditions which pro-
duce this are we'll known. We have in
the Pacific reversed Gulf strea N of high
temperature which insteed OF flowing up
the coast as is the case with the Gull
stream Of the Atlantic, passes up the
Asiatic coast where, as the japanese cur
rent, it turns and sweeps down the Pa
c:tic shores OF North America, N odifylug
our entire eli innate and producing condi-
tions which render our waters acceptable
to fishes of seemingly many zones. As
an illustration, we have the barracuda,
mullet, yellowtail and other fishes whose
eastern representatives are confined so far
as great number are concerned, to the
extreme south, Bermuda, or the Gulf of
Mexico. In briei, our waters form the
meeting sground of hordes OF fishes OF
great variety, affording most interest
ing, and it should be said ne elected, field
tor study.
In the limited time at my command,
can but touch upon the most important
families and genera represented. ) COM
plete account OF the habits of on. South
ern California fishes has never bacn given
and ,undou bteoly there ara many unde-
scribed forms which, with the question of
their habits. their yearly mlgrati0ns,
makes the field an open one for the stu
dent who has the tims and desire to
prosecute the subject.
One Of our most valuable food fishes is
the yellowtail-seriola dorsalis-an at
tractivs ally OF which I have often taken
In the Gulf of Mexico. The Atlantic spe-
cies ranges from four to eight pounds,
while our seriola attains length OF five
feet and a weight of eighty pounGs.
These ashss are migratory. They appear
at the islands of Los Angeles county in
April, and are seen in greatest mum bers
in midsummer, when they often color
the water with their enormous schools
and make vast oceanic promenade of
the waters on both sides OF the Santa Cat
alma channel. They spawn in July. but
after diligent search I have never found
seriola under four or five pounds in
weight though l understand smaller ones
are taHen at San Diego. By January the
yellowtails have disappeared from the
islands mentioned, at least they are
rarely caught, but at this time they are
found in vast mum berI at MagdaIena and
other bays in Lower California, and |
am led to believe they retreat south dur
ing mid winter months or seek deeper
water. In the reports of the Unit. d
States fish comm ission the weight Of the
yellowtail is piven a, forty pounds, but l
have weighed specimens OF sixty-,To
pounds and am confident that l have seen
lndivi iuals of the size previously given
or eighty pounds. The range OF the fish
may be said to be from Cape : t. Lucas TO
the Santa Barbara island,, forming in
great schools in the early winter season
to move south along the shore and break
up into pairs and small groups IN sum
mer. During the spawning season taey
are often seen IT airs. and in the sum
ner oil 1895, had IN o portunity OF notl ~
the devotion of the FISH. Hacking a large
yeIlowtail it ran under some kclp al the
bottom and became foulsd-to clear il We
lowered the erapnel, hoping to hreak it
away. J could distinctly see the nah in
the clear water, and Its free mate nsver
lett II Tor moment, lowering abs 1T
within loot OF the anchor. showing an
amount OF solicitude that amply repaid
me for the ultimate loss of the hsb, VII oh