The times., 1899-12-31
IN PORTO RICAN WATERS
Explorations Made by the Fish Com
mission Scientists.
Several New Genera and Species
FoHnd During nn ENpeditiOn-Spc-
cinlists Preparing II Report Com
cerninE Them-Renppearan of
" Kind Supposed to Re Extinct.

It is expected that the work now being
compiled by the Fish Commission on the
finny tribes Of Porto Rican waters viii be
Of more than technical interest During
the past year and half the attaches OF
the Commission have been very busy galh-
ering facts concerning fishes their work
having included a trip TO Porto Rico in
December. 1898, fer the purpose Of MAX
ing Investigations regarding the aquatic
life of that island. The investigations
extended over a period of two months and
were we'll rewarded
Porto Rico was cirCumnavigated and
work was done at nearly all places where
safe anchoTages could be found Members
Of the scientific staff also made trips to
points in the interior where examinations
of fresh water streams were conducted.
During these Journeys numerous
fish specimens were collected for
study. Moiiusks. crustaceans, and
other aquatic ANIMALS in large num-
bers were gathered frcm the sea and in
land waters Of Porto Rico. These a
now being examined by specialists in the
various groups.
Among the fishes obtained are three new
genera and at least twenty new species,
which viii be illustrated in the full report
y
linens viii be named for the localities il
which they were found.
During the past summer the Fish Com
mission also discovered the fact that the
tilefish, supposed to have become extinct,
is not, and that il is to be found in great
numbers off the southern coast of New
England. It's capture requires only the or
dinary apparatus employed in cod and pad
dock fishing. The tlefsh possesses excel
ont nd nd sfr
may result in the development OF an in
dustry Of considerable Importance. It's his
tory is OF scientific interest, since il fur
nishes evidence that life on the sea bottom
is subject to periodical modification, and
that a species almost annihilated may
quickly become re-established.
Discovery of the TiIefsh.
The tilefish was discovered in 1879 of
the coast of Massachusetts. 1t grows 10
quite a large size, In average catches
weighing from ten to fifty pounds. and is
one Of the most beautifully colored fishes
known outside Of the tropics. It's general
cclor is bright yellow. and it is marked
with spetS like a leopard, because of which
resemblance it was first called the leopard
fish
Tilefsh were formerly found in great
numbers in water from so to $50 fathoms
Mans Land, and it was thought that they
would prove almost as valuable as the cod,
the flesh being fine grained and delicate,
resembling both the cod and the striped
bass. But in 1882 millions of dead speci-
mems were found floating on the ocean
and they were supposed to have been prac-
ticaily eXterminated though the cause
was not definitely determined. The tile
fish is so called because its sides look
somewhat like q painted tile.
Concerning the discovery OF the tileish,
1t is officially stated that in May, 1879.
Captain Kirby, OF Gloucester in command
OF the schooner William V Hutckins.
while searching for cod and hake almost
directly south OF Nantucket. caught great
numbers of q strange and Handsomely
colored fish, The first catch. Of nearly
2000 pounds. was made in water varying
from so to 120 fathoms in depth Four
travis were used, each about q mile IN
length, and bearing 600 hooks. Nearly
all OF these fish were thrown overheard.
and but a few were kept and cooked
Their Wholesale Destruction.
In March and April, 1882 vessels enter
ing New York and other Allan
tic ports reported that they had
passed through countless numbers
OF dead fsh while crossing the
northern edge of the Gulf Stream. IN
vestigation proved that these fish were
tilefish, and that they appeared on the sur
face of the water over an area Of 10 M les
in length and % miles In width a con-
seTyatiye estimate made by Capt. j. ".
Collins, who has given a detailed history
OF the tilelsh up 10 the time of this NOR
tality. placed their number at upward OF
/. 1873. .72O 900. Allowing ten pounds 10 each
fish, he has estimated that there would be
288 pounds Of FISH for every man, woman,
and child in the United States.
The tilefsh was found in q warm belt
along the precipitous slope OF submarine
range of mountains This fish. doubtless
belongs to the warm water fauna, as all
its relatives are tropical. It's great de-
struction was possibly caused by q very
severe storm that occurred in the region
at that time, which, by agtating the bot
tom water, forced outward the very cold
water that even In summer occupied the
wide area of shallower sea in less than
sixty fathoms along the coast. thus caused |
a sudden lowering of the temperature |
along this narrow warm zone where the |
tilefsh was formerly found.