The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1905-06-09
The United States Fish Com
mission Is Working Over
time to Prevent 1t.
FEW REACH MATURITY
Probably Among No Other Species of
Animal Life Is the Death Rate
Among the Young So High
as Among HOLSTERS.

lngs of regret would stir the emotions
Of those Washingtonians who have
the price if they knew, as they care
fully picked over their greatly priced
brOiled lobster, that the delicious and
palatabie object before them would
likely be the last OF its II they
should ever enjoy? They would prob
ably linser long and ref1ectively over
the disposition of that last lobster.
their minds filled with pleasant MEM
Dries OF the ~gastronomic delights the
succulent red crustacean had afforded
them in the past. and when the last
white, juicy morsel had been picked
out of the she'll and delivered over to
the qualification of the appetite they
would undoubtedly heave a sigh of sim
cere regret at the passing OF one OF the
greatest joys of the e%picure.
This speculation is not based upon
mere fancy or vague conjecture, but
upon a possible contingency, to pre-
vent the occurrence Of which the Unit
ed States fish commission Is devoting
4 great deal of time, study and money.
The lobster is the most important
|crustacean of the United States. and
Which more than $500 persons are en-
gagged with an invested capital of about
100000 Approximately $4,000. 000,-
200 pounds Of Holsters are caught and
sold annually, bringing to the fisher
men a sum of about a million and u
half dollars. For a number Of years
this fishery has presented the anomaly
OF a diminishing supply and an aug
mented catch, owing to the more ac-
tive prosecution of the business, but
the decline in the yield has for some
time been unchecked. Notwithstanding
the employment Of more apparatus and
the prolongation OF the fishing season.
I hl1IN or tho fGhpyy1in1 with 81 Sir =
lar disregard for their own welfare,
have continually violated the laws for
the protection of small, immature lob
ste:s and females bearing eggs and the
supply has consequently been rapidly
diminishing. In the opinion of the
officials OF the fish commission only
the rigid enforcement of restrictive
measures and the extensive artificial
propagation Of the lobster can ward
off the destruction Which threatens
this valuable fishery and prevent the
practical extinction of the species.
Probably among no other species OF
animal liFe is the death rate of the
young SO nigh as among young lob
sters. 1t is u remarkable fact, tated
by a scientifc authority. that not more
than one in every thousand Holsters
Matched in their natural habitat ever
reached maturity.
For the artificial propagation of the
lobster the fish commission now main
tatns three hatcheries-one each at
Woods Hole and Gloucester, Mass,
and the other, recently established, at
Boothbay. Me. AT these %hatcheries the
officials OF the government are endeav-
orlng to solve the problem of how to
Increase the supply OF Holsters and
prevent the determination Of this val
liable cruStacean.
The lobster is found along the At
'antlc coast from Labrador to Della
ware, but is most numerous along the
coast of the New England states. The
principal spawning season for Holsters
Is during the summer months. The
eSg-producing Holsters. however. do
not lay oftener than every second year.
The period of incubation for the eggs
Is prolonged, lasting from ten to eleven
months, during which time the eggs
are carried under the posterior portion
OF the body II attached to the SWIM
merets. Each mature female lobster
produces thousands of eggs, the num-
Der varying according to the length.
For instance. a lobster eight inches
long will produce about 5000 eggs
while II fourteen inches in length
will produce 10000. All the eggs do
not hatch at the same time, and after
escaping from the shell the young re-
ceive no further attention from the
mother. but lead ar independent ex-
iStence.
After the Matching the young lobster
passes through a Ions series of laryal
stages, undergoing a metamorphosis,
n in he course of three or four
weeks becomes a fu~ll-fledged lobster
ling. These early stages are the criti-
cal periods in the life OF the young
lofSter. and the mortality at this time
is great, only one out OF every 1000
surviving, as stated.
The young lobster is a wicked little
cannibal. Eve before he has passed
through the larval stages the canni-
ballstic tendencies are strongly devel-
oped in him. He possesses a ravenous
appetite and devours all weaker breth-
rem within reach. 1t is a case Of the
survival Of the strongest with the lob
ster. AS soon as he possesses pinching
claws. a hard shell and other anatomi-
cal characteristics Of the adult there
Is q remarkable change in the lobster
ling's disposition and habits. He be-
comes combative and ~pugnacious If
disturbed, but will retreat from danger.
Nevertheless he seems to retain an in
nate hatred for all of his own kind
who are weaker. 1t is because Of the
c%annibalisin of the lobster and because
OF its numerous natural enemies in the
waters that such a very small percent
age Of those Matched reach maturity.
The United States fish commission a
number of years g began the arti-
fetal propagation of Holsters in order
to devise a means of maintaining the
supply. and at it's TWO marine stations
In Massachusetts many hundred mil
lions ave been Matched and planted
Until recently the eggs were procured
from fishermen and agents of the COM
mission and placed in tanks through
which sea water was kept running
The fishermen each year would save
for the commission all egg-bearins
Holsters caught during a period Of sew
eral months preceding the Matching
season. These eggs would be strip.
ped" from the brood Holsters and plac.
ed in the Matching jars and as soon as
the young were Matched they were
turned back into the pecan. excepting
such as were kept for further expert.
m%entation.
Last year the commission collected
about 100000 lobster eggs, and O.
this number abou. 80 per cent, or owe.
100, 100000 We're Matched. sui ever
with the most careful attention much
less than so per cent. CT those matched
lived to become lobsterlings. MANY
were victims to c~anniEalism and SUI.
location. while others We're killed by {
vegetable growth that makes its an.
pearance in the water.
Considerable difficulty has been ex.
pertenced by the commission in pro.