New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-02
THE HUNGRY BULLHED'
Government Experts Say He's 4
Menace to AIaska's Salmon.

In the interest Of Alaskan salmon ~.
determination Of the fresh water scui.s-
called also "nniller's thumb" 'bullh..S.
or blob" Is urgently demanded. II {,
worthless FISH with tendency to fes6 -
salmon fry and salmon eggs. and h,s :
voracious appetite and wonderful dise,u,.
apparatus. Messrs. Bean and Weed -
the division OF fishes. United States n.
tfonaI Museum, have recently inyest,est.I
the blob, and find that II is extr.ms,
destructive TO salmon eggs. These A.,
have no trouble gathering in the FRY. -.
or three inches long, and occas,os.n.
manage to corner some larger ones.
Fourteen biobs were found 10 have MAJ.
away With thirty nine salmon and fory-s.
eggs-an average Of almost three say,.-
and a HttIe over three eggs for each A.,
These biobs were not at all partieu.,
about holding TO tho average. as SON. -
them had exceeded II materially. nor 6u
they bear out the theory well known ..
every fisherman that the bait Is first tur,..
by the fish and swallowed head forero.
The blobs. it seems, eat them both wan
The destructive average OF the bloA ..
estimated at six salmon a day, which /.
maintained for about sixty days a y.,,
This would make the destructive capscy
OF one hsh total $50 salmon annuaiiy 4.
say nothing Of the little trout sathers.
and sometimes little blobs. The h..
kind OF feeding. however, meets VIII 4.
approval Of fish experts.
Blobs IN general are bottom FISH An
prefer to remain hidden under stones, N,
II Is Just in similar places that youns nj.
mon and trout hide at certain hours OF N.
day. usually when the sun is hottest n 4.
then that the blobs can get them with IA.
least difficulty. For this reason Il IA n.
l,eyed the stomach contents Of each Of III.
Hobs examined represented one days fesd.
Ing. and that under proper condition,
when the salmon eggs or young salno.
are ayailaole) tire same amount would n
eaten each day.
The greediness OF some OF the blobs Va,
most remarkable. one had eaten sey~
salmon. five Of which were about n,
inches long and the other two nearly thr.
inches long. The last fish eaten had be-,
swallowed tail first. AS there vas no room
In the olob's stomach for this one, only IA
tail was found there, while It's he,a
stretched up into the mouth Of the blob.
In all but one Of the blobs the preser,
Of large numbers Of Nematode parasite
was noted. They were in the body cav.u.
either free or IN cysts. Most OF thea
worms were Just leaving the cysts. but
few were entirely free. The parasites We,
turned over to DR.. c. ". Stiles for dent.
ncat,on. but were too immature for eve
generic diagnosis
Frederick Patching. superintendent Of 4.
Fortmann hatchery. Lor!ng, Alaska, sss
the fourteen blobs 10 the division OF hsha
Commenting on their destructive work, 4
says:
Until we made traps had no idea then
were so many bullhesds (or olobs) in Heh I
Bay Stream. One morning we csuse
twenty-seven hundred in three small trsh
and in twenty-five days the total catch 4
bIoos was thirty-one thousand They an
enemies Of the salmon and should be 4
stroyed whenever caught
Ny. Patching had held that il requ,s
from twelve 20 twenty years FOR salnn
TO reach full maturity. Some years a.
the Bureau of Fisheries marked lNn
number Of salmon fry and turned the-
loose in Helm Bay Stream. The ths,u
was disproye0. however. ~ the capture
sixteen II the marked fish IN Yes Bay hr
had been In the water only I'VE or
vears. hut were found 20 be full groyt
The fact that they were found IN Yes Bs
also failed 20 suhs;antiate the theory tg
fish would return 20 tie stream IN who
they we're liberated.