Evening star., 1928-05-27

each pan. Even with the utmost care
| it Is impossible to preserve the life of
the fish during the stripping process.
| When taken from the water the Shad
| is a very muscular fish, and If not firmly
held while obtaining the eggs it IS very
likely to slip from the grasp and
| founder into the pan OF eggs, throwing
large portion Of them out and causing
damage to those that remain.
Shad eggs are semi-buoyant. The
usual period of incubation is from to
| IL days In water temperature from SO
to 65 degrees. In temperature of so
degrees the incubation period Is pro-
longed to IL days, while at rs degrees it
is shortened to days, but in neither
case can healthy fry be produced.
I When Matched fry are about 0.37 of
an inch long. When 8 days old they
are about 0.62 Of an inch long. Fry
Matched in the Spring grow to or Az
inches by October. Some years they
grow faster than others; In some streams
more rapidly than in others. From
State fish ponds at Raleigh. N. c., fry
Matched in the Spring had grown to be
8 and inches in length. During the
same year Potomac shad in the Fall
were or inches.
Notwithstanding the economic impor-
NNN%NSS
that has been devoted to its artificial
propagation for so many years, there Is
an extremely limited knowledge as to its
habits and life history. The Shad passes
most OF its existence at sea, and little
is known OF its habits and movements
when out Of the rivers. The ocean
areas to which it resorts are unknown,
and what its saltwater food consists of
has not been determined.
After entering the rivers the shad
takes but little, If any, food previous to
spawning. but after casting its eggs it
bites at flies or any small. shining OBJ
artificial fly. The mouth of the adult
Is practically toothless, and its throat
contains no functionally active teeth.
1t Is a common remark with fishermen
and others that food Is rarely found in
the stomach Of the adult Shad in fresh
water, but examinations have shown
that the Shad does in some instances
eat small crustacea. insects, etc. The
only substance commonly found in its
stomach In fresh water has the appear
ance Of black mud.
The shad is member of the herring
family, and, like the herring. has many
upon by other fish, striped bass, white
perch, black bass and other predaciouS
fishes devouring the young in fresh
water. When they reach salt water
sharks, horse mackerel. kingflsh, ETC.,
destroy many adults. 1t Is not Surptis-
ing. therefore, that the majority Of the
young do not survive their few months
sojourn in fresh water, and Of those
that leave the rivers each season very
small percentage reaches maturity TO
deposit eggs and contribute to the per-
petuation Of the species.
The shad Is the largest, best known
and most valuable member Of the her
ring family In the United States. Its
sides are silvery and 1t Is white below.
When fresh from the ocean 1t Is dark
blush or greenish above, but this Is
largely lost after the fish enters fresh
water at spawning time.
The female shad is larger than the |
male. the average difference in weight !
being more than a pound. The mature |
males taken in the fisheries Of the At |
lantic coast weigh from IL to 6 pounds, |
the average being about pounds. The