Texas Almanac, 1952-1953 Page: 179
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TEXAS WILDLIFE RESOURCES. 179
COMMERCIAL CATCH OF FISH IN TEXAS COASTAL WATERS
Table below shows, by principal coastal areas, the volume of marine products taken
during the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 1950, according to the State Game Department:
(In pounds except oyster catch which is in gallons of 8.75 pounds.)
Laguna Aransas Matagorda Galveston
Species- Area. Area. Area. Area. Total.
Redfish . ..................... 170,401 207,127 85,649 11,291 474,468
Trout ........... ............ 96,396 214,414 111,159 8,799 430,768
Flounder ............. ...... 34,071 97,082 22,893 27,244 181,290
Drum ..... ............... 222,521 299,076 22,672 299 544,568
Mullet ..... .......... 128.983 4,676 10,983 136 144,778
Red snapper .... .. ...... 263.609 46,132 7,242 778,519 1,095,502
Grouper .............. ..... . 1,083 9,917 68,335 79,335
Whiting .................... 1,116 28,542 14,827 76,953 121,438
Mackerel .............. .... . 340 340
Gaff-topsail ......... .. . 231 17,704 38,301 653 56,889
Pompano .......... .. .. : . 109 354 48 ..... 511
Sheepshead ........................... 574 10,043 41 5,353 16,011
Warsaw .. ........ ............... . . 147 12,270 12,417
Scrap ............................ . 17,412 5,098 7,812 3,925 34,247
Croaker ................... . 586 2,847 23 3,456
Pike ........... ... . . ... 2.229 2,229
Ling ...................... .. 273 644 110 ... 1,027
Jewfish .............................. ...... ......155 2,027 2,182
Menhaden .. ......_44,085,842 44,085,842
Total ........................... 939,594 944,143 321,915 45,081,646 47,287,298
Shrimp.. ....14,141,504 10,824,539 5,102,848 7,814,417 37,883,308
Crabs ................ . ........... 4 155 1,660 1,617 3,436
Oysters ............ ........... ... ...... 12,502 56,430 263 69,195
Total .................... 14,141,508 10,837,196 5,160,938 7,816,297 37,955,939
Grand total...................... 15,081,102 11,781,339 5,482,853 52,897,943 85,243,237Other Fresh-Water Fish.
The little pickerel (Esox vermiculatus, Le
Seur) is found in East Texas. It is the only
representative of the pike family native to
waters of this state. Of excellent flavor.
A large family of fresh-water fish, the
Cichlids occur in South Texas and southward
through Mexico into Central America. They
are usually found from the Pecos River east-
ward to the Gulf in the Rio Grande Valley.
Known locally as bullnose or bullhead perch.
There are a number of species of the sucker
and buffalo fish (family Catostomidae) in
Texas, known locally as mullet, red horses
and buffaloes. Not of consequence.as game or
food fish. The common buffalo fish (Megas-
tomatobus cyprinella, Cuvier & Valenciennes)
is found generally in larger Texas streams
and has a small commercial value.
A single species of the gaspergou or fresh.
water drum family (Aplodinotus grunniens,
Rafinesque) is found throughout the middle
states, including Texas, to the Rio Grande.
In Texas it is valued as a food fish.
The gizzard shad, hickory shad (Dorosoma
cepedianum, Le Seur) is found in sluggish
waters of lower streams, and also in brackish
waters of Gulf bays. Has little value. The
bowfin, grindle (Amia calva, Linnaeus) is
found in East Texas, where it is called dog-
fish. It has no commercial value.
Of the family of gars (Lepisosteidae). a
number of species are found in Texas. The
gar pike (Lepisosteus osseus) is best known.
The short-nosed gar pike (Cylindrosteus pla-
tustomus) is also common and the great alli-
gator gar (Atractosteus spatula) is found in
fresh and brackish waters along the coast.
The top minnow, mosquito fish (Garpusia
patruelis, Baird & Girard) is found in this
region; it is valued as a mosquito killer.
INLAND FISH MANAGEMENT
The formation of many large and small
inland bodies of water by the construction
of dams in recent years has greatly widened
the opportunities for increasing the inland
fish resources of the state. During the 1950-
51 fiscal year aquatic biologists of the State
Game Department were at work at Lakes
Texoma, Kemp, Kemp Diversion, Kickapoo,
Worth, Eagle Mountain, Austin, Travis, Inks,
Buchanan and Caddo.
During the year all biologists made an
intensive study of farm ponds by check sein-
ing actual ponds throughout the state. Much
usable data were accumulated that will aid thefisheries division to provide a better farm
pond program.
Two new building projects were completed
during the fiscal year. A new fish-rearing
lake located above Lake Marvin, near Cana-
dian, was completed and stocked with large-
mouth black bass fingerlings. The Murrell L.
Buckner Hatchery located below the Possum
Kingdom Lake was completed in 1950 and
went into production in the spring of 1951.
This hatchery contains forty-four ponds.
Other engineering projects consisted of de-
signing a new water-supply system for the
Huntsville Hatchery and designing a new
addition to the Ingram Hatchery.
There were in Texas as of Jan. 1, 1947,
eleven state fish hatcheries, six federal hatch-
eries and one municipal hatchery (Dallas).
From the state fish hatcheries alone 16,674,883
fish were distributed during the fiscal year
ended Aug. 31, 1950. A twelfth hatchery went
into operation early in 1951. (See above.)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service operates
six federal fish-cultural stations in Texas.
These are located at Uvalde, Austin, San
Marcos, Burnet, Fort Worth and San Angelo.
These propagate the warm-water species con-
sisting of largemouthed black bass, bluegill
sunfish and channel catfish. Fish' are also
distributed in the State of Texas from hatch-
eries located in New Mexico, specifically,
from service hatcheries located at Santa
Rosa, Dexter and Hot Springs.
REPTILES
A wide variety of reptiles are found in
Texas, notably in the warm, thinly populated.
broken and brush-covered areas of South and
Southwest Texas. For a number of years a
commercial establishment in the Rio Grande
Valley has had a wide market for snakes (to
zoos and scientific institutions) and of snake
poison which is used in the manufacture of
serums. Some of the Texas educational in-
stitutions and private organizations have car-
ried on herpetological research.
However, there are only four species of
poisonous snakes in Texas. These are the
rattlesnake, of which there are ten subspe-
cies found in many sections of the state
though in greatest number in the broken
country of Southwest Texas; the copperhead,
of which there are two subspecies found in
East and South Texas; the moccasin, of
which there are one or more species found
along streams in many parts of the state,
a'nd the tropical coral snake, of which there
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Texas Almanac, 1952-1953, book, 1951; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117137/m1/181/: accessed May 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.