Texas Almanac, 1949-1950 Page: 205
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205
SALT AND FRESH-WATER FISH.
Salt and Fresh-Water Fish ResourcesThe Texas coastal waters in their primitive
state undoubtedly constituted one ot the
greatest fish-breeding areas in North America.
While the irregular flow in the upper channels
of the rivers limited tresh-water fish propa-
gation, the streams were free of pollution,
carried much less silt than in recent years
and were the breeding places of cat. perch,.
gaspergou and other native fresh-water
species. There are about 200 species of salt.-
water and 250 species of fresh-water fish In
'Texas.
But the Increase in population of Texas
and its economic development has made
greater Inroads on the native fish life than on
either mammal or bird life. And conservation
and restoration problems have been more dif-
ficult to overcome. The putting of 30.000,000
acres into cultivation and the grazing of more
than ltU.000,000 acres of range land have
greatly increased the silt load of streams and
the silt deposits in the coastal bays. The
building of cities and towns on the banks of
the streams has increased the sewage dis-
charge, and antipollution laws have not
always been obeyed. The development of in-
dustries brought its problem of discharge of
industrial refuse. The greatest of all economic
strikes, the wide discovery of oil, found
many beneficiaries, but one "maleficiary" in
particulir-the fish life of stream and coastHatchery
Dundee ..........
Lake Dallas .........
Tyler ...............
Cisco .............
San Angelo ..........
Ingram ............
Huntsville ..........
Jasper ........... ..
Medina .............
Olmito ............
Eagle Mountain .....Bass
3,249,580
700,400
4,040,482
3,895,530
1,841,159
1,338,009
1,520,375
2,289,365
795,595
1,458,770
2,073,830Total .......... .23,203,095
Crappie
71,275
127,890
208,209
46,220
59,410
75,774
28.121
79.650
145.650
12.565
5.400
860.164FRESHWATER FISH
Some of the better known of the 250
species of fresh-water fish in Texas lakes
and streams are listed below:
There are thirteen or more representatives
of the family, Centrarchidae, living in Texas
waters. They include the crappie, sunfish and
several species of popularly designated bass
which are not true bass. Best known and
most popular with sportsmen, probably, is the
large mouthed black bass, which is found in
most parts of the state. (The large-mouthed
bass, straw bass (Micropterus salmoides
Lacepede) is found generally in Texas waters
as a native and has also been widely dis-
tributed from fish hatcheries in recent years.
The spotted bass (Micropterus pseudaplites
Hubbs) is found as far west as Central Texas.
one of the gamest of the basses. The white
crappie (Pomoxis annularls), also known as
white perch, is found in the alkaline waters
of North Central and West Texas. The black
crappie (Pomoxis nigro-maculatus) also called
calico bass Is found in the acid waters of
East Texas.
The blue-gill (Helioperca Incisor, Cuvier &
Valenciennes), also called blue bream, blue
sunfish and copper-nosed sunfish, is found
throughout the state, a very game fish and of
delicious flavor. The red-eared sunfish (Euro-
motis heros, Baird & Girard) is found in the
lowland streams and ponds throughout the
state to the Rio Grande, though not particu-
larly abundant. The blue-spotted sunfish,
green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus. Rafin-
esque) is a small fish most frequently found
in small streams, throughout the state; gamewhich suffered from discharge of oil field
refuse and salt water.
Fortunately. considerable progress has been
made towrd a solution of these problems, but
there is still a long way to go. Probably the
greatest impetus given fresh-water fish propa-
gation has been the impounding of the nu-
merous large and small lakes throughout the
state. To August 1. 1949, reservoirs Jhad been
constructed with a total capacity of 11,404.265
acre-feet. On that date construction was under
way on reservoirs with an additional 9.178,626
acre-feet; and active preconstruction engineer-
ing and survey work was progressing on addi-
tional reservoirs that will add another 10,952.-
300 acre-feet. When these are completed Texas
will be a land of lakes. (See pp. 185-187.)
The State Game. Fish and Oyster Commis-
sion has been active in supplying these lakes
with fish and maintaining law enforcement
and fish-conservation measures. There are six
federal and eleven state fish hatcheries in
the state. The federal hatcheries are located
at Uvalde, Austin, San Marcos. Roy Inks
Lake near Burnet, Fort Worth and San An-
gelo, each of which is located on a living
stream or lake.
The eleven state fish hatcheries during the
fiscal year. 1948. produced 28.017.945 fish.
Their location and fish production by kinds in
1948 are given below:Bream
309,700
1,015,365
277,535
224,850
67,300
124,120
115.859
122,065
124.450
148,935
6.300
2.536,479oggle-eye Catfish Total
20,620 544.345 4.205.520
27,275 302,136 2,173.066
26,140 59,275 4.611,641
1,200 51,655 4,219,455
6.475 25,280 1.999.624
13,725 11.630 1.563.258
21.635 117.786 1.803,776
20,855 55,700 2.567.635
67.050 1,132,745
27,910 7.515 1.655,695
...... .. . 2.085.530
175,835 1.242.372 28,017.945though small, and of good flavor The long.
eared sunfish iXenotis megalotis, Rafinesque)
is a brightly colored sunfish found in clear
running streams. Found generally in Texas
in favorable waters. The name of long-eared
sunfish is also popularly applied to another
species, Lepomis auritis, found In South Cen-
tral and South Texas. The warmouth goggle-
eye (Chaenobryttus gulosus, Cuvier & Valen-
ciennes) is found generally in sluggish
streams and mud-bottomed ponds. The rock
bass, red-eye, goggle-eye (Ambloplites ru-
pestris, Rafinesque) is occasionally found in
large and small bodies of clear water. It is a
medium game fish.
The yeflow bass Morone nterrupta), a true
bass and not properly a member of the
sunfish family, is found in the lower reaches
of the Trinity and other East Texas rivers.
The white bass (Lebibema chrysops. Rafn-
esque), also a true bass, is found In Caddo
Lake and In streams along the Texas-Lou-
isiana border. Both yellow and white bass
rank high as game and food fish.
Eleven or more species of the catfish family
(Ameiuridae) are found in Texas and it is the
most widely distributed of the fishes in this
state. There are only three species, however.
that are common. The blue cat (Ictalurus
furcatus. Cuvier & Valenciennes) is found in
large streams, especially along the coast, and
is of considerable commercial consequence,
finding a ready market. It is an excellent
food fish; due to popular prejudice, it some-
times is marketed under other names. It not
infrequently grows to 25 or 35 pounds weight.
The channel cat, spotted cat (Ictalurus punc-
tatus. Rafinesque) is found in the largerGc
I
Ge
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Texas Almanac, 1949-1950, book, 1949; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117167/m1/207/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.