THE HERRING

Hokitika Guardian, 13 February 1929, Page 8

THE HERRING

WANDER Ell AND VAGABOND. Although the herring is the most abundant and most valuable of all the lish landed in Great Britan, we know less of its habits and life than of almost any of the other important food fishes (writes Arthur llaslam in the Daily feiegraph). At one time it was thought that the herrings worked their way round the coast- beginning in u North of Scotland and then moving southwards through the North Sea into the English Channel, and finally up the Irish Sea; but now it- is known that the different shoals arc composed o quite distinct “races'’ of fish. The herrings shoal--that is, come togetherin these, vast temporary communities in order to spawn, and it is a remarkable fact that, unlike the great majority of lish, which have definite times fm spawning, herrings can apparently spawn at- all seasons of the year, and, moreover, do so not only in salt water, but also go up estuaries and spawn in water which is almost fresh. This habit of breeding at all times of the year is of importance to the fishery, because only when the herrings collect in shoals in order to spawn are they present in sufficient numbers to make the fishery a commercial proposition. Though the time and place ol appearance of the shoals are well known, what hap-pons to the young fish which hatch out the untold millions of eggs laid during the spawning period, and what happens to the fully-grown fish after they have spawned, are alike mysteries to us. it is conjectured that the young fish swim up estuaries and rivers, and only alter some years join the fully-grown herrings in the open sea ; hut we know nothing definitely. After the spawning is over, the adult herrings disperse in all directions, presumably in search ol food, for the herring is not like the plaice or haddock; it does not, live on the animals—worms, shellfish, and the like-‘-which are found on the bed of the ocean ; hut instead pursues the microscope animal and plant life which floats evorywhorcin the vast basum of the ocean. It is this constant search for minute prey; of which immense numbers must he allow, ed in order to provide a good meal, that has made the herring into the wnnderei and vagabond that he is. Spawning always takes place in the shallower water near the coast, but in the search lor food the herring swims away into, tne open sea. where by straining immense quantities 1 of water through his gills, lie collects the floating life which forms his food.