With 3 Figures.
Introdnction.
During the summer of 1930 the author was assigned, by the Department of Fisheries of the State of Washington, to study the life history Of the surf smelt, Hypomesus pretiosus, of Puget Sound.
-4 preliminary report on the morphology and varioiis phases of the life history of this interesting fish was submitted to the Supervisoc of Fisheries of the State of Washington in January, 1931. Several copies of the report were distributed among the faculty members of the Department of Zoology and the College of Fisheries of the University of Washington.
According to Jordan (1923) the surf smelt, Hypomesus pretiosus (Girard), is found along the Pacific Coast from JIonterey northward. It visits practically every section of Puget Sound at some time during the year, and, in this region, often attains a length of seven or eight inches. The body is elongated, compressed, and covered with moderate siAed scales (Fig. ). The fish is light olive in color, with a silvery band along the sides. The difference between the sexes is easily noticed as the female is much the larger, having a deeper and more rounded belly of silvery white colour, and a bright green back. Males are smaller, more compressed, and the belly has a yellowish tint with faint red spots at the base of the ventral fins. In immature fish the difference between the males and females is less conspicuous because the coloration of both sexes is quite similar.
Utsalady Beach, on Comano Island, near Stanwood, Wash., chosen for these studies, presents the typical environment of the surf smelt's