OCCASIONAL PAPERS OF THE California Academy of Sciences No. 67, 8 pages, 3 figures. June 27, 1968 Fish Remains from Two Submerged Deposits in Tomales Bay, Marin County, California By W. I. FoIIett California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco 94118 SAN FRANCISCO PUBLISHED BY THE ACADEMY 1968 OCCASIONAL PAPERS OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES No. 67, 8 pages, 3 figures. June 27, 1968 Fish Remains from Two Submerged Deposits in Tomales Bay, Marin County, California By W. I. Follett Calijornia Academy of Sciences Introduction This is a report on the fish remains collected in 1964 by Calvin Crowell Daetwyler, Jr., then of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, from two sub- merged deposits (designated Test Boring No. 1 and Test Boring No. 3), in Tomales Bay, Marin County, California. Test Boring No. 1 was near the middle of White Gulch, at 38°11'40.5" N. lat., 122°56'05.5'' W. long, (see USC&GS Chart 5603), where the water is 7 feet deep at mean lower low water. White Gulch is on the southwest shore of Tomales Bay, nearly opposite Hog Island. The specimens were collected at a depth of 10.7 to about 12.1 feet below mean lower low water (therefore 3.7 to about 5.1 feet below the surface of the bay bottom). Here the top 3 feet of the sediment con- sists of black silty clay, which is probably due to erosion during the historic agricultural period. Below this clay, the bottom material is sandier, and contains a considerable amount of shell resembling midden shell. ^lixed with this material are small pieces of charcoal. At 12.1 feet a small shell bead was found. Material from this locality, regarded by James R. Moriarty as definitely archaeological, yielded a radiocarbon date (LJ-GAP-43) of 340 ± 130 years before the present (Hubbs and Bien, 1967, p. 266). The date confirmed other evidence indicating very recent tectonic subsidence. Test Boring No. 3 was off Manila Marina, approximately 1300 feet from the northeast shore of Tomales Bay, at 38' 10'47.5" N. lat., 122°54'54" W. long., where the water is 16 feet deep at mean lower low water. Manila Marina (not shown on the chart) is 0.3 mile generally southeast from Blake Landing, and CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Occ. Papers ^^''^^-^^^^^^^iii^ Figure 1. Lower tooth, length of base 14 mm., of sevengill shark (Notorynchus macu- latus) ; representing a shark about 190 cm. in total length; from Test Boring No. 3. 2.6 miles (by road) generally northwest from the Marshall Post Office. The specimens were collected at a depth of 21.0 to 24.5 feet below mean lower low water (therefore 5.0 to 8.4 feet below the surface of the bay bottom). There was no indication of a midden at this locality. Material from this locality yielded a radiocarbon date (LJ-GAP-46) of 1700 ± 190 years before the present (Hubbs and Bien, 1967, p. 267). Dr. Daetwyler commented, in the report just cited, that the shelly pebble horizon correlates with a horizon widespread in the bay, and may represent a lower relative sea stand, related to suspected tectonic sub- mergence along an active fault zone. Further details of these test borings were noted by Daetwyler (1965. pp. 173-175). The specimens are deposited in the marine-geological collections at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California. Fishes Represented The collection comprises 26 fish remains, all of which are incomplete or fragmentary. Six species, referable to six genera and five families, are repre- sented, as follows: No. 671 FOLLETT: FISH REMAINS FROM TOM ALES BAY, CALIFORNIA 3 Family Hexanchidae. Cow Sharks Notorynchus maciilatus Ayres, 1855. Sevengill shark. This palatable shark (see Roedel and Ripley, 1950, fig. 24), which has been said to attain a total length of about 300 cm. (Garrick and Schultz, 1963, p. 58), is known to enter Tomales Bay, at times in considerable numbers. Material. One loiver tooth (incomplete; fig. 1), representing a shark about 190 cm. in total length, from Test Boring No. 3. (See Roedel and Ripley, 1950, fig. 25, for a drawing of a lower tooth of this species.) This specimen was men- tioned by Daetwyler (1965. p. 175). Family Myliobatididae. Eagle Rays Myliobatis californica Gill, 1865. Bat stingray. This edible stingray (see Roedel and Ripley, 1950, fig. 61, as Holorhinus calijornicus), which attains a weight of 95 kg. (Baxter, 1960, p. 19) was de- scribed, as Rhhioptcra vespertilio, by Girard (1856, p. 137; 1857, p. 544, pi. 26), from Tomales Bay, where the species is exceedingly abundant. ]\Iaterial. One centrum (incomplete), possibly representing a half-grown individual, from Test Boring No. 1. Family Clupeidae. Herrings Clupea pailasii Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1847. Pacific herring. This important food fish (see Roedel, 1953, fig. i2)^ which has been said to attain a total length of about 45 cm. (Roedel, 1953, p. 34), enters Tomales Bay to spawn, especially during January, February, and March (Scofield, 1952, p. 499). INIaterial. Eight vertebrae (incomplete or fragmentary), representing one or more fish about 21 cm. in total length, from Test Boring No. 1. (Characters differentiating the vertebrae of the herring from those of the sardine were dis- cussed by Chapman, 1944, pp. 14-16.) Sardinops sagax (Jenyns, 1842). Pacific sardine. This excellent food fish (see Roedel, 1953, fig. 31, as Sardinops caeriilea), which usually does not exceed ii cm. in total length (Roedel, 1953, p. ?)i), at times enters Tomales Bay. Material. One right dentary (incomplete; fig. 2), 7 scales (incomplete), and 5 vertebrae (incomplete), representing one or more fish about 25 cm. in total length, all from Test Boring No. 1; and 1 scale (incomplete), from Test Boring No. 3. (See Phillips, 1942, figs. 9, 12-17, and 22, for drawings of dentary, vertebrae, and scales.) CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Occ. Papers Figure 2. Right dentary, length 12 mm., of Pacific sardine {Sardinops sagax) ; repre- senting a fish about 25 cm. in total length; from Test Boring Xo. 1. (It is perhaps not generally known that despite the great decline of the population of this species in California waters, small numbers still persist in Tomales Bay. According to Frank Spenger, Sr., a few large sardines are seined in that bay each year during the early spring. The most recent record of this species from Tomales Bay that I have verified is that of a large adult seined by Frank Spenger, Sr., and Paul R. Needham on 26 April 1964, at Young Landing, lat. 38°09' N., long. 122°54' W.) Family Merlucciidae.^ Hakes Merlucciu.s productus (Ayres, 1855). Pacific hake. This fish (see Roedel, 1953, fig. 45), which attains a total length of about 90 cm., is said to be generally rejected as food by the white man, because of its soft flesh and poor keeping qualities (Roedel, 1953, p. 48), although it has been said to be "a fine food fish if kept cool and damp" (Cannon, 1964, p. 214). I have not found this species reported from Tomales Bay. It occurs principally at depths greater than 50 fathoms (Best, 1963, p. 54). ^I follow Marshall (1966, p. 279) in recognizing the family IMerlucciidae. Xo. 671 FOLLETT: FISH REMAINS FROM TOM ALES BAY, C ALIFORM A Figure 3. Precaudal vertebra, length 6 mm., of Pacific hake (Merluccius prodiictus) ; representing a fish about 50 cm. in total length; from Test Boring No. 1. Material. One precaudal vertebra (incomplete; fig. 3), representing a fish about 50 cm. in total length, from Test Boring No. 1. (See RadcUffe, 1913, pi. 15, for a photograph of the precaudal vertebrae of this species.) Family Pleuronectidae. Righteyed Flounders PPlatichthys stellatus rugosus Girard, 1854. Southern starry flounder. This good food fish (see Roedel, 1953, fig. 63) averages about 41 cm. in total length and about 1 kg. in weight (Baxter, 1960, p. 26), although reports published during the nineteenth century indicated that it attained a much larger size (Follett, 1957, p. 68). It is common in Tomales Bay. Material. One vertebra (fragment; questionably referred to this species), possibly representing a small adult, from Test Boring No. 1. Discussion The shark tooth and one sardine scale were taken from the deposit (probably natural) sampled by Test Boring No. 3. The material of all other species, and most of the sardine material, came from the midden deposit sampled by Test Boring No. 1. 6 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Occ. Papers With the exception of the hake, all species represented in the midden col- lection were presumably taken commonly by aborigines in comparatively shallow water in Tomales Bay. The herring and sardine could well have been taken by a seine or a gill net; the stingray and flounder, by a hand line cast from a favor- able position on the shore. The presence of an element of the hake is not convincing evidence of the use of watercraft by the aborigines who may have collected these fishes. Although the hake normally occurs in oceanic waters at depths greater than 50 fathoms (Best, 1963, p. 54), its known tendency to pursue its prey into shallow water, on occasion — even to the extent of stranding itself (De Witt, 1952, p. 438) — suggests that it may sometimes enter Tomales Bay. The specimen represented may therefore have been taken by seine or gill net or by hook and line in Tomales Bay, or may have been found stranded, perhaps at one of the beaches near the mouth of the bay. At least three of the species represented are known to have been utilized by aborigines elsewhere in California: the bat stingray, at the Burton Mound, Santa Barbara County (Harrington, 1928, p. 135, as eagle ray), at the Conejo Rock Shelter, Ventura County (Follett, 1965, p. 83), at one of the Irvine sites on Newport Bay, Orange County (Follett, 1966, p. 190), and at a number of other sites (see Follett, 1964, p. 34); the Pacific sardine, at the Conejo Rock Shelter (Follett, 1965, p. 83); and the southern starry flounder, at Strawberry Point, San Francisco Bay (Follett, 1957, p. 69), and at Estero de Limantour, Marin County (Follett, 1964, p. 32). Teeth of the sevengill shark were recorded from a Pleistocene deposit at Playa del Rey, Los Angeles County, California (Kanakoff, 1956, p. 48; Fitch, 1964, pp. 7-8, fig. 1 ), and from Lower Pleistocene deposits at Capistrano Beach Palisades, Orange County (Kanakoff, 1956, p. 48), and at San Pedro, Los Angeles County (Fitch, 1967, p. 3); tooth segments of the bat stingray, from an Upper Pleistocene deposit at Newport Bay Mesa, Orange County (Kanakoff, 1956, p. 48), from a Pleistocene deposit at Playa del Rey (Kanakoff, 1956, p. 48; Fitch, 1964, p. 13, fig. 12, and 1966, pp. 4, 7), from a Lower Pleistocene deposit at San Pedro (Fitch, 1967, p. 8), and from a Pliocene deposit at Long Beach, Los Angeles County (Kanakoff, 1956, p. 48; Fitch and Reimer, 1967, pp. 80-81); otoliths of the Pacific herring, from a Lower Pleistocene deposit at San Pedro (Fitch, 1967, p. 9, fig. 1); and otoliths of the Pacific hake, from a Pleistocene deposit at Playa del Rey (Kanakoff, 1956, p. 48; Fitch, 1964, p. 14, fig. 14, and 1966, pp. 4, 10) and from a Pliocene deposit at Long Beach (Fitch and Reimer, 1967, p. 82, fig. 12). Acknowledgments I wish to express my appreciation to Dr. Carl L. Hubbs of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, for the opjiortunity to report on this collection No. 671 FOLLETT: FISH REM AINS FROM TOM ALES BAY , CALIFORMA 7 and for assistance and advice; to Mrs. Lillian J. Dempster of the California Academy of Sciences, for assistance with the manuscript; and to Mr. Maurice C. Giles of the California Academy of Sciences, for enlargements of the photographs. LITERATURE CITED Baxtkr, John L. 1960. Inshore fishes of California. Sacramento, 80 pp., 43 figs. Best, E. A. 1963. Contribution to the biology of the Pacific hake, Merlucchis prodiidvs (Ayres). California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations Reports, vol. 7, pp. Sl- 56, figs. 1-4. Cannon, Ray 1964. How to fish the Pacific Coast. A manual for salt water fishermen. Second edi- tion. Menlo Park, California, .^37 pp., 203 figs. Chapaiax, Wilbert McLeod 1944. The comparative osteology of the herring-like fishes (Clupeidae) of Cahfornia. California Fish and Game, vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 6-21, figs. 2-19. Daetwyler, Calvin Crowell, Jr. 1965. Marine geology of Tomales Bay, central California. Ph.D. Thesis, University of California. San Diego. (University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan.) De Witt, John \V., Jr. 1952. .An occurrence of the natural destruction of hake in Humboldt County. California Fish and Game, vol. 38, no. 3, p. 438, fig. 1. Fitch, John E. 1964. The fish fauna of the Playa del Rey locality, a southern California marine Pleistocene deposit. Los Angeles County Museum Contributions in Science, no. 82, pp. 1-35, figs. 1-49. 1966. Additional fish remains, mostly otoliths, from a Pleistocene deposit at Playa del Rey, California. Los Angeles County Museum Contributions in Science, no. 119, pp. 1-16, figs. 1-12. 1967. The marine fish fauna, based primarily on otoliths, of a Lower Pleistocene de- posit at San Pedro, California (LACMIP Ml, San Pedro sand). Los Angeles County Museum Contributions in Science, no. 128, pp. 1-23, figs. 1-31. Fitch, John E., and Roger D. RErMER 1967. Otohths and other fish remains from a Long Beach, California, Pliocene deposit. Bulletin of the Southern California .Academy of Sciences, vol. 66, no. 2, pp. 77-91, figs. 1-22. FoLLETT, \V. I. 1957. Fish remains from a shellmound in Marin County, California. American .Antiq- uity, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 68-71, figs. 1-2. 1964. Fish remains from a sixteenth century site on Drakes Bay, Cahfornia. University of Cahfornia .Archaeological Survey Annual Report, 1963-1964, pp. 27-44, pi. 1. Los Angeles. 1966a. Fish remains from the Conejo Rock Shelter Site (Ven-69), Ventura County, Cahfornia. University of California Archaeological Survey Annual Report, 1965, vol. 7, pp. 81-90, pi. 1. Los Angeles. 1966b. Fish remains from archaeological sites at Irvine, Orange County, California. LTniversity of California Archaeological Survey Annual Report, 1966, vol. 8, pp. 185-195, fig. 1. Los .Angeles. 8 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES LOcc. Papers Garrick, J. A. F., AND Leonard P. Schultz 1963. A guide to the kinds of potentially dangerous sharks. Pp. 3-60, figs. 1-33. In Perry W. Gilbert (ed.), Sharks and survival. Boston, xiv -f 578 pp., 160 figs. Girard, Charles 1856. Contributions to the ichthyology of the western coast of the United States, from specimens in the museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, vol. 8, pp. 131-137. 1857. A list of the fishes collected in California, by Mr. E. Samuels, with descriptions of the new species. Boston Journal of Natural History, vol. 6, no. 28, pp. 533- 544, pis. 24-26. Harrington, John P. 1928. Exploration of the Burton Mound at Santa Barbara, California. Forty-fourth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1926-1927. pp. 23-168, pis. 1-27, figs. 1-2. HuBBS, Carl L., and George S. Bien 1967. La Jolla natural radiocarbon measurements V. American Journal of Science, Radiocarbon Supplement, vol. 9, pp. 261-294. Kanakoff, George P. 1956. Fish records from the Pleistocene of southern California in the collections of the Los Angeles County Museum. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences, vol. 55, part 1, pp. 47^9. Marshall, N. B. 1966. The relationships of the anacanthine fishes, Macruronus, Lyconus. and Stein- dachnerja. Copeia, 1966, no. 2, pp. 275-280, figs. 1-3. Phillips, J. B. 1942. Osteology of the sardine (Sardinops caeriilea) . Journal of Morphology, vol. 70, no. 3, pp. 463-500, figs. 1-23. Radcliffe, Lewis 1913. Descriptions of seven new genera and thirty-one new species of fishes of the families Brotulidae and Carapidac from the Philippine Islands and the Dutch East Indies. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, vol. 44, pp. 135-176, pis. 7-17. Roedel, Phil M. 1953. Common ocean fishes of the California coast. State of California Department of Fish and Game, Fish Bulletin 91, 184 pp., 175 figs. Roedel, Phil M., and Wm. Ellis Ripley 1950. California sharks and rays. State of CaHfornia Division of Fish and Game, Fish Bulletin 75, 88 pp., 65 figs. Scofield, W. L. 1952. The Tomales Bay herring fishery. Cahfornia Fish and Game, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 499-504, figs. 1-6. II I ■ . ' '"" ^I'l WH npu ^ i^