276 Cavallas and Pampanos 



Cod southward. This is an elongate species of moderate size. 

 The cavalla, or jiguagua, Carangus hippos, known by the black 

 spot on the opercle, with another on the pectoral fin, is a widely 

 distributed species and one of the largest of the tribe. Another 

 important food-fish is the horse-eye-jack, or jurel, Carangus 

 latus, which is very similar to the species called ulua in the Pacific. 

 The black jack, ortifiosa, of Cuba, Carangus fitnebris, is said to be 

 often poisonous. This is a very large species, black in color, 

 the sale of which has been long forbidden in the markets of 

 Havana. The young of different species of Carangus are often 

 found taking refuge under the disk of jelly-fishes protected by the 

 stinging feelers. The species of the genus Carangus have well- 

 developed teeth. In the restricted genus of Caranx proper, the 

 jaws are toothless. Caranx speciosus, golden with dark cross- 

 bands, is a large food-fish of the Pacific. Citula armata is another 

 widely distributed species, with some of the dorsal rays produced 

 in long filaments. 



In Alectis ciliaris, the cobbler-fish, or threadfish, the arma- 

 ture of the tail is very slight and each fin has some of its rays 

 drawn out into long threads. In the young these are very 

 much longer than the body, but with age they wear off and 

 grow shorter, while the body becomes more elongate. In 

 Vomer, Selene, and Chloroscombrus the bony armature of the 

 tail, feeble in Alectis, by degrees entirely disappears. 



Vomer setipinnis, the so-called moonfish, or jorobado, has 

 the body greatly elevated, compressed, and distorted, while the 

 fins, growing shorter with age, become finally very low. Selene 

 vomer, the horse-head-fish, or look-down (see Fig. 113, Vol. I), 

 is similarly but even more distorted. The fins, filamentous in 

 the young, grow shorter with age, as in Vomer and Alectis. 

 The skeleton in these fishes is essentially like that of Carangus, 

 the only difference lying in the compression and distortion of 

 the bones. Chloroscombrus contains the casabes, or bumpers, 

 thin, dry, compressed fish, of little value as food, the bony 

 armature of the tail being wholly lost. 



To the genus Trachinotus belong the pampanos, broad- 

 bodied, silvery fishes, toothless when adult, the bodies covered 

 with small scales and with no bony plates. 



The true pampano, Trachinotus carolinus, is one of the 



