284 



Cavallas and Pampanos 



better flavor. The harvest-fish, Peprilus paru, frequently 

 taken on our Atlantic coast, is known by its very high fins. 



FIG. 220. Harvest-fish, Peprilus paru (Linnaeus). Virginia. 



Stromateoides argenteus, a much larger fish than any of these, 

 is a very important species on the coasts of China. 



Psenopsis anomala takes the place of our butter-fishes in 

 Japan, and much resembles them in appearance as in flavor. 



To the Stromateida we also refer the black ruff of Europe, 

 Centrolophus niger, an interesting deep-sea fish rarely straying 

 to our coast. Allied to it is the black rudder-fish, Palinurich- 

 thys perciformis, common on the Massachusetts coast, where 

 it is of some value as a food-fish. A specimen in a live-box 

 once drifted to the coast of Cornwall, where it was taken unin- 

 jured, though doubtless hungry. Other species of ruff- and 

 rudder-fish are recorded from various coasts. 



Allied to the Stromateidce are numerous fossil forms. Omo- 

 soma sachelalmce and other species . occur in the Cretaceous at 

 Mount Lebanon. Platycormus germanus, with ctenoid scales 



