74. SCOMBRID.E - SCOMBEKOMOEUS. 425 



the jaws equal. Teeth very small, mostly in a single series, on the jaws 

 only. Tail very slender, depressed, with a rather large keel on each 

 side. First dorsal short, separated from the second by a considerable 

 interspace. Second dorsal and anal small, each with 7 or 8 finlets. 

 Pectorals and ventrals small. No air-bladder. Branchiostegals 7. 

 Pyloric cosca dendritical. Gill-rakers very long and slender, numerous. 

 Vertebrae peculiarly modified, essentially as in JEuthynnus. (at>;i~, an 

 ancient name of a young tunny, from au|w, to grow.) 



669. A. roclici (Risso) Giiiither. Frigate Mackerel. 



Blue, variegated with darker above, becoming plain with age ; belly 

 silvery. Body robust, scarcely compressed, abruptly contracted at cau- 

 dal peduncle. Eye as long as snout, 5 in head. Opercle very broad. 

 Scales of corselet and along anterior dorsal region comparatively large. 

 Maxillary almost entirely concealed by preorbital. Dorsal spines rather 

 stiff; space between dorsals four-fifths length of head. About 33 gill- 

 rakers below angle. Pectoral reaching past middle of first dorsal. Head 

 4; depth 4|. D. X-12-VIII ; A. 13-VII. Vert. 39. Mediterranean to 

 the East Indies ; lately appearing in great numbers on our Atlantic 

 coast. A food-fish of little value. 



(Scomber rochcl Risso, Icktli. Nice, 1810, 165; GiintTier, ii, 369: Scomber bisus Rafin- 

 esque, Caratteri, etc. IslO, 45: Auxis vulgaris Guv. & Val. viii, 139.) 



215. SCOMBEKOUIORUS Lac6pede. 

 (Cybium Cuvier.) 



(Lace"pede, Hist. Nat. Poiss. iii, 292, 1802: type Scomberomorus plumierii Lac. =$c0m- 

 ber regalis Bloch. ) 



Body elongate, naked or with rudimentary scales, which do not form 

 a distinct corselet. Head pointed, comparatively short and small. 

 Mouth wide, the strong teeth in the jaws often compressed or knife- 

 shaped; villiform or sand-like teeth on the voiner and palatines; max- 

 illary not concealed by preorbital. Spinous dorsal low, of 14-18 feeble 

 spines. Soft dorsal and anal short, similar, somewhat elevated and 

 falcate, each followed by 7 to 10 fiulets ; ventrals small ; pectorals moder- 

 ate, near the level of the eye. Air-bladder present. Vertebrae normal. 

 Fishes of the high seas; graceful in form and beautiful in color; among 

 the best of food-fishes, (trxo/j/fyo?, Scomber; J/JW/HJ?, near.) 



67O. S. coaicolor (Lockingtou) J. & G. 



Male dark steel-blue, the sides silvery, without streaks or spots; 

 female with two alternate series of brown spots, the silvery on sides 



