The Spanish Mackerels 



This genus contains 2 species, 5. sarda and S. chilensis. The 

 first of these is the bonito, a species which lives for the most part 

 in the open sea, wandering hither and thither in large schools, 

 preying upon other pelagic fishes and approaching land only when 

 attracted by abundance of suitable food or for spawning purposes. 

 On our coast it occurs in summer from Cape Cod to Cape Sable, 

 and occasionally off Chesapeake Bay, Cape Hatteras, and in the 

 Gulf of Mexico. It reaches a length of 2 or 3 feet and a weight 

 of 10 to 12 pounds. It is a poor food-fish. 



It is distinguished from S. chilensis by having 21 spines in 

 the dorsal and the maxillary reaching beyond the orbit. 



Colour, dark steel-blue above, with numerous dark narrow 

 stripes obliquely downward and forward from back; under parts 

 silvery. 



The California bonito (S. chilensis) is found from San Fran- 

 cisco to Patagonia and Japan. It is abundant northward in sum- 

 mer and, as a food-fish ranks with its Atlantic congener, though 

 large numbers are salted and dried. It reaches a length of 2 or 

 3 feet and a weight of 12 to 16 pounds. During summer and fall it 

 is abundant among the Santa Barbara Islands where, in company 

 with the barracuda, it is taken in large numbers by trolling. It feeds 

 chiefly upon anchovies and squids. 



Colour, dark metallic-blue; sides dusky; several blackish stripes 

 running obliquely upward and backward from pectoral region to 

 upper edge of tail, variable in number and direction. 



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GENUS SCOMBEROMORUS LACEPEDE 

 The Spanish Mackerels 



* 



Body elongate, wholly covered with rudimentary scales, which 

 do .not form a distinct corselet; head pointed, comparatively short 

 and small; mouth wide, the strong teeth in the jaws more or 

 less compressed or knife-shaped; villiform or sand-like teeth on 

 vomer and palatines; maxillary not concealed by preorbital; caudal 

 peduncle with a single keel; spinous dorsal low, of 14 to 18 

 feeble spines; soft dorsal and anal short, similar, somewhat ele- 

 vated and falcate, each followed by 7 to 10 finlets; ventrals 



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