FISHES OF NEW YORK o79 



Three individuals of M u. 1 1 u s were captured in a seine at 

 Sandy Hook N. J. Oct. 8, 1897, and brought alive to the New 

 York aquarium, where they are now (Nov. 30, 1897) in good con- 

 dition and feed freely on shrimp. As the fish are living, it is 

 uncertain whether or not they are M. a u r a t u s ; but they 

 agree in the main wilh the description of that species. Their 

 endurance of water at a temperature of 50 F. is unexpected. 

 Fishermen at Sandy Hook reported that large numbers were 

 seen there in September and October 1897. 



Recent examination of one of the specimens above referred to 

 (No. 48796, U. S. National Museum) shows its entire agreement 

 with the type of M u 1 1 u s a u r a t u s . 



Group KCOMBROIDEI 

 Family SCOMBRIDAE 



Mackerels 



Genus SCOMBER (Artedi) Linnaeus 



Body fusiform, rather elongate, somewhat compressed; caudal 

 peduncle slender, without median keel, but with two small keels 

 on each side; mouth wide, with a single row of rather small, 

 slender teeth in each jaw and on the vomer and palatines; 

 maxillary slipping under the broad preorbital, a fleshy lobe on 

 each side of lower jaw near its junction with maxillary; scales 

 very small, not forming a corselet; first dorsal of nine to 12 

 feeble spines, separated from the second by an interspace 

 greater than the base of the fin, second dorsal small, followed 

 by five to nine detached finlets; anal similar to second dorsal, 

 with similar finlets; pectorals and ventrals small, the former 

 placed high, on the level of the eyes; caudal fin small, widely 

 forked; pyloric appendages exceedingly numerous; air bladder 

 small or wanting; vertebrae normally formed, 14+17 =31; gill 

 rakers long and slender. 



Subgenus SCOMBER 

 191 Scomber scombrus Linnaeus 



Common Mackerel 



Scomber scombrus LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat. ed. X, 297, 1758, Atlantic; GOODE & 

 BEAN, Bull. Essex Inst. XI, 14,1879; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. 

 Nat. Mus. 424, 1883; JORDAN & EVERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 

 865, 1896, pi. CXXXIII, fig. 363, 1900. 



