FISHES OF NEW YORK 397 



the second to the last spine. The interspace between the dor- 

 sals is about one half the length of the eye. The second dorsal 

 base is three fourths as long as the head; the longest ray nearly 

 four times as long as the last ray, and one half as long as the 

 head; the fin is followed by eight finlets, none of which are 

 longer than the eye. The anal originates under the middle of 

 the soft dorsal; its base is two thirds as long as the head, its- 

 longest ray three and one half times as long as its last ray, and 

 one half as long as the head; the fin, like the second dorsal, is 

 deeply concave; it is followed by eight finlets equal in size to the 

 dorsal finlets. The caudal is very deeply forked, its outer rays 

 as long as the head. The ventral originates under the fourth 

 spine of the dorsal, its length three elevenths of length of head, 

 the fin reaching to below the ninth spine of dorsal; there is no 

 ventral covering, the inner rays of the two sides being slightly 

 united at the base. The pectoral is broad, falcate, extending to 

 below the 10th dorsal spine, its length equal to head without 

 snout. D. XVII to XVIII-16 to 1S-VIII to IX; A. ii, 16 to 17; 

 V. I, 5; P. i, 21. Lateral line strongly developed, with a moder- 

 ate curve under the second dorsal, its course from there to 

 caudal somewhat wavy. 



Color silvery; upper parts bluish; sides with numerous oblong 

 spots of a dull orange, none of them more than one third as long 

 as the snout, these spots fully as numerous above the lateral 

 line as below it; the membrane connecting the first eight spines 

 of the dorsal black, the rest of the fin white; soft dorsal with a 

 yellowish tinge, its margin dark; anal and ventral white; pec- 

 toral black inside, yellowish with dark borders outside and 

 covered with dusky points; caudal dusky except at base. 



The Spanish mackerel inhabits the Atlantic and Pacific coasts 

 of North America, on our coast ranging north to Maine and 

 south to Brazil. It is one of the choicest of our food fishes and 

 grows to the length of 3 feet and the weight of 10 pounds. The 

 species spawns on the Long Island coast in August or earlier. 

 The eggs are very small, about --rs inch in diameter, and they 

 float in salt water. The rate of growth is unknown, as the 



