372 NEW YORK STATE MUSEIUM 



and one seventh of length of head; ventral under the second spine 

 of the dorsal, its distance from the head one half of length 

 of head, and much greater than length of pectoral; anal origin 

 under fourth ray of second dorsal; the anal base two sevenths 

 of length of head, longest anal ray equal to base of anal fin, last 

 ray three fourths of diameter of eye, one third of postorbital part 

 of head; middle caudal rays very short, external rays one half 

 as long as the head; pectoral equal to postorbital part of head; 

 top of head with numerous minute, embedded scales and with 

 many series of mucous pores ; cheeks and opercles scaly and with- 

 out naked spaces. B. VII; D. V-II, 9; A. Ill, 8; V. I, 5; P. I, 

 12. Scales 13-126-13. 



Color greenish above; lateral line yellow; lower parts silvery; 

 iris golden; young with dusky blotches on the back and along the 

 lateral line. 



This fish seems to have been unknown to the early writers on 

 New York fishes, the species not appearing in any publication 

 earlier than De Kay's New York Fauna, in 1842. Dr De Kay calls 

 it the northern barracuda, to distinguish it from the southern 

 species. 



The young barracuda have been taken from Cape Cod to New 

 Jersey, the southern limit being indefinite. Individuals of 1 

 foot in length have been rarely seen, but examples measuring 

 from 2 to 6 inches are extremely common as far north as Cape 

 Cod annually, in the summer. De Kay makes the following state- 

 ment about the barracuda : " This is a very active and voracious 

 little fish. A number of them were caught in the harbor of New 

 York and placed in a vessel with several other species. In a few 

 hours they had devoured them all, and then commenced devour- 

 ing each other. It has not been very commonly observed, owing 

 to the difficulty of capturing them; but I have reason to believe 

 that they are not very rare." In Great Egg Harbor bay the 

 young were found in abundance. The smallest example seen 

 there by myself was 2f inches long. The species was unknown 

 to the fishermen. In Great South bay a single example was 

 captured at Oak island September 30. 



