2 7 2 AMERICAN FISHES. 



In Alaska, according to Dr. Bean, the most important chiroid fishes 

 are Ophiodon elongatus, Anoplopoma fimbria, Hexagrammus decagrammus, 

 H. lagocephalus, If. ordinatus, II. asper, and the "Yellow-fish," "Striped 

 Fish," or " Atka Mackerel," Pleurogrammus moncpterygius (Pallas) Gill, 

 which is the chief of them all. This fish is most abundant about the 

 Aleutian chain and the Shumagins, its northern limit as now understood 

 being about Kodiak, and its western limit at Atka. It congregates in 

 immense schools, and can be taken in purse-seines like the mackerel, 

 which it strongly resembles in taste after being salted in the same manner. 



In this connection, not because of zoological affinities, but in order 

 that a majority of the principal food-fishes of the Pacific slope may be dis- 

 cussed in one chapter, it seems appropriate to refer to the Embiotocoids 

 or Surf-fishes. Full descriptions of the various members of this multiform 

 genus are given by President Jordan in his " Synopsis" and in the great 

 Fisheries quarto. Here I can only quote what the same authority has to 

 say of the group as a whole : 



" This remarkable group of fishes forms the most characteristic feature 

 of the fauna of our Pacific coast. Of the nineteen species now known, all 

 but one {Ditrema Temmincki of Japan) occur on the coast of California, 

 and most of them in very great abundance. The species are most of them 

 very similar in habits and economic value, and the following general 

 remarks are proffered before proceeding to the discussion of the different 

 species. 



" The general name "Perch' is applied to these fishes everywhere 

 along the. coast. This unfortunate misnomer came about from their re- 

 semblance to the sun-fishes or " perch " of the Southern States, and to the 

 "white perch," Roccus americanus, of the East. On the coast of Oregon 

 the larger species (especially Damalichthys argyroso?nus) are called 

 •• Porgy " or " Porgee," in allusion to their undoubted resemblance to 

 the scup or porgee of the East. The names " Minny," " Sparada " and 

 " Moharra." are also applied to the smaller species northward. About 

 San Francisco, the name " Perch " is given to them all, as well as to Archo- 

 pliies interrupts, and separate names for the different species are seldom 

 heard. From Monterey southward, the name "Surf-fish" is in common 

 use, although the name " Perch" is still more common. 



■• The largest, Rhacochilus toxotes, reaches a weight of four pounds ; the 

 smallest, Abeona minima, a length of four or five inches. So far as we are 

 able to judge, the growth of the young are quite rapid, as the specimens 

 are about half grown the first winter, and probably reach full size in two 

 and a half to three winters — perhaps, in some cases, in the second year. 



" The center of distribution of this group is from Santa Barbara to 



