May, 1902. 105 



THE LONG-FINNED TUNNY, 



THYNNUS GKRMO (EACKP.) 



AN ADDITION TO THE IRISH FAUNA, 

 BY R. F. SCHARFF, PH.D. 



East autumn Mr. Otway noticed a large fish struggling in 

 shallow water on the coast of Wexford. He secured it and 

 sent it to Dublin to be stuffed. When I mentioned to him 

 that it was Thynrms gemio, a species not hitherto represented 

 in the Dublin Museum, he at once presented it to our 

 National Collection. It is, however, not only new to the 

 Museum, but also an addition to the Irish Fauna, since it has 

 not b.een noticed before in Irish waters. It measured 2 feet 

 7 inches from the tip of the snout to the fork of the tail 

 fin, while the pectoral or breast fins were 11 inches long. It 

 is dark blue above, and silvery white below. In order to give 

 a better idea of the species, I herewith give an outline figure 

 taken from a sketch of the fish. 



It is at once recognised as distinct from the Common Tunny 

 by the long pectoral fins, which are quite short in comparison 

 in the latter species. 



The Eong-finned Tunny, like the other, is a Mediterranean 

 fish, whose range extends to the Atlantic coasts, but it is 

 much the rarer of the two. It has only been taken two or three 

 times on the south-west coast of England. Its flesh resembles 

 that of the Common Tunny, but it is not considered such a 

 delicacy in the countries where it is much eaten, as in France 

 and Italy. 



Science and Art Museum, Dublin. 



