MASTERS OF THE WATER-BONY FISHES 213 



exceedingly swift and powerful. It has a huge, flat sword that is over one third 

 of its total length. The coloration is grayish to brown, and the shape of the body 

 is reminiscent of a mackerel shark, especially because of the high dorsal fin 

 placed just behind the head. The swordfish is by no means to be trusted. It has 

 been known to drive its sword through the bottoms of boats, though talcs of its 

 ferocity are usually exaggerated. 



JACKS: Family Carangidae 



This is primarily a tropical family. It is composed of a large assemblage of 

 predacious species most of which are deep-bodied, compressed silvery fishes, 

 more typical of inshore waters than are the true mackerels. There are a great 

 number of very similar species. Most school when young but are found in small 

 pods or even singly as adults. These swift fishes often have the posterior part 

 of the lateral line reinforced by hard, bony scutes. The scales are small. On 

 the whole, one is strongly reminded of the true mackerels, but some of the 

 adaptions for speed, such as the bullet-shaped, fusiform body have been lost. 

 Almost all jacks have two short spines preceding the anal fin. Their distribution 

 is world-wide in warm seas, and most are excellent food fishes. They are liable 

 to be stand-offish with the swimmer. It is unfortunate that in this prominent 

 group the common names are extremely confused. On top of that, manv common 

 species are difficult to identify, even for the ichthyologist. The group is arranged 

 below starting with the species that are most like the mackerels and progressing 

 outward from these toward the deeper-bodied, more compressed species. 



LEATHER-JACKET (ZAPATERO) : OUgapJjtes SOmS 



Size: Up to 1 foot. 



Distribution: Both coasts of tropical America. North to San Diego and New 

 York. 



Identification: Compressed body. There are five dorsal and two anal spines 

 before the soft dorsal and anal fins. These fins reflect each other in size and 

 shape and are broken up into finlets posteriorly. The color is bluish to whitish 

 on the sides and bluish to bright green above. 



Habits: This is an inshore predator on small fishes. Its sharp dorsal and anal 

 spines are capable of inflicting injury, but thev are not poisonous. It flops about 

 "vigorously when caught and should not be handled with bare hands. 



YELLOWTAiL JACK (amberjack, coronado) : Seriolu dorsalis— Color Plate 2 



Size: Averages TVi feet. Up to 5 feet. 



Weight: Averages 10 pounds. Up to 60 pounds. 



Distribution: Monterey Bay to the Gulf of California and south to Chile. 



Fig. 109. Leath 



