124 GIANT FISHES 



autumn. Almost nothing is known of the very young fish, 

 and it is believed that spawning takes place in the open sea. 



As food the larger Yellow-tails are of poor or moderate 

 quality, but they are of some considerable commercial impor- 

 tance, and the Californian species is extensively canned. The 

 fish are caught with hook and line, with live bait, as well as 

 with nets. 



The Yellow-tails are among the gamest of fighters and 

 are much sought after by anglers. Dr. Regan relates an 

 account given by the late Professor Holder of the hooking of a 

 large fish at Avalon. The fish dashed out to sea for about 

 200 feet, then turned and came straight in to the pier on which 

 he was standing, ran beneath it, and broke the line. Professor 

 Holder argued that this showed some intelligence, and that 

 if the fish had had any delicacy of feeling he would have 

 retired for the day ; instead he paraded up and down, towing 

 about 6 feet of line, and in about 20 minutes took another hook. 

 This time he did not bother to run out to sea, but took a turn 

 round a pile of the pier, broke the line at once, and appeared 

 soon after trailing two lines. The record Yellow-tail taken by 

 fair angling methods seems to have been one caught in New 

 Zealand by Mr. Zane Grey, a fish weighing in lb. 



The name " Coronado is a Spanish word, and refers to 

 the yellow streak running obliquely across the head. The 

 scientific name, Seriola, is the Italian name for a* species of 

 Amber-fish found in the Mediterranean ; lalandi was given in 

 honour of Mr. Delalande, a well-known naturalist who collected 

 fishes in Brazil for Baron Cuvier. 



PILOT-FISHES. 



(Genus Naucrates.) PI. Ill b. 



Closely related to the Amber-fishes or Yellow-tails, but 

 the spinous dorsal fin has only 4 or 5 weak spines, which are 

 not connected by membrane. The coloration is bluish or 

 greyish above, becoming paler beneath, with 6 or 7 dark 

 cross-bands, which extend on to the fins' and tend to become 

 less conspicuous with advancing age. The caudal fin is 

 blackish, with white tips to the lobes. 



