134 GIANT FISHES 



and other ornamental articles, which are sold as " fish-scale 

 jewelry ". The scales are large and silvery, and are said to 

 be so hard that they have to be removed with an axe. 



Many of the Croakers are highly esteemed for their sporting 

 qualities, and such forms as the Kabeljau, Geelbek, Weak-fish 

 and California White Sea-Bass are prime favourites with sea 

 anglers. Among records for rod and line may be mentioned 

 a White Sea-Bass of 60 lb., a Channel Bass of 74 lb., a 

 Black Drum of 90 lb., a Weak-fish of 17 lb. 3 oz., and a 

 Kabeljau which turned the scale at something between 130 

 and 140 lb. 



The scientific name, Scicena, is the ancient name for a species 

 (S. umbra) common in the Mediterranean, and is derived from 

 a Greek word meaning " shade ". 



ESCOLARS. 

 (Family GempyliDvE.) 



With the Escolars we pass on to another suborder of Perch- 

 like fishes, the Trichiuroids, a group which includes certain 

 fishes that can fairly be described as giants. The Trichiuroids 

 all agree in having the upper jaw formed by fixed, beak-like 

 praemaxillary bones, which are firmly attached to the maxil- 

 laries, and in having both jaws armed with sharp teeth, of 

 which those in front are large and canine-like. The pectoral 

 fins are always placed low down on the sides of the body. 



The Escolars are Trichiuroids with a moderately long and 

 more or less compressed body, covered with minute scales. 

 The lower jaw projects a little beyond the upper, and there 

 are some strong canine teeth at the front of both jaws. There 

 are no spines on the gill-covers in the adult fish. The dorsal 

 fin is long, with a notch or narrow space separating the front 

 part, which is supported by weak spines, from the soft part, 

 which has a distinct lobe in front. The anal fin is similar to 

 the soft dorsal. The caudal fin is always present, and is forked. 

 The pelvic fins are small and are placed below the pectorals ; 

 each fin is supported by a spine and 5 soft-rays or is reduced 

 to a spine only. An air-bladder is usually present. 



These fishes are widely distributed in the open ocean, and 



