136 GIANT FISHES 



the curious barb catches the fish either in the corner of the 

 jaw or along the gill-arches and holds it securely. 



The flesh is white and flaky, and is said to be palatable 

 at times, although at other times it is so rank as to be uneatable. 

 The fish is heavily charged with oil, which has a strongly 

 purgative action — a circumstance that has given it the name 

 of " Castor-oil Fish ". Being aware of this fact, the natives 

 of some parts of the world boil the flesh and decant the oil, 

 after which it can be eaten with impunity. 



The name " Escolar " does not mean " scholar ", as was 

 at one time supposed, but, according to Mr. Lowe, is derived 

 from the Spanish " assacolar ", " acacolar " or " acicolar ", 

 meaning to scour or burnish. " Scour-fish " may, of course, 

 refer to the prickles covering its body, but, in view of the 

 purgative qualities of the oil, this popular name may have 

 quite another significance. The scientific name, Ruvettus, is 

 from " Roveto " or " Ruvetto ", the Italian name for the 

 Escolar. 



SNOEK. 



(Genus Thyr sites.) Fig. 45. 



Closely related to the Escolar, but there are no prickles 

 on the head or body and the belly is not keeled. The spinous 

 dorsal fin is set in a groove in the back, and is close to the soft 

 dorsal ; it is supported by 20 spines. There are 6 detached 

 finlets behind both the dorsal and anal fins. The genera! 

 coloration is silvery, with the upper parts steely or bluish-black. 

 The eye is pale golden. 



Grows to a length of 3 or 4 feet and a weight of 20 lb. or 

 more. 



There is only one species (T. atun), which is widely 

 distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. It occurs in the 

 seas of South Africa, Tristan d'Acunha, Argentina, Patagonia, 

 Chile, Australia and New Zealand. 



The Snoek is found in large shoals at all depths, from the 

 surface down to about 40 fathoms. Although not of great 

 size, it is an active, predaceous fish, with a voracious appetite. 

 It feeds almost entirely upon small surface fishes, and is not 

 averse to making a meal of the young of its own kind. Mr. 



