154 GIANT FISHES 



and fighting powers. In Florida, the Cavalla is caught by 

 trolling, the favourite bait being a strip of white bacon rind 

 cut to resemble a fish. A specimen weighing 73 £ lb. was taken 

 in the Bahamas in 1935. When hooked this fish is said 

 frequently to leap clear of the water, sometimes to a height 

 of 10 feet above the surface. Commerson's King-fish is 

 popular with the rod fishermen of New South Wales, large 

 numbers being captured in a successful season. 



The scientific name, Scomber omorus, means "near Scomber", 

 the term Scomber being the ancient name for the Common 

 Mackerel. 



PETO. 



(Genus Acanthocybinm.) Fig. 51. 



In general appearance not unlike the Spanish Mackerels, 

 but the jaws form a sort of pointed " beak ", and the maxillary 

 bone of the upper jaw is completely hidden when the mouth 

 is closed ; the teeth in the jaws are set close together, each 

 being strong and knife-like, with fine saw-edges. The gills 

 have a peculiar structure, the plates being connected to form 

 a network. The spinous dorsal fin is long, and has about 

 25 spines. The scales are small and long. The coloration of 

 the back is dark steel-blue, and is sharply differentiated from 

 the pale bluish-grey of the sides and belly. Sometimes the 

 whole fish is nearly black. There are several narrow cross- 

 bands on the upper parts of the sides, which are most distinct 

 in young individuals and tend to fade away in big specimens. 

 The dorsal, pectoral and caudal fins are blackish, and the pelvic 

 fins somewhat paler. 



Grows to a length of 6 feet or more and a weight of at least 

 100 lb. 



There is probably only a single species, the Peto, Wahoo, 

 Guaha or Guarapucu {A. solandri), found in all tropical seas. 



This is a large, fast-swimming, predaceous fish, found in 

 the open sea, but rarely encountered in numbers. Little is 

 known of its habits, but its food includes squids, cuttlefishes 

 and other fishes. Like many other members of the family, 

 its leaping powers are marked, and it has been seen to jump 

 10 or 12 feet above the surface on calm days. 



