34 H aw aiian F is h e s 



These fishes have a curious habit of jumping into the air; as they 

 return they strike the water with a terrific noise which may be heard for 

 several miles. This jumping may be associated with the birth of the young. 



Although the devil fish eats only small fishes and crustaceans, many 

 fisherman fear the creatures, believing that the devil fish will wrap its 

 wings about them, cuddle them, and finally devour them. 



The flesh of this fish is reported to be wholesome and to be eaten 

 wherever the fish is caught. 



The giant devil fish is found in all of the tropical seas of the world. 

 They have been taken on the coast of California and in the Hawaiian 

 Islands. 



The Japanese Devil Fish 



11-2 Mobula japonica (Muller & Henle) 



The Japanese devil fish is dark 

 brown in color and is reported to 

 grow to a weight of 2,000 or 3,000 

 pounds. Very little is known of the 

 habits of this fish. It is reported to 

 feed in groups of from three to five 

 individuals and to grunt or to bark 

 when it is out of the water. 



It has been recorded from Japan 

 and the Hawaiian Islands. 



Drawn from Fowler 



THE CHIMAERA FAMILY 



Also known as the Elephant Fish, Rat Fish, or Spookfish Family 

 12 Family Chimaeridae 



The chimaeras are one of the most interesting families of fishes known 

 because they represent a very ancient and primitive group of fishes. They 

 were apparently a much larger group and much more common in pre- 

 historic times than today for many extinct forms lie buried in the rocks. 



The chimaeras live chiefly in the colder waters of the globe and usually 

 at considerable depths, although one species in California is reported to 

 live in the warm surface waters. 



The members of this family are oviparous and lay a long, large, ellip- 



