14 DIVISION OF FISH AND GAME 



There are several other kinds of gear which do not fall in these main 

 categories. Harpoons, for example, are used to take broadbill swordfish. 

 Pacific mackerel are sought by many small-boat fishermen who catch them 

 in scoops. The scoop is a long-handled dip net or brail with a deep, mesh 

 bag. The mackerel are attracted with ground bait and caught in the 

 scoop as they rush for this chum. Two kinds of entangling nets are used 

 in several market fisheries. These are the gill net and the trammel net. 

 1'lie gill net consists of a single curtain of webbing hung vertically in 

 • e water. Its meshes are large enough to permit only the head of a fish 

 of the desired size to pass through, catching it by the gill covers. The 

 trammel net consists of two or three curtains, one of fine mesh hanging 

 slack and one or two of coarse mesh hanging taut on one or both side.< 

 of the fine mesh. A fish striking the fine mesh pushes on through the large 

 mesh on the far side and becomes entrapped in a pocket. These are the 

 more important fishing techniques now employed in California. Neither 

 gear nor methods are unchano-mfir, and we can expect as much variation 

 in the future as we have experienced in the past. 



A GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL TERMS IN FREQUENT USE 



ABDOMINAL : With reference to the belly. 



ADIPOSE FIN : A fleshy fin-like structure without rays or spines on the back of 



some fishes behind the dorsal fin. 

 ANAL FIN : The unpaired fin on the midline of the under surface of the body back 



of the vent. 

 ANTERIOR : To the front. Opposite of posterior. 

 RARBEL : A fleshy projection usually about the mouth. Found on the lower jaw of 



some of our fishes. 

 CANINE TEETH : Large, conical teeth. 



CAUDAL FIN : The tail fin. Often referred to as "the caudal". 

 CAUDAL PEDUNCLE : That portion of the body behind the base of the last anal 



ray and to which is attached the caudal fin. 

 COMPRESSED : Flattened from side to side. 



CORSELET : A patch of scales just behind the base of tl'e pectoral fin in some fishes. 

 DEPTH : The greatest vertical distance through the body exclusive of the fins. 

 DORSAL : (1) The upper part of the body, the back. (2) The dorsal fin. 

 DORSAL FIN: The unpaired fin(s) on the midline of the back (except the adipo.se 



fin, if present). 

 FINLETS : Small unconnected fins following the dorsal and anal fins in some fislies. 



Unlike the adipose fin in having rays and not being fleshy. 

 GILL : The breathing apparatus of fishes. 

 GILL ARCH : The bony structure to which the gill rakers and filaments are 



attached. 

 GILL COVER : The bony cover protecting the gills. 



GILL FILAMENT: The slender, soft, red structures on the outer side of each gill 



arch. 

 GILL OPENING : The external opening leading to the gills. 

 GILL RAKERS : The bony, tooth- or comb-like protuberances on the opposite 



side of the gill arch from the gill filaments. 

 GILL SLITS : The openings between gill arches. There may or may not be a small 



slit or pore behind the fourth gill arch. 



HEAD LENGTH : The distance from the tip of the snout to the hind edge of the gill 

 cover. 



