Jordan and Evermanii. — Fishes of North America. 877 



Pectoral 2i in head. Corselet small. Steel blue : dark above, paler 

 below ; uo distinct markings, young faintly barred ; lins colored like the 

 body. Tropical seas: not rare about Cuba, whore it spawns; north to 

 southern Florida; not rare about the Florida Keys. It reaches a length 

 of 6 feet or more and a weiglit of over 50 to 100 pounds, and is valued as 

 a food-fish. (Named for its discoverer, Solander, an early explorer.) (Eu.) 



Cijhmm solondri, OuviER & Vai.knoiennks, Hist. Nat. Poiss., viii, 192, 18:)1; after MS. of Solan- 



DEii ; open sea, exact locality unknown. 

 Q/i)/»m sa/((, Bennett, Beechey's Vojajiu, Zoul., 6a, pi. 20, fig. 2, 1S4'J, Loo Choc ; GCntiier. 



Cat., II, 373, 1860. 

 Ciihium pehts, Poey, Memorias, ii, 234, pi. 16, fig. 1, 1860, Havana. 

 Gyhium reranij, Doderlein, Giorn. di Sc. Nat., Ed. Econ., viu, 1872, Palermo. 

 AcanOiociihimn petus, Poey, Synopsis, 363, 1868. 

 Acaiilhoajhiiim solandri, Jordan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1884, 11!). 



Family CXIX. GEMPYLID^. 



(The ESCOLARS.) 



Mackerel-like fishes with the body rather elongate, more or less com- 

 pressed, covered with minute scales. Lateral line various, sometimes 

 obsolete, sometimes with a dorsal branch. Head large, compressed, with 

 very strong teeth, usually compressed, some of the anterior canine-like. 

 Lower jaw projecting. Gill openings wide, the membranes not united, 

 free from isthmus. Gills 4, a slit behind fourtli. Opercles in adult 

 unarmed ; in young the preoperclo with radiating spines as usual in scom- 

 broid fishes. Dorsal fin long, a notch separating the weak spines from 

 the soft part, which always forms a distinct lobe anteriorly, similar in 

 form to the anal fin. Finlets often present. Caudal peduncle slender, 

 usually not keeled, the fin moderate in size, always forked. Ventrals 

 small, often reduced to a single spine. Vertebrse numerous, 32 to 53 in 

 number. Pyloric cceca rather few. Air bladder usually present. Color- 

 ation metallic, usually brilliant. Genera about 6 ; species about 12. 

 Fishes of the high seas, widely distributed and descending to considera- 

 ble depths, usually breeding about rocky islands, most of them used as 

 food. The GempyUdw are closely allied to the ScombrUhv, from which they 

 diverge in the direction of the Lejiklopidw and Trichiiirida: The succes- 

 sive steps are indicated by the progressive elongation of the body, the 

 progressive reduction of the ventrals and the vertical fins, and on the 

 other hand by the progressive elongation of the lower jaw and the spe- 

 cialization of the dentition. Dr. Liitken calls attention to the fact that 

 the GempyUda' possess a system of dermal ribs or subcutaneous ribs, com- 

 posed of slender bony filaments clo^se-set, directed backward and upward, 

 and backward and downward from the median line. This character has 

 been verified in Thyrsitcii, Xcalotus, and Gempylus. (Trichlurida-, part, Giln- 

 ther. Cat., ii, 349-353, 1860.) 

 Thyksitin.*: 

 a. Body moderately elongate, the dorsal spines loss than .'!o, tlie thilcts nsuallv few. 

 6. Ventrals well developed, their rays 1, 5. 



c. Dorsal and anal each with detached finlets. 



d. Lateral line well developed, moderately curved; tiulet.s 2; skin with small thin 

 scales. BiPixxuLA, 3'J6. 



