Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of North America. 889 



close to the Lepidopidce and Gempylidce, differing from the former chiefly 

 in the absence of the caudal fin, the last stage in the progressive reduc- 

 tion of parts seen in these groups. (Trichiuridw, part, Giinther, Cat. 

 Fishes, 346.) 



a. Ventral fins wanting. TRiciufRfS, 406. 



406. TRICHIURUS, Linnaeus. 

 (Hairtails.) 



Trichiurtis, LlNNa:us, Syst. Nat., Ed. x, 246, 1758, {lepUmis). 



Gymnogastet; Gronow, Mus. Ichth., r, 17, No. 47, 1754, and Zoopli., i, 130, 170,3, (leptunts). 



Enchelyo2m.i (Klein) Bleeker, Mem Poiss. Guin., 9, 73, 1802, {leptunis). 



Leplitnts (Artedi) Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1862, 126, {argenteiis). 



Body extremely elongate, band-like, the tail very slender, tapering to 

 a fine point, without caudal fin. Head long, with a very wide mouth, 

 tlie jaws armed with unequal and very strong teeth ; upper jaw with 

 about 4 long, strongly compressed barbed teeth ; teeth on the palatines, 

 none on the vomer. Lower jaw longest, preorbital covering cleft of 

 mouth posteriorly. Dorsal fin single, low, occupying the whole of the 

 back, the splines not distinguishable from the soft rays ; anal very long, 

 its base more than half the length of the body ; composed of detached 

 spines, whicli are very short, nearly hidden in the skin, the anterior 

 directed backward, the posterior forward; ventral fins wanting; pec- 

 torals small. No scales. Lateral line decurved, concurrent with the 

 belly. Vertebra' 39 -f 120, ribs excessively frail. Color silvery. Voraci- 

 ous fishes of the high seas ; reaching a considerable size, {rpixiov, a little 

 hair; o'vpa, tail.) 



1278. TRICHIURUS LEPTURUS, Linnaus. 



(Cutlass Fish ; Scadbakd Fish ; Silverfish ; Sable ; Savola.) 



Head about 7^ ; depth about 16; eye 2 in snout. D. 135 ; A. about 100; 

 snout long and pointed, about as long as pectoral ; maxillary reaching 

 nearly to pupil, concealed by preorbital. Uniform bright silvery ; dorsal 

 dark-edged. Warm seas, chiefly of the western Atlantic, north to Vir- 

 ginia; occasionally in Lower California (Streets); common in the West 

 Indies, swimming near the surface, where it becomes benumbed with the 

 slightest cold.* (AcTrror, slender ; orpa, tail.) 



Tricliiurus lephinis, Linn;f.us, Syst. Nat., Ed. x, 246, 1758, America; after Leplnnts of Artf.x>i; 



CuviER & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., viii, 237, 1831; Gunther, Cat., 11, 340, 1860; 



Streets, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., vii, 46, 1877; Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 422, 1883. 

 Trichiitnis argenteits, Shaw, Gen. Zoiil., IV, 90, pi. 12, 1803, after Linna;us. 

 Lepturus lepiurus, PoEy, Enumeratio, 94, 1860. 



* "A commercial fishery of considerable importance exists at .T.imaica. This spi'cies enters 

 the estuary of St. John's River, in Florida, and lias been known to le;ii. into lowlioats. Lin- 

 DEeus wrote of it in 1758: 'Totus argeutuus exilieus ex aqua sa'po in cymbam.' " (Syst. Nat., 

 Ed. X, I, 210.) (Goode.) 



