74. SCOMBEIDJi: SCOMBEROMORUS. 425 



the jaws equal. Teeth very small, mostly in a single series, on the jaws 

 only. Tail very slender, depressed, with a rather large keel on each 

 side. First dorsal short, separated from the second by a considerable 

 Interspace. Second dorsal and anal small, each with 7 or 8 finlets. 

 Pectorals and ventrals small. No air-bladder. Branchiostegals 7. 

 Pyloric coeca dendritical. Gill-rakers very long and slender, numerous. 

 VertebriB i^eculiarly modified, essentially as in Euthynnus. {au'=i-^ an 

 ancient name of a young tunny, from uo^w, to grow.) 



669. A. rocBlci (Risso) Giiutlier. — Frigate Mackerel. 



Blue, variegated with darker above, becoming plain with age ; belly 

 silvery. Body robust, scarcely compressed, abruptly contracted at cau- 

 dal peduncle. Eye as long as snout, 5 in head. Opercle very broad. 

 Scales of corselet and along anterior dorsal region com i^aratively large. 

 Maxillary almost entirely concealed by preorbital. Dorsal spines rather 

 stiff; space between dorsals four-fifths length of head. About 33 gill- 

 rakers below angle. Pectoral reaching past middle of first dorsal. Head 

 4; depth 44. U. X-I2-VIII5 A. 13-VlI. Vert. 39. Mediterranean to 

 the East Indies ; lately appearing in great numbers on our Atlantic 

 coast. A food-fish of little value. 



{Scomber rochci Risso, Iclith. Nice, 1810, l(i5; GiintLer, ii, 369: Scomber bisus Rafiu- 

 esque, Caratteri, etc. lolO, 45: Auxis vulgaris Cuv. & Val. viii, 139.) 



215.— SCOMBEROMOKUS Lac(5pede. 

 (Cybium Ciivier.) 



(Lacdp^de, Hist. Nat. Pt)i8s. iii, 292, 1802: typo Scomberomorus plicmierii Ijac.^Scom- 

 her regalis Bloch. ) 



Body elongate, nuked or with rudimentary scales, which do not form 

 a distinct corselet. Head pointed, comparatively short and sumll. 

 Mouth wide, the strong teeth in the jaws often compressed or knife- 

 shaped; villiform or sand-like teeth on the vomer and palatines; max- 

 illary not concealed by preorbital. Spinous dorsal low, of 14-18 feeble 

 spines. Soft dorsal and anal short, similar, somewhat elevated and 

 falcate, each followed by 7 to 10 finlets; ventrals small; pectorals moder- 

 ate, near the level of the eye. Air-bladder present. Vertebrae normal. 

 Fishes of the high seas; graceful in form and beautiful in color; among 

 the best of food-fishes. (r7zo///5/;o?, Scomber; op-opuq^ near.) 



670. S. coiicaloa* (Lockingtou) J. &, G. 



Male dark steel-blue, the sides silvery, without streaks or sjiots; 

 female with two alternate series of brown si)ots, the silvery on sides 



