422 KAJIAKICHI KLSHI»)r\-E: 



The right lobe of the liver is longer tliau the otheis. The inner wall of 

 the stomach is provided with about 12 longitudinal folds. Intestine slender, 

 sti'aight, without any loop. No bhnd sac to the pylorus. Duodenum saccular, 

 more or less flattened, and wide. There are alx)ut six pyloric tubes. The 

 tube oixuiing just behind the pylorus is longest. No air-bladder. 



The whole body shines with a metallic lusti-e. The back is light greyish 

 blue, washed with green, and the belly silvery. In a hviug fish we observe a 

 purplish shade. Seven or more longitudinal rows of greyish spots are found 

 on each side of the body. Some anterior spots in the median row are often 

 connected together. The male fish is said t ^ lie darker in colour than tlie 

 female. Pectorals, two doreals, and the caudal are likckish. Ventrals and 

 the anal are nearly colourless. Immature fish of almnt 7 cm lacks markings. 

 They are broader, compressed and have a longer head tlian the adult. 



Grows to a length of about 1 m. and 4.5 kg in weight. A fish under 

 one half metre long, and about one kg in weight is generally immature, and 

 is called "sagoshi." A fish under about two kg in weight is called " koza- 

 wara " by fish-mongers. 



This species is a good and valuable food-fish, caught all the year round, 

 and especially abundant in spring, when the fish spawns. Spawning season 

 is from April to Ma}'. The ripe ovum is very large, about 1.5 mm in 

 diameter. The laiTal fish is remarkable in having a large head with well 

 developed strong teeth in jaws. Immature fish of about 3 cm ai'e found in 

 April and May. They grow to 10 — 20 em in winter. Those immatiu-e fish 

 are found in shallow watei-s and are caught in di'ag seines for sardine. 



Ovarian ova do not mature at the same time ; but here aud there some 

 ova become large and ü'ansparent, and assemble to the central cavity to Ix) 

 discharged. 



Tliough wanting in the air-bladder this S|X3cies has a rather wide range 

 of vertical distiibution, swimming near the surface of water in wann seasons, 

 and descending to the deeper layer of waters in cold seasons. Geographi- 

 cally tliis Sfiecies is widely aud abundiintly distributed in coastixl waters 

 (10— 20°C, 1.022—1.024 in density) of our empire ;— Hondo, Shikoku, 

 Kyushyu, and Chosen, and also in waters of noi-theru China. Most abundant 

 in the middle paii of the empire, csjxxiially on the co;«t of the Inland Sea, 



