COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SCOMBHOn) FISHES. 439. 



rows of colourless dots in filk^niatioii. Tlicso lines jind series of dots iii-o 

 twenty or more in nuiiil)or, and tliey nro nenvly vertical in yoinij^ sjKjciniens, 

 nmoiup; tlirongli fi'om tha back to the lH3lly ; hut they bend gi-aduall>- biu-k- 

 ward tiwards tlie ventral median line as tlie fish grows. At fiist only colourless 

 lines make their appearance, and afterwards series of dots arc intercalated 

 between them. Moreover the lines ai'e also divided into dots afterwards at the 

 belly, and they disappear gimliially from the back. Tlie dots are iniegitlar 

 in aiTangement ia the caudal region. First dorsal gi'oyLsh, second doreal 

 greyish ■with yellow tip, dorsal fiulets j-oUow, and the anal and anal finlets 

 silveiy. Pectorals neaily black, ventrals greyish. Ks golden yellow. 



Flesh is dark reddish, comparatively firm, and not very oily. It is 

 superior in quality, especially in cjlder mouths, and is much esteemed. Two 

 year old fish are called " mecli," and are much valuefl by epicurians. It is told 

 that in and after the spawning season the flesh is often mottled with darker 

 spots and is much inferior in quality. Such flesh is distinguished by the name 

 of " azuMmi ", meaning red bean flesh. 



Tliis species attains a gigantic size. !\L\ Hideo Suzrici told me tluit 

 two Lu'ge tunnies, each weighing about 375 kg were caught in a pound-net 

 near Odawaiu in 1913. These were exceptionally large. Tmmies weighing 

 more than 150 kg are considered pretty large in general. 



This is the most common species of our tunnies, widely and abimdantly 

 disti-ibuted in our watera. It is easily distinguished from other timnies by its 

 small eyes, short jTectorals, sharply bent lateral line, triangular air-bladder, 

 finely striated liver, white markings in tlio l>elly, 3-ellowish finlets without 

 black margin, etc. 



In winter tliis species is foimd in tlie sjuthern part of our coast, as hx 

 south as 32° N. Not found near the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, nor Ogasawara 

 Islands. In summer tliis tunny inigi-ates northward as far as about 46° N. 

 In winter the tiuiny fishing is actively pui-sued on the Pacific coasts of south 

 and middle Japan, by means of long lines on or round deep, off-shore 

 banks, and on the northeastern coast of Hondo by meaois of drift nets. In 

 summer this tunny is caught on the Pacific coast as well as on the Japan 

 Scix coasts of north Japaai by means of pound-nets. Only a few examples 

 ai-e caught on the east coast of Chosen. Found in waters of 5-20° C, and 



