462 KÄ.MAKICHI KESHINOUYE : 



The dendritic coui^se of the hepatic vein may distinctly be seen on the 

 exterior side of the liver. The right lobe of tlae liver is exceedingly long, the 

 other lobes are short and rather indistinct. The mass of the pyloric coeca is 

 nauch shorter than the stomach. Kidneys are elongated. Two ureters are sepa- 

 rated and open at the dorsal, anterior end of the bladder. Sexual gland when 

 ripened develops backward along both sides of the thick row of interspinous 

 bones of the anal fin. This is due to the narrowness of the abdominal cavit^'. 



The back is dark greenish, it becomes dai'k bluish after death. Several 

 obHque bands in tlie scaleles3 part above the lateral line. Eelly suvery, with 

 irridescent reflections. Oval dark spot below each eye. 



Very widely distributed in the temperate and tropical waters. In warm 

 seasons the fish approaches the shore, often in large schools, and is caught 

 with seines, pound-nets, drift nets, rods and lines, etc. This fish is also found 

 in the Japan Sea. It swims in the deeper strata of water in cold months, and 

 disappears in winter from our coasts. 



Very small in size, generally ca 30 cm in length. 



The fish feeds on small plankton and small fishes, such as Athcrina, Stole- 

 pIiGTUS, Spruttdloides, immature forms of Engraidis, etc. It is inferior in taste, ' 

 as it is coarse and moreover very perishable. 



In cm- waters there are twt) different species of fish belonging to this 

 genus. They resemble each other so closely that they have long been con- 

 founded by naturalists, and were considered to be the same species as the 

 Atlantic congener. 



Key to the Japanese species o£ the genus Auxis. 



Body more or less compressed, only a few scales are found on both sides of 

 the lateral line in the posterior part of the body ; inferior foramen 

 present in the last two vertebrae with the epihaemal spine (26th and 27th) .4. hint. 



Boily nenily rounded in cross-section, several rows of scales on both sides uf 



the lateral lint-, no inferior foramen in the vertebrae with the epihaemal spine.. .A. maru. 



Auxis hira Kishinouye. 



Hiramodika, hiragatsuwo, hirasohda, obosogatsuwo, sliibuwa, 

 soma, suma, etc. 



Figs. 55, 59. 



Auxii hira, Kishinouye, Sui. Oak. Ho. I. 21!, 1>1. 1, Fig. 16. 1915. 



D. 10-11, 12, 8. A. 13, 7. GUI-rakers 9 + 30. 



