The first dorsal has 13 ■ 15 spines^, the second dorsal has 14 

 soft rays and 8-9 finlatSj the anal has 13 - 15 rays and 7-8 fin- 

 lets, and the gill-raker count is 12=13 / 24-260 The number of scales 

 in one longitudinal row is about 230o 



The body is stout^ the posterior portion tapering rapidly 

 toward the caudal peduncle,. The body length is So 2 = 3o5 times the 

 head length and 3o2 - 4c 3 times the body depfcho The length of the 

 head is 5 - 8 times the diameter of the eye^, 3o2 - 3,7 times the dis- 

 tance between the eyeSj, and 3-6 times the snout length,. 



The pectorals are short and do not reach to below the anterior 

 end of the second dorsalo They gradually taper to sharp points pos- 

 teriorlyo The height of the second dorsal is greater than that of the 

 firat and the two dorsal fins are not separated from each other^ The 

 anal fin is of approximately the same length as the second dorsalo The 

 lateral line has a peculiar curve above the bases of the pectoralso 



The air bladder is triangular with the posterior end pointedc 

 The anterior edge is straight ^ broadj and thicko It is broad and 

 extends completely across the width of the body cavity 4, but it is short 

 and barely extends a little more than half the length of the body cavity. 



The dorsal surface of the body is almost blacky the anterior 

 portion being particularly dark,, Posteriorly it gradually becomes gray 

 with a silvery sheen^ The ventral surfaces are gray with a large 

 number of colorless alternating lines and rows of spots arranged trans- 

 versely across the bodyo The first dorsal is gray^ and the tip of the 

 second dorsal is tinged with yellowo The dorsal finlets are yellowo 

 The anal and its finlets are silvery whites 'the pectorals are black, and 

 the ventrals are gray.. 



The flesh is dark red in color and comparatively firai and it 

 is prized in the winter for its flavor,, In the summer after spawning 

 the quality is lower and the price drops o 



These fish grow to a very large size^ and there are records of 

 specimens 3 meters long and weighing 375 kilograms c 



This is the most common species in Japanese waters^, where it is 

 taken both in the Pacific and in the Japan Seao Earlv in the winter a num- 

 ber of them are taken in the vicinity of 30°No west of the Boso Pe ninsui a, but 

 this is not a fishery which makes this species its special objecto The 

 fishery for this species begins around December in the waters adjacent 

 to Tanegashimaj ivith Aburatsu as a base,. The fishing in this region is 

 most active around Februarys and in March the schools begin to move 

 slowly north.. In midsummer they migrate from the waters off Sanriku to 

 the coastal waters of Hokkaido" and reach the vicinity of 46° Nc Nothing 

 has been reported as yet concerning their distributions and migrations 

 in the regions of the Ogasawara Islands and the former South Seas 

 Gove rnment=Gener ale From Formosan waters to the eastern and western 



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