The body length is Sd - 3o2 times the head lengthy and 

 3o5 - 3,7 times the body depth. The head length is 60 5 - 606 times 

 the diameter of the eye, and 3 times the length of the snout,, 



The body is spindle-shaped and rather longj the head and eye 

 are comparatively large^, the caudal portion is shorty the caudal 

 peduncle tapers sharply^, the scales are rather large, and the corselet 

 is indistincto The mouth is largSj, the posterior end of the maxillary 

 reaching to a point directly beneath the anterior edge of the eyeo 

 There is one row of small conical teeth in each jawp and there are 

 areas of villiform teeth on the vomers palatines, and pterygoid and 

 on the tongue„ The pectoral fins are ribbon-shaped and very longp 

 reaching to beneath the dorsal finletso The height of the second 

 dorsal is equal to or slightly less than that of the first dorsalo 

 The anal is of roughly the same shape and size as the second dorsalo 



The dorsal surface of the body cavity is remarkably curved 

 so that the cavity itself is narrowo The part of the liver that 

 connects tha various lobes is narrow, and there are many lobules on the 

 edges of the lateral lobeso The anterior edge of the air bladder is 

 rounded and its walls are rather thin. It is narrow but long, and 

 extends the whole length of the body cavityo 



The flesh is pink and soft and is tasteless when eaten raw 

 so it has always been cheap in Japan^ and the fishermen have called it 

 •^bait-stealero** However , in America it is called "Sea-chicken" and is 

 prized for its flavor when canned in oilo 



The dorsal surfaces of the body are dark bluop the part near 

 the caudal fin having a green lustreo The belly is silvery whiteo 



The fish Is small for a tuna, individuals of 1 meter in length 

 and about 25 kgo in weight being considered largeo 



The range of distribution is very broad^ covering the warm 

 waters of the whole Pacific and Indian oceans, and extending to the 

 vicinity of 43° No in Japanese waters. The water temperature in the 

 waters which they irJiabit ranges ICP - 28° Co, and 10° - 25° Co is 

 considered to be the range of favorable tempo ratureso They have 

 strongly pelagic characteristics, hardly occurring at all in the Japan 

 Sea and being scarce in the enclosed sea areas of the southo In winter 

 they are plentiful in the vicinity of 30° - 35° No, giving rise to the 

 well-known fishing grounds east of Nojimasaki and those of the Kinan 

 Sea Area and the waters off Tosao 



According to some scholars this is the same species as the 

 so-called albacore or germon of the Atlantic and they give it the 

 scientific neime Go alalunga (Gmelin)o This view is probably correcto 



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