In the present taxonony the tunas and bonitos are included with the mackerels 

 and cybiids in the family Scombridae, This is a little astonishing in view of the 

 tendency toward more and more detailed classification, however, there are many in- 

 conveniences in the study of these fishes and for this reason detailed investiga- 

 tions have been naturally delayed. 



The fishes at present assigned to the Scombridae are for the most part widely 

 distributed and exist in great numbers. They grow fast, are generally large in 

 size, and their flesh is well-flavored. Consequently they are important economi- 

 cally. The species are particularly numerous in Japan, and about 25*000,000 jean 

 [1 kan « 8,27 lbs.] with a value of 13,000,000 yen are taken each year, showing 

 that these are fishes which are worthy of a great deal of attention. 



This study was started in 1912 and was carried on at the University and the 

 Fisheries Bureau. For aid in obtaining materials and reports thanks are due to the 

 various prefectural fisheries research stations and to many of ny friends, espe- 

 cially Hagatsugu Akiyama, Seiao Adachl, Torakichi Imano, Shoshi Okada, Naotaro Oda, 

 Koji Ota, Elao Kono, Koichi Kamei, Rainosuke KubO, Tokujiro Koshida, Hijcozo aiimura, 

 Hidezane Seno, Misuke Takahashi, T5zo Na^^ajima, the late Kotaro Maeda, Kichitaro 

 lamada, and T?jiro ffakiya. 



I also wish to express ny thanks for the kindness of Dr. Rathbum, assistant 

 curator of the American JSuseum of Natural History, t*o sent me specimens of Atlantic 

 mackerels and bonitos. Dr. Jordan, who sent me mimeographed copies of papers, and 

 Mr. Goby, the assistant chief of the Netherlands East Indies Bureau of Agriculture, 

 who sent me specimens of mackerels and cybiids ftrom the South Seas. 



As a result of ny studies I have found that there are two species of macKerel, 

 five species of cybiids, two species of Oriental bonito, five species of tuna, and 

 four species of bonito, a total of ten genera and 18 species, which occur in Japanese 

 waters, and that these may be suitably divided into three families, the Scombridae, 

 Cybiidae, and Thunnidae. I have also found errors and omissions in past definitions 

 of the relationships between these genera and species. The detailed results of ny 

 study will be published in the Journal of the College of Agriculture. 



The oldest mention of these fishes -in our national literature is in Ekken 

 Kaibara's Yamato Honao (5th year of Hoei, that is, 1708). He listed the saba. 



(1712) Ryoan Terajima in 



Kuroda in his Suizokushi recorded the saba ( kisaba . hirasaba ) . SBSaXA (vanagi sgwara, 

 okisawara . shirouo . uke) . shibi (kuroshibi, maguro. meiika . medaishibi. binQaga* 

 kihata. mebachi ). katsuo ( mochigatsuo. su.iJgatsuo. sumadara. nzuwa . phibuwa. yokpwa), 

 and so forth. 



In 1829 Cuvier in his Regne Animal established uftder "Les Scombres" the genera 

 Scomber . Thvnnus . Orcynus. Auxia. Sarda. Cybium. Thvrsites. and Gemovles. This work 

 marked a great advance in taxonomy, and among the species ftom the Far East which it 

 recorded were the sawara. uahisawara. and tomboshibi C?). From the time of Linnaeus 

 until Cuvier these fishes had all been included haphazardly in the genus S99ml^y, 

 except that Lacepede had established the genus Scomberoaorus for one species of 

 £aaa» There were, however, errors in his description, and since he placed all the 

 other kinds of s awar a in the same genus with the mackerel, it is believed that the 

 adoption of this new genus was not opportune. 



