Thunnus mebaohi n.sp. (mebaohl) 



Called mebaohl or baohl in eastern Honshu^ meppaohi and dairumashibi in Mie, 

 and hirashibi or mebuto in Miyageiki • 



D. 14 or 15, 13, 9. A. 13, 9; Gill-rakers 8 - 10 / 18 or 19. 



The body is broad and the head and eye are large while the tail is oompara- 

 tively short and slender* The air bladder is large and its anterior tip is bifur- 

 cated. The haemal spines of the thoracic vertebrae are not markedly bent forward* 

 The foramen of the haemal aroh is broad* The interopercular bone is triangular and 

 long posteriorly* The pectorals are long, sometimes extending past the anus in 

 Juvenile specimens* 



The coloration of the back ranges from black to grayish indigo, and the belly 

 is gray or silvery* The dorsal fins are gray with a yellow tinge, euid the finlets 

 are yellowish with gray edges* The pectorals are black, sometimes with yellowish 

 tips* The ventrals are also gray with a yellowish oast* The anal is white with a 

 yellowish tip, and the eoial f inlets are similar to the dorsal ones* Sometimes one 

 sees on Juvenile specimens colorless stripes and rows of spots on a gray background 

 in the region of the anus, but these markings cannot be seen on mature fish* 



This species oocurs south of about 36^, preferring rather warn waters* It 

 is found in the Ryukyus and Formosa* It is also said to occur in the Japan Sea, 

 but this is very doubtful* It •wins at deeper levels than the other thtmnlds and 

 does not come in to shallow waters* The flesh is pale and soft and the flavor is 

 inferior, particularly in young fish* 



Thunnus maoropterus ( kihata ) 



Called kinhire in Mlyatakl, hashibi In Kyushu, itoshibi in Mie and Hiyasakl, 

 hatsu and hOmpatsu in Ehime, ajid hirenagia or gesunaga in ShTsuoka* 



D* 13, 14, 9. A. 14 or 15, 8 or 9. Gill-rakers 9 / 21. 



Head and eye small, tail long* It is easily distinguished by the exti*«mely 

 long second dorsal and anal, which are bright yellow* fhe air bladdar is large 

 €md its anterior edge is bifurcated* The foramen of the haemal arch is broad and 

 is enveloped by bundles of oapillairLes originating from the caudal vein* 



The coloration resembles that of the mebaohl [Th* mebaohi], but is brighter. 

 The tips of the second dorsal and the anal are irtiits, and the belly resembles that 

 of fk, orientalis in having alternate white stripes and rows of white spots. 



There are two varieties, one having the second dorsal and the anal developed 

 to a great length so that they reaoh to the oaudal, and the other lacking this de- 

 velopment* The former is oommonly called gesunaga in eastern Honshu and oitoshibi 

 in western Honshu. — ^— — 



This speoies prefers warm waters and is widely distributed. It ooours in the 

 Ryulcyus and at Formosa, and is said to appear in the South Pacifio and the Indian 

 Ooean* In Japan it is most abundant in the sunaer and ocoun also in the Japan Sea. 

 It remges north to Akita IVefeotur« and oomes in close to the shore in the suanar* 



In the KyuslnT region Juveniles about 6 inohes long are seen in the suomer. 

 These are called pinkirl in Miyasaki Prefecture. Fish about one foot long are taken 



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