The dorsal sxirfaoes are greenish-indigo, the belly is eilTery white, and there 

 are nvanerous irregularly-shaped spots arranged obliquely on the back. The median 

 pert of the oorselet ends slightly posterior to the peotoral fin. Posterior to the 

 end of the corselet there aire onrly one or two rows of scales above and below the 

 lateral line. The breadth of the body is roughly equal to the length of the head. 

 The haemal arches of three or four of the oaudal Tertebrae are Joined, thus retain- 

 ing traces of the cage which encloses the dark bloody tissue in the skipjack eoid 

 yaito. 



Individuals which attain a weight of 3*3 pounds are oooasionally seen, and 

 fish taken early in August have been found to have ripened gonads* 



_ Jhe species is widely distributed and ranges fromBoUimldo in the north to 

 EyuBhUf It occurs also in the Japan Sea, and is found in the Ogasawaras and 

 Rj^^ikyus and probably also in the South Seas* 



The dark red muscle tissue is large and the flavor is inferior* The schools 

 come in close to the coast, and the fish ai^ tsiken in the greatest numbers in the 



autumn* 



Auxis maru n*sp* (martMelika ^ 



Called utuwa in Shisuoka, mairngatauo and magatsuo in Toyama, mandara , dainampo , 

 and nodoguro in gimagawa, aBmba in ijagoshiaa, and also subota * 



D* 9 or 10, 11 or 12, 8* A. 13, 7. Gill-rakers 10 / 35* 



The mediem portion of the corselet becomes very narrow and ends posterior to 

 the anal fin. The breadth of the body Is less than the length of the head* The 

 haemal arches of the caudal vertebrae do not Join* These fish spawn in the sunnier* 

 The range of distribution is about the same as that of Auxis hira * This is an in- 

 ferior fish which has a maximum amoxrnt of dark red muscle tissue and whioh spoils 

 easily* 



This is probably the same species as Auxis ■(Jiazard of the South Seas, however, 

 it is not known whe^er thaeard corresponds to A* hira or to A. maru* Bleeker's 

 Atixis tapeinosoma m ay also be this species, but''the flgujre an"? description of this 

 species are very rough and unclear* Consequently I hftVs oompelled to give these 

 fishes the new names of hira and maru* 



^* 75^9 



