These fish are frequently seen to leap into the air. When they are hooked they make 

 one deep dive with trennendous strength, and it not rarely happens that they break the branch 

 line or drag a glass ball float of 30 centinneters diameter so deep that it is crushed by water 

 pressure. 



2. Albacore, Germo germo (Lacepede) 



This fish is called both binnaga and bincho and in western Japan it is generally called 

 tonbo or tonboshibi. It is snnall for a tuna, specimens of about 100 centimeters long jind 30 kilo- 

 grams in weight being considered large. 



A peculiar characteristic of this species is the long pectorail fins, the tips of which 

 reach back beyond the base of the second dorsal. The back is blue-black in color and the belly 

 is silvery-white. 



The color of the flesh is pale pink, almost white, and the flesh is extremely soft, 

 making it rather unsuitable for consumption as sliced raw fish. When it is cooked, it does not 

 become hard as the other tunas do, and as the flavor is said to resemble chicken, it is highly 

 prized by Americans, who call it the "chicken of the sea. " Before the war this species was ex- 

 ported in large quantities canned in oil. The center of this cainning industry was in Shizuoka 

 Prefecture. Besides this canned fish, rather large quantities of fresh fish were exported as raw 

 material for canning. Even today after the war, the demand from America appears to be rather 

 great. 



o 



This is a very widely distributed species, ranging from the Equator to about 45 N. 



amd S. latitudes. The center of their distribution in the North Pacific, however, appears to be 

 between 30 and 40 N. latitude. They are abundant in Japanese waters and are taken in large 

 numbers by skipjack boats fishing with live bait in the summer. From December to March, they 

 are taken over an extremely broad area centered around 30 N. latitude, principally by longline?. 



Some scholars think that the albacore of Japanese waters, of the Southern Hemis- 

 phere, of the Indian Ocean, cind of the Atleintic Ocean are all the same species. In view of their 

 distribution, this opinion may be thought reasonable, but the ultimate decision remains to be 

 made in the future. 



3. Bigeye tuna, Parathunnus sibi (Temminck and Schlegel) = Parathunnus mebachi (Kishinouye) 



This fish is also called bachi, darumashibi , and mebachi . Among the tunas it is the 

 next largest to the black tuna, attaining a length of about 2 meters and a weight of about 150 

 kilograms. 



Characteristics peculiar to this tuna are the stout body, the short tail portion (from 

 the vent back), and the large head and eyes. The najne darumashibi applies chiefly to immature 

 fish, the thick, chunky body probably being reminiscent of a statue of Daruma, The pectoral 

 fins are long, their tips reaching to a point roughly below the insertion of the second dorsal. The 

 back is bluish black and the belly is white. 



The flesh has a rather pale but beautiful red color. When it is served as sliced raw 

 fish, the flavor is not considered particularly good, but it is at its best in the spring and autunnn. 

 The fact that the flesh is somewhat soft is considered a defect. Besides being eaten fresh, it is 

 utilized along with yellowfin for canning. 



The species has not yet been reported from the Sea of Japam, but it has a very wide 

 distribution. It is an interesting fact that this species has no clearly apparent focus tp its dis- 

 tribution, being tjiken in about equal abundance everywhere from to 40 N. The trends of the 



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