178 MARINE PRODUCTS OF COMMERCE 



pelagic fishes of the Pacific Coast. These tunas are closely related to, if not identi- 

 cal with, species occurring in the Atlantic. The swordfish, believed to be identical 

 with the Atlantic variety, also occurs off California. A few species of marlin, ap- 

 parently different from those of the Atlantic, have also been reported from 

 California. The "sierra" of the Pacific Coast, which is identical with the Spanish 

 mackerel, Scomberomorus maculattis, of the Atlantic, and a related species 

 Scomberomorus concolor, are other pelagic species occurring on the coast of 

 California. 



Species that are neither pelagic nor ground fish are represented by the 

 barracuda, Barracuda argenteus, yellowtail, Seriola dorsalis, sea bass, Cynoscion 

 nobilis, and of course many others. The species named are all commercially im- 

 portant. The first two occur on the coast of California and southward, and the 

 last one ranges from Alaska to California, but is abundant chiefly on the coast 

 of California. 



Among the offshore species of the Pacific Coast, in addition to the halibut 

 already mentioned, are the arrow-toothed halibut, Atheresthes stomias, taken from 

 San Francisco northward, and another flatfish, namely the mottled sand dab, 

 Citharichthys sordidiis, which occurs along the entire coast of the Pacific states. 

 To this group may be added the Pacific codfish, taken from Oregon northward, 

 which is closely related to the Atlantic cod, and the lingcod, which occurs along 

 the entire Pacific Coast. 



The anadromous fishes of the Pacific, the last to be mentioned, are nevertheless 

 highly important as they include the very valuable salmon. It is to be regretted, 

 however, that the Pacific salmon on the coast of the United States are declining 

 alarmingly, partly because of overfishing, but more particularly as a result of the 

 construction of barriers in the streams they formerly ascended to spawn. To the 

 list of commercially important anadromous fishes of the Pacific Coast two 

 introduced species, namely the Atlantic shad and the striped bass, can now be 

 added. 



REFERENCES 

 Breder, C. M., Jr., "Field Book of Marine Fishes of the Atlantic Coast," New York and 



London, G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1948. 

 Carson, R. L., "Food from the Sea. Fish and Shellfish of New England," U. S. Fish and 



Wildlife Service, Conservation Bull, 33 (1943). 

 Carson, R. L., "Fish and Shellfish of the South Atlantic and Gulf Coasts," Coordinator of 



Fisheries, Conservation Bull., 37 (1944). 

 Carson, R. L., "Fish and Shellfish of the Middle Atlantic Coast," U. S. Fish and Wildlife 



Service, Conservation Bull, 38 (1945). 

 Chapman, W. M., "Thrice Told Tales: 1. Concerning the Skin and Scales of Fish," 



Aquar. J., 17, No. 8 (1946). 

 Chapman, W. M., "Thrice Told Tales: 3. On the Respiration of Fish," Aquar. J., 17, 



No. 10 (1946). 

 Chapman, W. M., "Thrice Told Tales: The Ear of a Fish," Aquar. J., 18, No. 1, 8-17 



(1947). 

 Chapman, W. M., "Thrice Told Tales. 6. What Is a Fish?," Aquar. J., 18, No. 2, 18-27 



(1947). 

 Chapman, W. M., "Thrice Told Tales. 7. Long Distance Touch in Fishes," Aquar. J., 



18, No. 3, 14-21, 29 (1947). 



