44 MALAYAN FISHES. 
MACKERELS, TUNNIES, ETC. 
(SCOMBRIDAE.) 
The fishes of the “ Mackerel” family are pelagic forms, abun- 
dant in all the seas of the tropical and temperate zones. They 
travel about in shoals, spawn in the open sea, but periodically ap- 
proach the shore in pursuit of other fishes on which they feed. 
Our most important local members of this family are the 
Pélata (Siamese pla thu) (Scomber microlepidotus), the Tong- 
kol (Thynnus thunnina) and the Tenggiri (Cybium spp.). 
The Pélata is a fish of great commercial importance in Siam 
and on the East Coast, where it is extensively salted and dried ‘for 
export. 
The Tongkol is the Malay generic term for the Tunny and, 
I believe, for the Bonito also. These fish gives excellent sport when 
they are on the feed but often one sees a school of these fish Jump- 
ing and disporting themselves, and on such occasions they seem to 
disdain the bait which is “ trolled” past them. 
The Ténggiri is, in my opinion, the best fish in our waters. 
The best ‘both from a sporting and from an edible point of view, but 
I may be prejudiced in its favour because I have had more sport 
with this fish than with any other. Seale’ gives corroborative 
evidence as to its edible qualities as follows, “In this family is 
the tanguingue, which is a true Spanish Mackerel. By many 
people this is regarded -as the finest food fish in the Philippine 
waters.” 
A recent visitor to Singapore from Queensland told me that 
he had had great sport with these fish on the Barrier Reef and that 
they attained a weight of 100 pounds. 
The big fish stay out in deep water and the best time to take 
them is during the N. E. monsoon. The best bait is a whole fish 
about 8 or 9 inches long, and at least 100 or 150 yards of line should 
be run off the reel, so as to keep the bait a long way astern as you 
sail along in a good breeze. 
When making a passage in a heavy sea with no time for rod 
fishing we used to boom out as many as five brass wire lines and 
perhaps have two or three fish on at once averaging 20 pounds or 
so. 
When our fisheries are better understood and depots with re- 
frigerating plant are established on the islands off the East coast, 
more attention will certainly be paid to our oceanic fishes. Sea 
going fishing smacks should do a good trade with catches of Bonito, 
Tunny and Spanish mackerel, 
One of the Spanish mackerels in America is one of the most 
highly esteemed of all American fishes and always commands a high 
price. Stead mentions that the catch in 1897 amounted to 
1,183,456 pounds, worth nearly £14,000. 
1 Fishery resources of the Philippines. 
