166 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



A very widely distributed and abundant species, found on both shores of 

 the Atlantic and also in parts of the Pacific. According to Jordan & Evermann 

 (1896), it is not uncommon on our Atlantic coast, where it spawns in summer. 

 One young specimen was taken in Beaufort Harbor by Jordan & Gilbert in 

 1878. 



Genus CYPSELURUS Swainson. Flying-fishes. 



This genus includes numerous species, found in warm seas in all parts of the 

 world. The elongate body is broad above, with sides compressed and flattened; 

 the head is short, blunt, wnth small mouth and feeble teeth; the pectoral fins 

 extend at least as far as beginning of anal; the long ventrals are inserted nearer 

 to base of caudal than to end of snout, and reach beyond the origin of the anal. 

 Besides the two following species recorded from the state, three or four others 

 (rondeletti, vinciguerrce, heterurus, furcatus) may be looked for: 



i. Anal rays 11 or 12; longest dorsal ray .4 head; ventrals inserted about midway from posterior 



margin of preoperele to base of caudal; depth contained 6.2 times in length, .speculiger. 



a. Anal rays 8 or 9; longest dorsal ray .5 head; ventrals inserted about midway from center of 



pupil to base of caudal; depth contained 5.2 to 5.5 times in length lutkeni. 



(Cypselurus, swallow-tailed.) 



143. CYPSELURUS SPECULIGER (Ouvier & Valenciennes). 

 Flying-fish. 



Exoccetus speculiger Cavier ik Va,\enciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissoas, xix, 93, 1846; Indian Ocean 



Pacific Ocean, etc. 

 Exoccetus volitans, Jordan & Evermann, 1^96, 734, pi. cxviii, fig. 318. (Not E. volitans Linnaeus.) 

 ExoccEtus nielanurus. Yarrow, 1877, 214; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 383; Beaufort (after Yarrow). 

 Exonautes speculiger, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2836. 



Diagnosis. — Form slender, the depth less than one sixth length; length of head con- 

 tained 4.25 times in total length; snout .25 length of head; eye contained a httle less than 3 

 times in head; scales in lateral series about 55; dorsal rays 11 to 13, the longest .4 length of 

 head; anal rays 11 to 13, the longest .33 length of head; pectorals extending beyond dorsal and 

 anal, their length .7 length of body, first ray simple, second divided, third and fourth longest; 

 ventrals long, inserted rather nearer to base of caudal than to eye, their length nearly .3 length 

 of body. Color: back bluish green, below white; pectorals dark brown, an oblique white band 

 extending backward from axil to middle of fin, the edges whitish; dorsal, anal, and ventrals 

 whitish, {speculiger, mirror-bearing.) 



This flying fish, which inhabits the open seas, is known from a number of 

 points on the east coast of America as far north as Newfoundland. At Woods 

 Hole, Mass., it is common some seasons and is caught in nets; young specimens 

 from 1.5 inches upward have been seined there in September and October, and 

 even the smallest have been observed to "fly". Yarrow recorded the fish as 

 "occasionally seen" at Beaufort, but his identification was uncertain and his 

 note might have applied to various other species. This fish reaches a length of 

 a foot, and is a very superior food fish. 



