198 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



palatines. There are 2 anal fins. On each side of the caudal peduncle are 2 

 fleshy ridges. The intestine is short and but slightly convoluted, and the large 

 air-bladder has numerous divisions. The family contains 2 genera, which are 

 thus distinguished: 



{. Dorsal fin much higher than depth of body, and not divided in middle; ventral fins formed 

 of 2 or 3 rays Istiophorus. 



ii. Dorsal fin less than height of body, and separated in middle by aborted rays; ventral fins 

 formed of a single spine Tetrapturus. 



■ Genus ISTIOPHORUS Lac^pede. Sail-fishes. 



Form slender, much compressed, caudal peduncle narrow; skin rough and 

 covered with small, elongate scales; sword flattened, tapering to a point, its 

 upper and lower surfaces rounded; dorsal fin continuous, beginning on head and 

 extending nearly to caudal, the anterior three-fourths very high, the posterior 

 rays low; anal fin double, small; caudal lobes widely flaring; ventral rays very 

 long. Several species, 1 American. (Istiophorus, sail-bearing.) 



169. ISTIOPHORUS NIGRICANS (Lacepede). 

 Sail-fish. 



Makaira nigricans Lac^pfede, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, iv, 688, 1803; Rochelle, France. 

 Istiophorus nigricans, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 891, pi. cxxxii, fig. 376. 



DiAGNOSis.^Depth greatest over gill-opening, .14 length from tip of sword to base of tail; 

 head (including upper jaw) 2.5 times depth; eye small, .09 to .10 length of head, midway 

 between tip of lower jaw and gill-slit; upper jaw 3 times length of postorbital region; lateral 

 line straight, with a marked arch over pectoral; dorsal rays about xl,7, the longest spines more 

 than twice body depth, the last rays much reduced; anal rays 9-1-7; caudal deeply forked, the 

 lobes very slender and about length of upper jaw; ventrals long and pointed, longer than upper 

 jaw; pectorals .5 ventrals. Color: above bluish black, below pale; dorsal fin bluish, with 

 numerous round black spots; caudal with black blotches; other fins dark, {nigricans, becoming 

 black.) 



The sail-fish, so named because of the immense dorsal fin, is not uncommon 



in the West Indies and about the Florida Keys, but occurs onl}^ as a rare straggler 



along the east coast of the United States. The only specimen recorded from 



North Carolina was caught by a ]\Iorehead City fisherman in the summer of 1884 



and was handled by Mr. George N. Ives, then in business at that place. The 



specimen finally reached Mr. H. H. Brimley, by whom it was preserved for the 



State Museum at Raleigh. This example is 71 inches long, with upper jaw 15 



inches long. 



Genus TETRAPTURUS Rafinesque, Spear-fishes. 



Body elongate, sides much compressed, caudal peduncle contracted; scales 

 rudimentary and embedded; dorsal fins separate; the first beginning over gill-slit 

 and extending beyond first anal, with anterior rays elevated and others very low, 

 the second dorsal small and opposite second anal; caudal fin widely forked; ven- 

 tral fins consisting of a single slender ray. Two American and several old world 

 species. (Tetrapturus, four- winged tail.) 



