CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME. 119 
Families of the Mackerel and Mackerel-Like Fishes. 
Small finlets follow the dorsal and anal fins. A projecting keel on 
each side of tail (except in Scomber). Ventral fins present. The 
Mackerels (Family Scombride) page 119. 
No finlets follow the dorsal and anal fins. A projecting keel or ridge 
on each side of. tail. Ventral fins present. 7he Yellow-Tail and 
Horse-Mackerel (Family Carangide) page 124. 
Upper jaw prolonged into a sword. <A pair of long single rayed 
ventral fins present. The Marlin-Spike Fishes (Family Istiophorida) 
page 126. 
Upper jaw prolonged into a sword. No ventral fins present. The 
Swordfishes (Family NXiphtidw) page 127. 
A single long dorsal and anal fin without sharp spines. Body deep 
and compressed. No ventral fins. The California Pampano (Family 
Stromateid@) page 128. 
THE MACKERELS. 
(Family Scombride. ) 
In this family are the mackerel, bonito, skipjack, albacore, and Span- 
ish mackerel. All but the mackerel (Scomber) have a keel-like projec- 
tion on the side of the tail with sometimes a pair of small ones. 
Scomber lacks the keel in the middle of the side but has a pair of small 
ones on each side. Most of the mackerels have very small scales. In 
some of them these are enlarged and crowded together at the front of 
the body in a corslet. In all of them the dorsal and anal fins are fol- 
lowed by detached finlets. The caudal is widely forked and the tail 
exceedingly slender. The color is usually metallic steel-blue and bright 
silvery. 
The Mackerel (Scomber japonicus). 
The mackerel has a high, triangular first dorsal fin with 9 or 10 
spines. It is separated by a considerable space from the second dorsal, 
which is much lower. The anal is similar to the second dorsal and is a 
trifle behind it. Both dorsal and anal fins are followed by 5 or 6 finlets. 
Fig. 63. The mackerel (Scomber japonicus). 
The pectoral fin is rather short, or about as long as the distance from 
the eye to the gill opening. On each side of the tail are a pair of keel- 
like projections. The color most readily distinguishes the mackerel 
from its relatives. It is blue above and silvery below, with many 
crooked, blackish bars extending downward from the back to the middle 
