148 FISHES OF SAN DIEGO—EIGENMANN, 
slack wind, even when barracuda are abundant, briags but few fish. 
The largest catch reported for a single day is 1,100 by one boat with 
two men. Rarely more than 40 are taken. They average from 6 to 12 
pounds, and from 24 to 4 feet in length, and retail at 10 cents apiece. 
Large numbers are salted and dried. 
About Monterey they are taken with the gill net. In 1890 the first 
individuals reached Monterey on March 10. 
Like most of the surface and shore food fishes the barracuda feeds 
chiefly on the anchovy (Stolephorus ringens). 
Among Mrs. Eigenmann’s notes is the following: SS. argentea 8 to 12 
inches long, abundant about San Diego steamship wharf, where they 
were taken by trolling, May 17, 1885, | 
ECHENEIDID. 
Remora remora (Linnzus), i 
E, & E. ’89a. i 
This species iscommon in summer when sharks abound. Itisusually | 
attached to Sphyrna zygena. On other sharks it has not been observed. — 
XIPHIIDA. 
(Xiphias gladius Linneus). | 
E. & E. ’89a. i 
This species has never, to my knowledge, been brought into the mar- 
kets of San Diego. I have observed it on the Cortes Banks, as well as 
farther northward. 
SCOMBRIDA. 
Scomber colias Gmelin. 
Steind. Ichthyol. Beitr. 111, 53, 1875; Scomber pneumatophorus, J. & G., 81, 45; : 
id, 782, 424; R. Smith, ’85; E. & E. ’89. 
This species is quite abundant at San Diego. During August sev- 
eral fishermen reported large schools off Point Loma, and the bay was 
literally full of tinkers. They are caught in seines and with hook and 
line. One boy caught, in the latter way, one hundred and eighty tink- 
ers in one hour. The tinkers enter the bay in August and become very 
abundant in September and October. They decrease in number during 
December. During February, 1890, none were seen, but stragglers were 
taken in March and May, 1889. 
At present this fish is of little importance at San Diego.* Very few 
large ones are taken and those are usually caught while fishing for 
other fish. The tinkers afford sport to many idlers on the wharves, but 
otherwise little use is made of them. At Monterey they are abundant 
during June, and at times bring a high price. They are taken with the 
gill net at Monterey, a mode of fishing searcely in use at San Diego. 
*Since this was written a cannery was established and many fishermen make it a 
business to catch mackerel with hook and line off Ballast Point. 
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